How to Watch

When/Where: 7 p.m. EST; The Pavilion, Villanova, PA

TV: FS1

Streaming: Fox Sports GO

Radio: 610 Sports (WTEL-AM)

Bets are On

Villanova is favored by -22, according to OddsShark.

Game History

This will be the third all-time matchup between Villanova and College of Charleston, with a series record of 1-1. Interestingly, the first time the schools met in December 2002, Charleston’s record was 5-0 and Villanova was 3-2. CofC went on to beat the Wildcats 71-69, in a dramatic tie breaking basket with 11 seconds left.

Fast forward 14 years, and now Villanova is 5-0 and Charleston is 3-2. Spooky, eh?

Noteworthy Juice

During the Gildan Charleston Classic, College of Charleston fell to University of Central Florida during the semifinals, thus missing their chance to face the national champions in the tournament finals. However, CofC has another shot at destiny scheduled tonight in the Pavilion. Leading the Cougars’ efforts will likely be Joe Chealey, the redshirt junior guard averaging 15.6 points per game for Charleston.

For the Wildcats, Phil Booth’s knee tendonitis caused him to miss Villanova’s two previous games, which may have been problematic, except for one not-so-little secret: Mikal Bridges. In fulfilling Booth’s absence on the court, Bridges has come into his own groove. Securing crucial rebounds and nailing skillful shots to boost the scoreboard, Bridges is on a bit of a hot-streak with a field goal percentage of 62 percent.

Joining Bridges in the standard “Non-Starters on the Rise” club for Villanova are Eric Paschall and Donte DiVincenzo. Throughout the Charleston Classic, Paschall not only demonstrated deft grit underneath the bucket but also dropped a cool 17 points in a tense game against Western Michigan. Further, DiVincenzo, named Player of the Game during Villanova’s defeat of UCF, has displayed skill versatility with his quick ball handling and open shot success.

Freshly dubbed number two in the country by this week’s latest AP Poll, the Wildcats seem readily poised to continue their non conference win streak.