Villanova Basketball heads to Indy for Round 2 with Butler

Happy Wednesday Nova Nation! Your Villanova Wildcats are back in action tonight as they travel to the Butler Bulldogs. Butler is just a game behind Nova in the Big East standings, while Villanova trails Seton Hall (playing Georgetown tonight) by a game as well. Either way tonight could cause some separation as we start the back half of the conference title race.

I’m keeping things short and sweet today, there’s a lot to do before tonight’s 6:30 PM ET tip. But before we get into the links, Villanova has been relying on a number of guys to step up at different times to win games. My question for you is, who will it be tonight?

In other “news”, how Kobe influenced Robinson-Earl’s jersey number,

Villanova Men’s Basketball

NCAA Tournament: Loss to Creighton doesn’t affect Villanova’s status in Joe Lunardi’s bracket projections | The Inquirer
The Wildcats held onto a No. 4 seed in Lunardi's latest bracket projection despite their 76-61 loss to the Bluejays at home.

More than a number: College players tell their stories about Kobe Bryant inspiring them to wear No. 24 | CBSSports.com
'Kobe pushed me. Seeing him, his desire, it's literally why I wear 24. The reason I keep playing basketball is because of him.' Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is one of the many missing Kobe.

Villanova vs Butler

Villanova vs. Butler: 2019-20 basketball game preview, TV schedule | Busting Brackets
A top-20 tilt in the Big East Conference will take place on Wednesday evening, when Villanova makes the trip to Indianapolis to square off with Butler.

Villanova hopes its next Big East rematch goes better than the previous one | The Inquirer
The 10th-ranked Wildcats lost Saturday to Creighton, a team they had defeated Jan. 7 in Omaha. Jay Wright hopes his team can respond better Wednesday night against No. 19 Butler.

No. 10 Villanova aims to come back vs. No. 19 Butler | SiouxlandProud
Villanova will attempt to respond from a 15-point home loss to Creighton when it travels to No. 19 Butler on Wednesday. The No. 10-ranked Wildcats fell 76-61 to the Bluejays on Saturday but still enter Wednesday’s matchup with an impressive record of 17-4 overall and 7-2 in the Big East. “I’ve been saying this all […]

'Cats and Bulldogs to Tangle Wednesday Night | Villanova University Athletics
Villanova meets Butler in a BIG EAST clash Wednesday night in Indianapolis

Big 5

Catch Penn basketball player AJ Brodeur while you can, and other City 6 observations | The Inquirer
Only four home games left to see Brodeur in action inside the Palestra.

Big East

2019-20 Big East Conference Basketball Power Rankings 5.0 | Empire Writes Back
Another week, another set of upsets and another team sits at the top. Welcome to EWB's Big East Basketball Power Rankings 5.0.

No. 10 Villanova faces 2 matchups with ranked Big East foes | WTOP
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Villanova coach Jay Wright knows his 10th-ranked Wildcats have youth and inexperience that can lead to inconsistent play in some of the…

Five Things to Watch For Approaching Seton Hall Matchup Saturday | villanovan.com
Villanova Wildcats (17-4, 7-2) vs. Seton Hall Pirates (16-5, 8-1)

NBA Wildcats

Bucks: Healthy DiVincenzo providing scoring, energy, and toughness this season | journaltimes.com
MILWAUKEE — When a team loses as infrequently as the Milwaukee Bucks have so far this year, every loss tends to stand out.

Villanova Women’s Basketball

Women’s City 6 notebook: Drexel passes big test in convincing fashion | The Inquirer
Drexel's winning streak, a dominant Penn victory,​ and Villanova's nail-biters are some of the biggest headlines from last week's action.

Like mother like son | The Knight Crier
TOWAMENCIN- A “Slam dunk” – whether it’s a glowing a report card, a great investment, a perfect job opportunity, this idiom is sporadically tossed through most typical American households. But for the Carangi family, the phrase often takes quite a literal turn. Basketball is a major cog in the machine that is the Carangi household. ...

Villanova Football

Ridge's Brendan Bell to Play Football At Villanova | TAPinto
BASKING RIDGE, NJ -- Brendan Bell, a quarterback and strong safety who made a measurable impact on both offense and defense for the Ridge High School football team, announced Monday night that he...

Villanova Athletics

Athlete of the Week: Will D. Cat, The Man Behind the Mask | villanovan.com
After years of hyping up Villanova students and competing at Nationals to only reach as high as second place, Will D. Cat can finally call himself a National Champion.

Distance Runners Dominate Villanova Invitational | villanovan.com
Over a Saturday evening in Staten Island, eight Wildcats from men’s track and field put up personal best times.

Thomas and Jones Hurdle to Top of Big East Ranks at Home Meet | villanovan.com
In its only home meet of the season, the Villanova women’s track and field team had a strong performance, having 10 athletes place in the top five over the course

2020 Men's Lacrosse Season Preview | Villanova University Athletics
The Villanova men’s lacrosse team is set to open the 2020 season this Saturday, February 8th against the Penn State Nittany Lions for the third straight season. Head coach Mike Corrado breaks down the 2020 Wildcats position-by-position as Villanova takes their final practices before their season opener.

Softball 2020 Season Preview | Villanova University Athletics
VILLANOVA, Pa – Villanova Softball is slated to begin their 2020 season on Friday, as they head to Jacksonville University to take on San Diego State at 12:00 PM

Four Men’s Cross Country Student-Athletes Earn All-Academic Team Recognition | Villanova University Athletics
NEW ORLEANS—Four members of the men's cross country team were named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic

Lydia Olivere and Ann Campbell Earn Cross Country All-Academic Team Honors | Villanova University Athletics
NEW ORLEANS—Women's cross country sophomore Lydia Olivere (Wilmington, Del.) and senior Ann Campbell (Mission Hills, Kan.) were each named to the United States Track

Bracketology

College Basketball Bracketology Seed List For February 4, 2020 | Blogging the Bracket
This is the complete seed list for Tuesday’s SB Nation bracket projection, complete with team record and NET info.

Bubble Banter: Rhode Island and Tennessee land key victories | NBC Sports
It was a fairly slow night on the bubble, as just seven teams were in action.

Bubble Watch: The state of the bubble is … fine, actually | The Athletic
With Selection Sunday less than six weeks away, Duke, Louisville and West Virginia join the lock party.

College Basketball

Two keys to predicting a major college basketball upset | ESPN
Now that it's officially bracket season, keep an eye on these stats as you get ready to make your March Madness picks.