The No. 1 team in the land gets a stiff road test as Kansas heads to the city of brotherly love for a matchup with Villanova.
There has been a revolving door atop the polls for most of the college basketball season, and right now the musical chairs have stopped with Kansas holding the top spot. The Jayhawks have ripped off nine consecutive wins after dropping their opener in a turnover-filled defeat against Duke at Madison Square Garden by just two points.
There is plenty to like about Kansas, which features a deep rotation and a high-powered offense that puts up 84.6 points per game, the eighth-most in the country. The star performer has been guard Devon Dotson, who has taken a huge leap forward in his sophomore season.
Over Kansas’ first 10 games, Dotson is averaging 19.6 points per game with a very strong 50.4 field goal percentage. Dotson has gotten help on the interior from center Udoka Azubuike, who is second on the team in scoring and has knocked down an obscene 83.1 percent of his attempts from the floor.
The Jayhawks hit the road for a showdown with Villanova, which looks like one of the Big East’s best teams once again. After an uncharacteristic early exit from the NCAA Tournament a year ago, Jay Wright’s team is back to its usual high-scoring ways, pouring in 80.4 points a night to set up a potential shootout in Philly.
Four different Wildcats average double-digit scoring, with a near fifth in forward Cole Swider contributing 9.9 a night. That well-balanced offense makes it hard to stop Villanova, which shoots a strong 38.1 percent from beyond the arc.
The key to this game for Villanova will be finding a way to stay disciplined against Kansas on the defensive end. The Jayhawks love to share the basketball, generating over 17 assists per game, so it will be imperative for Villanova to defend for the entire 30 seconds of the shot clock.
This is the last major test in the non-conference schedule for both programs, so picking up a win here could be a resume booster by the time the NCAA Tournament rolls around. Kansas has done strong work already outside the Big 12, so it is more imperative for Villanova to score a win here.
How to watch Kansas at Villanova
Date: Saturday, Dec. 21
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Venue: Wells Fargo Center
TV: FOX
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Odds: Kansas -2.5 (The Action Network)
Prediction: Villanova