Wildcats Bracing For Red-Hot Red Storm
By Ed Benkin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Villanova is gearing up for the Big East Tournament. St. John's will provide the perfect preview.
The two longtime Big East rivals will play at the Center on Saturday at 2pm. The fourth-ranked Wildcats will be looking to close out the regular season with their 29th victory and have already clinched the top seed in the upcoming Big East Tournament. However, the Red Storm have won seven of their last eight games and appeared to have locked up an NCAA Tournament birth. The stage is set for two of the best from the Big East to battle in South Philadelphia, and Villanova Coach Jay Wright knows his team will have its hands full.
"We're playing against a team that's really hot," said Wright. They're very, very good. You look at their offensive numbers, and they're at the top of the league in everything. They're playing their best basketball at the right time, so this is going to be a great game."
Villanova made quick work of St. John's earlier this season, as they rolled past the Red Storm in New York with an 18-point victory. However, the Red Storm appear to be playing their best basketball of the season, and Wildcats Guard Darrun Hilliard says it will be a typical Big East battle.
"Any team in this conference is a really good test," said Hilliard. "This conference is a great conference. Anybody can be beat. We've seen that. We know St. John's is a great team and it's going to be a great test."
One reason the Wildcats are 28-2 is because of their ability to not look ahead. Villanova's players were focused on Creighton before finishing off the Blue Jays on Tuesday. Now, Ryan Arcidiacono and company are locked in on their impending battle with the Red Storm.
"They all were shooting the ball really well," said Arcidiacono. Phil Green has been playing well, and so has Sir Dominic Pointer. It seems like they have a solid six, seven or eight guys that are all playing well and shooting the ball well."
As much as the Wildcats remain focused, it is difficult to block out NCAA Tournament talk. Many believe a win over St. John's coupled with capturing the Big East title next week will lock Villanova into a number one seed. However, Wright is confident his experienced group won't be distracted by NCAA projections as they get set for St. John's.
"I'm just getting the feeling that they've been through this," Wright said. "The media does a great job of pumping up the post-season, which is what makes it so exciting for everybody as long as the players aren't involved with that, and I don't think our players are thinking that way."