Overview
- Tipoff is 8 p.m. ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, with Peacock carrying the broadcast and sportsbooks listing Villanova as a 1.5‑point favorite.
- Villanova enters at 14-3 after winning seven of its last eight, while St. John’s is 12-5 with three straight victories since Dec. 20.
- KenPom forecasts Villanova 75, St. John’s 74, reflecting what models rate as a toss‑up matchup.
- St. John’s features Zuby Ejiofor’s team‑best 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds and a surge from Oziyah Sellers, who is averaging 16.7 points over his past three games.
- Villanova leans on scorer Bryce Lindsay (15.2 ppg), freshman point guard Acaden Lewis, and elite rebounder Duke Brennan, who leads the Big East in total offensive boards.