Nova Report
The Collin Gillespie-less Wildcats are in Providence, RI to take on the Friars at 2:30 pm eastern. The line is VILLANOVA-4.5/139.5.
Nova is 10th ranked 16-4 while Providence is 12-12. If you follow college basketball you know that Nova?s best player, point guard and Senior leader, Collin Gillespie went down with a MCL tear in the first half in their last game vs. Creighton. Amazingly, the Cats used their tallest player, Robinson-Earl, to handle the point guard responsibilities after that. Today, Justin Moore will take that job over with four different players ready to fill in when he sits.
For Providence, it will be the tandem of David Duke and Nate Watson who will try to dominate Nova inside and out. One would have to figure that the Friars will press the Nova point guards to try to get turnovers. They certainly would help themselves by taking them to the hoop and trying to get fouls as well as tire them out.
Nova would be best served to slow the pace and take the ball inside as Providence is ranked 200th in defending 2?s. So...what will happen today. The Cats will want to prove to themselves that they can win without Gillespie. We?ll see a heavy dose of Bryan Antoine at point when Moore sits and more minutes than usual from Cole Swider (a Rhode Island kid who loves to torch the Friars). Providence will want to knock out a ranked opponent on Senior Day. They will press the pace and look to score inside with Watson?s height and Duke?s driving ability. Ultimately, Nova will pull this one out and I expect an under pace, but as always, fouls at the end could foil that.
My pick: a 5 point teaser with Nova+1/2 / Under 144.5
My Nova Pick Record: 14-6