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Villanova Basketball: 2019-20 keys for Wildcats vs. Ohio State

By Brian Rauf

VILLANOVA, PA - NOVEMBER 06: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats walks off the court at halftime against the Morgan State Bears at Finneran Pavilion on November 6, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The Wildcats defeated the Bears 100-77. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA - NOVEMBER 06: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats walks off the court at halftime against the Morgan State Bears at Finneran Pavilion on November 6, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The Wildcats defeated the Bears 100-77. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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VILLANOVA, PA – NOVEMBER 05: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #24 of the Villanova Wildcats dribbles the ball against Chris Mann #4 of the Army Black Knights in the first half at Finneran Pavilion on November 5, 2019 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA – NOVEMBER 05: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #24 of the Villanova Wildcats dribbles the ball against Chris Mann #4 of the Army Black Knights in the first half at Finneran Pavilion on November 5, 2019 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Villanova basketball faces its first big test of the season on Wednesday against Ohio State. Here are the three biggest keys to the game.

Villanova basketball will face off with Ohio State on Wednesday in one of the marquee matchups highlighting the Gavitt Tipoff Games.

The Wildcats rose to No. 10 in the AP poll this week following a blowout win over Army in their opener, while the Buckeyes currently find themselves ranked No. 16 after a 2-0 start with wins over Cincinnati and UMass-Lowell.

Both teams have sky-high expectations thanks to the combination of returning talent and quality incoming recruiting classes. Villanova’s class is highlighted by two five-star prospects in Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Bryan Antoine (who is out with a shoulder injury). Ohio State also ranked in the top 15 nationally with three top-50 prospects committed, headlined by point guard DJ Carton.

This is an early “measuring stick game” to see where each squad ranks against similar competition. Both expect to make long NCAA Tournament runs and have legitimate Final Four aspirations but, because of their youth, no one knows who real those expectations are.

Not only will the winner of this game get a resume-boosting win over the other, but they will also rise significantly in the polls – a rise that could be greater than normal considering the lack of top-tier teams at the top of the polls.

So, what has to happen for Villanova to emerge victorious? Here are the three biggest keys to the game: