With 2-0 Penn playing the back-end of its Big 5 basketball schedule over the next two Saturdays, the city title will be at stake for the Quakers, Temple, and Villanova
The Big 5 basketball season is coming to a close with three more games to play in the series this year; Penn plays the back-end of its city series schedule against Temple on Saturday and Saint Joe’s a week later, and Saint Joe’s is visiting La Salle in a February 5th game at Gola Arena that wont affect the standings. For the first time in six years, the record books won’t hold Villanova’s name alone for the Big 5 title, and there’s a chance Jay Wright’s squad could be completely left off the podium this season. And despite there only being two games that are going to matter towards the final standings yet to be played, there are a number of ways the Big 5 season can still shake out.
What we know
- Villanova will not win the title outright
When the drama had ended and the dust had settled at the Palestra in December, Villanova had lost more than its historic win streak that had stretched six seasons in Big 5 play; it also lost the chance to add to its record of five consecutive outright Big 5 titles, being the sole earner of every Big 5 championship since La Salle and Temple shared the title in 2013. Villanova finished Big 5 play this season at 3-1, a record guaranteed to be at least matched by either Temple or Penn. There’s a chance they don’t win a share of the title at all.
- Saint Joe’s and La Salle are eliminated from title contention
La Salle and St. Joseph’s are both winless, the Explorers at 0-3 (not to mention their loss to Drexel) with only St. Joe’s left on their Big 5 schedule, and St. Joe’s has lost the two city series games it’s played against Temple and Villanova. Neither can hit the three-win mark it would take to have a shot at a city title.
- Either Temple or Penn will win at least a share of the Big 5
As we mentioned earlier, one of Temple or Penn is guaranteed to win at least a share of the Big 5 title. When they meet on January 19th, one will leave Liacouras Center with three Big 5 wins to match Nova’s final tally. Penn will definitely have something to play for in both of its final two Big 5 games, whether it’s for an outright title or a share of it.