Breaking down Villanova's matchup this weekend.
Georgetown (15-13, 5-12 Big East) at No. 4 Villanova (26-4, 13-4 Big East), Saturday at 5 p.m.
Villanova will need some help this weekend to secure a share of its fifth straight Big East regular-season championship. Unfortunately for the fourth-ranked Wildcats, that help will have to come from the unlikeliest of places — last-place DePaul. If DePaul upsets Xavier Saturday and Villanova beats Georgetown, the Wildcats will split the regular-season title with Xavier. But if Xavier beats DePaul, the Musketeers will clinch the league crown outright and end Villanova's four-year run as league champs.
Xavier will be heavy favorites at DePaul. That game will be over by the time Villanova takes the floor to host Georgetown at the Wells Fargo Center. So chances are Villanova will know that a league championship is out of the question when its game starts. While that would certainly be a downer, I'd be shocked if it impacts the Wildcats' energy level one bit. There is still plenty to play for, namely a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Villanova beat Georgetown by 32 points earlier this season. It was the largest margin of victory in the long and storied history of this rivalry and it came on the Hoyas' home floor. Georgetown is playing decidedly better than it was at that point of the season, so don't expect this game to unfold in similar fashion. But look for a high-level effort from Villanova in what could very well be the last home game in the careers of Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges.
Brunson and Bridges are juniors and each has another year of eligibility remaining following this season. But both are expected to give serious consideration to entering the NBA draft this spring. When Brunson made the decision to return for his junior year, much was made of the fact he's on track to graduate early. The prevailing expectation was he'd play his junior season, graduate in the spring or summer and start his NBA career. Brunson has put himself squarely in the National Player of the Year discussion with a terrific junior year. His NBA draft stock likely won't get much higher than it is right now.
Bridges, meanwhile, is widely regarded as a first-round pick if he decides to enter the draft. Some projections rank him as high as the 10th-best prospect in this year's draft class. He's picked up his game significantly in the last three weeks and very much looks the part of an NBA-ready performer. If Bridges is in fact told he'll be drafted in the first round, Jay Wright will tell him to go. It's the right decision and at this point the likely outcome.
Look for strong showings from Brunson and Bridges on Saturday. They understand this could be the last home game of their careers. The duo has won a lot of games in the last three years — 93 to be exact. They've won Big East regular-season championships, a Big East Tournament championship and a national championship. Now they set out for what might be one last journey through March.
Villanova 82, Georgetown 65