Xavier at 5/5 Villanova

When: Wednesday, 9 p.m.

Where: The Pavilion, Villanova, Pa.

Television: Fox Sports 1 (Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery)

Radio: Villanova IMG Network: 990 AM / Sirius 84/villanova.com and TuneIn Radio (Ryan Fannon & Whitey Rigsby)

Series: Villanova leads 18-4

Game Notes / Listen

VILLANOVA, Pa. - It's year two of the BIG EAST in its current incarnation and, as his team gets set for another conference clash on Wednesday night at the Pavilion, Wildcats' head coach Jay Wright likes what sees.

"Everybody in the conference is getting better," states Wright as his Wildcats get set to host Xavier (11-5 overall, 2-2 BIG EAST) at the Pavilion.

Entering this week's conference action, four teams, including Villanova (15-1 overall, 3-1 BIG EAST) are tied for the top spot with a 3-1 record. Three more squads, among them Xavier, are one game back at 2-2 in league play. The BIG EAST ranks second among conferences according to Monday's latest RPIratings.com.

It all points to a deep lineup of talented squads. Wright believes the round-robin format, where each school faces the nine other league opponents at home and on the road, has brought the conference back to its roots and added a layer to the rugged nature of the action.

"We're playing each other twice a year now and you can end up seeing a team three times if you play again in the Big East Tournament," notes Wright. "Everyone is really starting to get to know one another. That makes things scrappier and more competitive. Each team knows what the other is doing, you have gone against one another before and you have some history. "I see the intensity rising, I see the level of play rising. It's fun to be a part of."

Villanova and its foe on Wednesday were virtual strangers prior to last season. There had been only two meetings in the previous 40 years (1994 National Invitation Tournament and the 2006 Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. The Musketeers joined the BIG EAST last season and reached the NCAA Tournament in their first season as members.

Wednesday night's clash will be the third between the two programs in 12 months.VU claimed both encounters last season, including a tight 77-70 victory in its first appearance at XU's Cintas Center in March. The two teams will meet again next month in Cincinnati on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Xavier has split its first four league games, defeating ranked Georgetown and Seton Hall teams at home, and dropping road decisions at DePaul and Butler. The Musketeers lead the BIG EAST in scoring at 79.0 ppg - the Wildcats rank second at 77.2 ppg - and feature five players who score in double figures, led by senior guard Dee Davis (11.5 ppg).

For their part the Wildcats enter the action on a two game winning streak after the Pirates handed them their first loss of 2014-15, 66-61, on Jan. 3. Villanova rebounded with a 90-72 win at St. John's on Jan. 6 and followed that with an 81-64 win over DePaul Saturday at the Pavilion. The `Cats climbed to No. 5 in both major polls this week (Associated Press and USA Today Coaches).

After this contest, Villanova will pack their gear for a pair of road outings up next. The Wildcats complete the Philadelphia Big Five portion of their campaign on Saturday night at Penn (7 p.m./Ivy League Digital Network). Then VU returns to BIG EAST action on Jan. 19 at Georgetown (Fox Sports 1).