NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 11: Kris Jenkins #2 of the Villanova Wildcats drives to the basket against Cole Huff #13 of the Creighton Bluejays during the Big East Basketball Tournament - Championship Game at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2017 in New York City.
Top-ranked Villanova will host Creighton on Thursday night, and here are all the facts to know before the matchup.
The Wildcats (20-1, 7-1 Big East) are facing the Bluejays (17-5, 7-3 Big East) for the first time this season. Creighton is third in the conference.
Both teams have been beset by injuries recently. Creighton lost breakout forward Martin Krampelj for the year, but the Bluejays still boast a powerful offense that includes senior guard Marcus Foster.
Meanwhile, Villanova has lost freshmen Phil Booth and Jermaine Samuels to hand injuries. The Wildcats’ only loss this season was a 101-93 defeat at Butler in their last game of 2017 on Dec. 30. Since then, they have enjoyed a seven-game win streak, the most recent victory being an 85-82 win at Marquette on Sunday.
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Against Marquette on Sunday, Villanova’s Jalen Brunson matched a career-high 31 points. The junior guard has done that twice this season, the other time being in the loss to Butler. In a home game against Marquette earlier this season, Brunson dropped 27 points, eight assists, and four steals.
All five Wildcats starters are averaging double-digit scoring numbers. With Donte DiVincenzo promoted from the “sixth starter” to official starter, that left true freshmen Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and Collin Gillespie to close out the rotation.
No. 1 Villanova Wildcats vs. Creighton Bluejays:
Time: 6:30pm ET
Place: The Pavilion, Bryn Mawr, PA
TV: FS1
Live Stream: Fox Sports GO
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 11: Kris Jenkins #2 of the Villanova Wildcats drives to the basket against Cole Huff #13 of the Creighton Bluejays during the Big East Basketball Tournament – Championship Game at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
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