Temple Visits Villanova For Big 5 Showdown
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It's the Big 5 match-up of the year tonight at the Pavilion. #8 Villanova hosting #25 Temple.
The Wildcats are 10-1 coming into this game and coming off a 40-point win over Monmouth last time out on December 22nd. Villanova head coach Jay Wright says playing the Owls is always difficult.
"The same as when we played them last year," he said. "They are probably the best defensive team we've seen so far this year. And Tennessee (who beat Villanova 78-68 back on 11/26) was a great defensive team, but I think Temple might be a little bit better."
When Villanova faced Temple last season, it was the Owls pulling off the upset with a 75-65 win at the Liacouras Center. Temple head coach Fran Dunphy says, however, it won't be easy to turn that trick again.
"They are very talented," he said. "They do a lot of things well and I think one of the things they are doing particularly well this year is rebounding the ball offensively. Part of the problem for us is their great speed and quickness is something that obviously concerns us so we are going to have to really concentrate on many areas, but certainly the offensive rebounding area for them - we have to make sure that they really don't get the great share of those rebounds."
Wright says a big key to success in this game for his Wildcats is very basic:
"You've got to be able to score. You gotta make shots because they are such a great defensive team. They have great length, they are well-coached, great rotations. So we gotta be able to make shots."
Dunphy says this is the latest big game in the great tradition of the Big 5:
"All the kids know each other and they watch each other, they read about each other. It's great fun."
Tip-off tonight is set for 7:00pm on the Main Line.
Reported by Matt Leon, KYW Newsradio
