Kansas vs. Villanova: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

The nation’s No. 1 team, Kansas, will travel to Philadelphia for a top-20 showdown on Saturday afternoon versus Villanova from the Wells Fargo Center.

TV schedule: Saturday, December 21, 12:00 pm ET. FOX.
Arena: Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

Kansas, the fifth squad so far in the 2019-20 campaign to attain the No. 1 ranking across the country, is paying a visit to No. 18 Villanova on Saturday at noon in a sensational non-conference clash. Earlier this week, the Jayhawks (9-1) ascended to No. 1 in the Associated Press top-25 poll, the 30th instance in which this has occurred under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, according to an announcement from the Kansas athletics department.

Since falling to highly rated Duke by two points on a neutral floor in the season opener, the Jayhawks have gone unblemished. Their resume features strong successes against BYU, now-No. 13 Dayton and then-No. 20 Colorado. Big 12 Conference member Kansas is presently slotted at No. 2 in the NCAA NET system.

The Wildcats (8-2), out of the Big East Conference and placed at No. 27 in the NET, have triumphed on four-consecutive occasions, although none of those victories likely move the needle much as it pertains to Villanova’s March Madness qualifications. Perhaps the Wildcats’ best achievement at this juncture is a win over Mississippi State at a neutral site. Villanova’s setbacks to date are to a pair of ranked adversaries in Baylor and Ohio State.

All-time, the Wildcats and the Jayhawks have split a total of eight match-ups. Most recently, Kansas conquered Villanova a year ago by a mere three points. Before that, in the 2018 Final Four, the Wildcats dominated the Jayhawks on their journey to a national championship.

Both of these groups can score in droves and shoot the rock well. Kansas is generating 84.6 points per affair and giving up 63.6 points. For Villanova, it’s 80.4 points and 69.3 points, respectively. The Jayhawks are connecting on an impressive 52.9 percent from the field, 67.5 percent from the charity stripe, and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Wildcats are at 48.5 percent from the field, a stellar 76.8 percent from the free-throw line, and 38.1 percent from deep.

In other statistical categories, Kansas has the edge in rebounding, assists, blocks and steals, while Villanova gets the nod in turnovers committed. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index projects that the Wildcats possess a 62.9 percent chance to prevail versus the Jayhawks. Something will have to give in this battle, because Villanova is perfect on its own turf, and the same goes for Kansas on the road. Ultimately, I believe that the Jayhawks’ excellent talent on the perimeter and in the paint will enable them to beat the Wildcats.

Prediction: Kansas 83 – Villanova 76