Villanova has a huge game on the horizon, but the Wildcats must not overlook Penn when the local rivals meet Saturday in the Big 5 Championship title game in Philadelphia.
Saturday presents itself as a potential trap game for Villanova (6-1) because the team travels to Michigan on Tuesday to take on the third-ranked team in the nation.
First, though, the Wildcats must contend with the Quakers (5-3) for the city crown. Saint Joseph’s, which won the title each of the last two years, has already been eliminated, as have La Salle, Temple and Drexel.
Those four programs will play consolation matchups on Saturday, leading up to the prime-time showdown between Villanova and Penn.
The Wildcats enter this matchup having won six straight games since a season-opening loss to then-No. 8 BYU. That hot streak has included wins over La Salle (70-55) and Temple (74-56) in the earlier rounds of this event.
In Monday’s win over the Owls, Tyler Perkins scored 19 points while Duke Brennan notched 14 points and eight rebounds, propelling Villanova into the tourney title game.
“Where we are trying to get this program back to, you’ve got to learn to win games that matter,” Villanova coach Kevin Willard said. “To play Penn for the Big 5 championship is an opportunity for this team, especially in today’s world with 13 guys who are basically brand new, to learn what it’s all about.”
Penn advanced to the title game by defeating Saint Joseph’s and Drexel last month. However, the team’s four-game winning streak ended Sunday with a 77-60 home loss to Hofstra.
Ethan Roberts scored 16 points for the Quakers, while Michael Zanoni contributed 11 points. Penn shot just 32 percent from the field while allowing Hofstra to shoot 53 percent overall.
Penn coach Fran McCaffrey acknowledged afterwards that his team appeared a bit lethargic after squeaking out a two-point win over La Salle one day earlier.
“I struggled with playing (T.J. Power) 40 minutes yesterday, but I felt like I needed to keep him out there to get the win (against La Salle), which we did (get),” McCaffrey said. “We were a little tired today, I thought.”
