Eric Paschall and Villanova take an eight-game winning streak to DePaul.
MBB Minute -- Busy Wednesday Schedule Shows Four Games
Three of the four games on Wednesday are in-season rematches where the home team won the first meeting.
Home teams hold only a 21-17 edge in conference play with 18 of the 38 conference games decided by six points or less.
The first tipoff is 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1 when No. 10 Marquette plays at Butler. This is the only game of the night that is a first meeting of the year. After losing its league opener, Marquette has won seven BIG EAST games in a row, its longest streak since 2011-12. The longest run as a BIG EAST member was a nine-game streak to open the 2008-09 season. The Golden Eagles are 18-3 overall and 7-1 in the league. Butler, in the logjam of teams below Villanova and Marquette, is 3-5 in the league and 12-9 overall. The Bulldogs have won their last five games against the Golden Eagles.
No. 14 Villanova plays at DePaul at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. In the first meeting between the two teams on Jan. 2, the Blue Demons led for 31 minutes before the Wildcats rallied for a 73-68 win at Finneran Pavilion. Villanova is 16-4 overall and 7-0 in the BIG EAST, while DePaul is 11-8 and 3-5. The Wildcats have won eight in a row. DePaul has won the rebounding battle in every victory this season and leads the league in rebounding margin at 6.3.
Seton Hall wants to turn the tables on Providence when the teams meet at Prudential Center at 7 p.m. on FSN. The Friars beat the Pirates 72-63 on Jan. 15. David Duke led PC with 18 points. In Sunday’s win over DePaul, Providence welcomed back freshman A.J. Reeves from a foot injury. He scored 11 points in 11 minutes. The Pirates are trying to end a four-game losing streak. They play four of their next six at home.
On Jan. 16, St. John’s defeated Creighton 81-66 at Carnesecca Arena. The two teams meet at CHI Health Center in Omaha at 8:30 p.m. on FS1. Since the first meeting, the Bluejays are 2-0 while the Johnnies are 0-2. Shamorie Ponds led St. John’s in the first meeting with 22 points. Creighton’s Ty-Shon Alexander, the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week, is averaging 17.6 points overall and 18.1 in conference play.