NCAA Basketball top 25 power rankings: UCLA and Kentucky rise, Kansas falls
By Joey Loose
11. Villanova (16-5)
Villanova is used to being kings of the Big East, and they are certainly trending in that direction again this year. The Big East is certainly as tight as competitive as its been in recent memory, but the Wildcats still look like the best team in this league. However, that doesn’t mean the Wildcats are perfect or unbeatable, though they certainly survived this week.
The Wildcats got the week started on Tuesday with an easy 67-43 win over DePaul, another exhibit of their great defense. Justin Moore had 16 points while Collin Gillespie added 14 in the win. This past weekend, the Wildcats picked up another home win, this time prevailing 73-62 over St. John’s, with a 17-point outing from Gillespie leading the way.
The recent schedule hasn’t been difficult, but Villanova has already swept DePaul, beaten Seton Hall on the road, and sit at 9-2 in conference play. The Wildcats sit in the top 10 in KenPom and in offensive efficiency and have played remarkably well at times this season. The challenge of winning this conference comes to a head next week, as Villanova will travel to Marquette before an important home date with Connecticut; two wins next week would be huge.