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The No. 5 Villanova Wildcats play travel to our Nation's capital to take on the Georgetown Hoyas at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 19 at 9 p.m. ET. Here's what you need to know for your viewing pleasure.
How to watch, listen and stream
TV: FOX Sports 1
Radio: Villanova IMG Sports Network, 610 WIP, 980 WTEM AM (Georgetown)
Live Stream: FOX Sports GO (Where Available)
Gamblin' Info
Villanova is a 4.0 point favorite with an OU of 132 as per OddsShark.com.
Stakes
Villanova is looking to get out to a 5-1 conference record and move to 18-1 overall. The Wildcats need to win games like these to maintain their standing as a potential 1 seed in March.
For the Hoyas, they get a chance to put a marquee win on their own march resume. Sitting at 12-5 and 4-2 in the Big East the Hoyas are in the hunt for a bid. But non-con wins over Indiana and Florida are not as good as they have been in recent years. A win tonight would be huge.
Inside the Numbers
The Wildcats sit at No. 5 RPI and the Hoyas are at 25. KenPom has the Wildcats at No. 4 with the 8th most efficient offense and 11th most efficient defense while the Hoyas are at No. 46 with the 53rd most efficient offense and 57th most efficient defense. Jeff Sagarin has the 'Cats at 6 and Georgetown at 38.
What to Watch For
Villanova's shooting. Gtown plays a tougher perimeter D than many of the teams Villanova has faced. They may try counter by attacking the paint and trying to get Josh Smith in foul trouble early.
For Georgetown it will be important that their freshman step up and play with poise against Villanova's experience and talent. They have yet to meet a team with this blend. Josh Smith will have to stay on the floor and use his superior size to get baskets against the Wildcats' smaller sets. The matchup between Josh Hart and LJ peak will be an interesting glimpse into the future of two up and coming stars of the Big East.