Villanova returns to action against Seton Hall Tuesday

How does having nearly a full month off in the middle of the season affect a college basketball team?

This is the question we’ll look to answer Tuesday evening when the #3 Villanova Wildcats take the floor for the first time in four weeks against the Seton Hall Pirates.

Villanova will have its full roster, as every player passed protocol, which is good news for the Wildcats. The issue, once again, will be how they respond to playing for a month, then sitting for a month, and now trying to restart their season.

COVID has also impacted the Seton Hall Pirates, of late. Seton Hall originally were scheduled to have a week off following their January 9 win over DePaul, returning to action January 16 against Xavier. The Musketeers had COVID issues in their program and the game was cancelled, so the Pirates have gone a week and a half in between games. Both teams are likely to look sloppy in Tuesday’s matchup at the Finneran Pavilion.

Villanova’s focus will likely lie in attempting to shut down Sandro Mamukelashvili, who comes into the game averaging 18.1 PPG, fourth-best in the Big East.

How to watch or stream

Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: FOX Sports 1

Stream: FOX Sports Go