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The 3rd-ranked Villanova Wildcats will take on the St. John's Red Storm in a Big East battle on Wednesday.
Defending their spot as one of the top teams in college basketball, the Wildcats will be the heavy favorites in this matchup. However, the Red Storm are heating up, winning four straight games to improve to 11-7 on the season.
Big East basketball always provides great action and impressive talent, with this game being no exception.
Match Details
Fixture: Villanova Wildcats vs. St. John's Red Storm - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Wednesday, January 3rd, 2021, 9 PM ET
Venue: Carnesecca Arena, New York City, New York
Villanova Wildcats Preview
The Villanova Wildcats picked up right where they left off after a 6-game COVID-19 delay, winning each of their last three games against conference opponents and improving to 11-1 overall on the season.
The Wildcats, coached by Jay Wright, are a very well-organized team with multiple talented players. Team captain Collin Gillespie facilitates the offense with great poise and efficiency, but this is truly a full team effort.
When the Villanova Wildcats head to New York City on Wednesday, they should put their talent on display and control both ends of the floor against St. John's.
Key Player - Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
The key factor for the Villanova Wildcats on Wednesday is to control the paint, and they have just the man for the job.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, recently tied Collin Gillespie for the highest points per game in the team after a 23-point outburst against Seton Hall.
Averaging 15.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, the young forward has emerged as a nightly impact player.
When the Villanova Wildcats take the court on Wednesday, expect to see Jeremiah Robinson-Earl making his way onto the highlight reels.
Villanova Wildcats Predicted Lineup
F Jermaine Samuels, F Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, G Caleb Daniels, G Collin Gillespie, G Justin Moore
St. John's Red Storm Preview
The St. John's Red Storm have been on fire after scuffling to open their Big East schedule, winning four straight games and jumping to 6th place in the conference standings.
The Red Storm have quite the task ahead of them, hosting the Villanova Wildcats to try to achieve five straight victories. During their winning streak, they have been outstanding on the offensive end, averaging over 80 points per game.
The St. John's Red Storm will need to put all the pieces together if they want to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season on Wednesday night.
Key Player - Julian Champagnie
The most consistently productive player on the St. Johns Red Storm offense has been Julian Champagnie.
The sophomore guard has averaged a team-high 19.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game thus far, displaying great leadership for this St. John's offense.
With his 6-foot-8 frame, Champagnie outsizes nearly every guard in the NCAA and uses his size to his advantage.
The Red Storm will be hopeful for a huge night out of their star sophomore on the way to a wild upset over the Villanova Wildcats.
St. John's Red Storm Predicted Lineup
F Isaih Moore, F Vince Cole, G Julian Champagnie, G Posh Alexander, G Greg Williams Jr.
Villanova vs St. John's Prediction
The Villanova Wildcats have continued to impress with one victory after another. However, they are unlikely to walk all over the St. John's Red Storm.
Following four straight victories, the Red Storm seem to be finding their rhythm at the right time. The Wildcats are more talented on paper, but this matchup could be much closer than some would expect.
I predict a Villanova victory but a very fun, entertaining matchup.
Where to watch Villanova vs St. John's
The game will be broadcast live on the CBS Sports Network.
