Big East Basketball Power Rankings: Seton Hall, Villanova leap ahead

Villanova looks the part of a top-tier team in the Big East with a 5-1 record in conference play through the first few weeks. Admittedly, the Wildcats have played the statistically easiest intra-conference schedule so far but they have been impressive in many of their victories.

Most recently, head coach Jay Wright’s team is currently on a five-game winning streak (victory over UConn was technically non-conference) and it has looked good on both ends of the floor. There is, though, a caveat to this winning streak as four of those victories came at home.

Four of Villanova’s six conference games so far this season have been played in Philly and the team is 2-2 when forced to play true road games (1-1 in BE). The Wildcats have definitely struggled a bit away from home and that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the youth on their roster. With that said, it is hard to know whether or not Villanova is a true Big East or national title contender until it proves capable of consistently winning away from home.

The Wildcats are yet to be tested much outside of Philly and upcoming road contests will tell us a lot about this team. It is also important to mention that one of Villanova’s only two road wins this season actually came at St. Joseph’s as part of the Philadelphia Big 5.

Villanova is a darn good team. There should be no doubt that. The Wildcats are immensely talented, well-coached, and can absolutely spray it from 3-point range. Every team in the conference still has to prove itself in one way or another, though, and for Villanova that means playing (and winning) some road games.