Villanova vs. Creighton: 2018-19 college basketball preview, TV schedule

All is right with the world as Villanova has assumed their rightful perch atop the Big East with an unblemished conference record.

TV schedule: Wednesday, February 6, 2019, 8:00 PM ET, CBSSN

Location: Finneran Pavilion, Villanova, Pennsylvania

College basketball was a scary place just a couple of months ago. The sport’s mighty conquerors, the Villanova Wildcats, had fallen upon hard times. The Michigan Wolverines crushed them and the Furman Paladins embarrassed them.

Forget winning the Big East – there was legitimate concern the Wildcats would miss the NCAA Tournament as they tumbled out of the AP poll.

Like a phoenix, the Wildcats have risen out of the ashes.

Since starting conference play, Villanova has become unassailable. Through nine games, the Wildcats have yet to lose once. Very few of the victories have been entirely convincing, but none have come by less than two possessions either.

Ageless wonders Phil Booth and Eric Paschall are playing a major role in the team’s revival. The most important development, however, might be ongoing; Collin Gillespie scored a career-best 30 points against Georgetown last week, buoyed by six 3-pointers.

While Villanova has surged back into the NCAA Tournament’s good graces, the Creighton Bluejays are very much on the bubble.

The Bluejays are part of the morass that defines the middle and bottom tiers of the Big East this season; they’re 4-5, one of eight teams in the conference with either three or four league wins entering Tuesday’s action.

Creighton often find themselves in high-scoring affairs. The Bluejays average 82.4 points per game, but surrender 76.4 points per game. They’ve scored 100 points twice this season, but split those two games, one being a loss to Marquette.

Martin Krampelj has shown signs of elevating his game to the next level as the season winds down. The junior forward dropped 23 points in the win over Xavier, replicating his previous career-high.

Sunday’s victory was also notable because it was coach Greg McDermott’s 200th win with the team. He’s just the second coach in team history to reach that mark, following his predecessor Dana Altman.

McDermott’s milestone accomplishment was an important moment in school history, but a win over Villanova would be a bigger moment in terms of this season’s postseason trajectory.

That victory will likely prove to be elusive, a road win at a blazing Villanova team too much for most programs to secure.

Prediction: Villanova 86 – 72 Creighton