#17 Villanova v. Middle Tennessee

What will be the GAME RESULT?

#17 Villanova: Wins By 20+ Points

Any Other Result

Current odds:

Villanova: (-2500)

Middle Tennessee: (+10500)

• The line for this game is Villanova by 17 points.

• If there is one program that knows how to win tournaments, it’s Villanova. The 15th-ranked Wildcats hit the hardwood for a matchup against Middle Tennessee on Thursday morning as part of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. Not only have the Wildcats won two NCAA Tournaments in the last four seasons, but they have won their last six in-season tournaments – a run they hope continues this weekend in South Carolina. Villanova is coming in off a 24-point triumph over Ohio as Saddiq Bey and Justin Moore combined for 37 points to earn the praise of longtime coach Jay Wright. “I think that’s the kind of team we can be,” Wright said. “… We took 30 threes against Ohio State, but they weren’t good ones. I thought we had maybe two or three bad threes today. It’s really a product of the guys like Justin and Saddiq getting other guys open shots, everybody getting each other 3s.”

• Middle Tennessee opened the season 3-0 before losing to Coastal Carolina by 21 its last time out.

• Bey and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl are tied for the team lead in scoring at 14.3 points with Robinson-Earl, a highly touted freshman, leading the team at 10 rebounds per game. The Wildcats actually have six players averaging double-digit points, including Jermaine Samuels, who has solid all-around numbers with 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 blocks. However, Samuels and Robinson-Earl combined to shoot 3-of-14 from the field against Ohio as Villanova shot an uncharacteristic 39 percent as a team.

• The Blue Raiders have two dynamic scorers in Antonio Green and C.J. Jones, both of whom are averaging at least 20 points per game while shooting at least 50 percent from the floor. Green averages 23.5 points, leads the team in steals (2.3) and is second in assists (3.8), while Jones (20.0 points) has recorded a team-high 1.5 blocks. They also both shoot at least 50 percent from 3-point range, combining for 31 made 3s in 61 attempts, but there doesn’t appear to be many other long-range threats on the roster.

• The winner of this game plays the winner of Mississippi State and Tulane on Friday. The losers of the two games also play Friday.

• Bey has averaged 20.5 points in the two victories but was held to two points in a loss to Ohio State.

• Villanova committed only five turnovers against Ohio, including none by the reserves in 49 combined minutes.