VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova – which rose to No. 20 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls this week – returns to action on Saturday when it meets Delaware (9-1 overall, 0-0 Colonial Athletic Association) at 2 p.m.
 
This game is the second half of a doubleheader at the Never Forget Tribute Classic honoring the families and victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In the first game, Mississippi State – a team the Wildcats defeated 83-76 last month at the Myrtle Beach Invitational – meets Kansas State at 11:30 a.m.
 
The Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., is home to the Never Forget Tribute Classic. ESPN2 will carry the matchup between the Wildcats (7-2 overall, 0-0 BIG EAST) and Blue Hens. Doug Sherman and Tim Welsh will serve as the television broadcast crew. Meanwhile, Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby will be on hand to describe the action for the Nova Nation via 610 ESPN Radio in the Delaware Valley and the TuneIn app everywhere.
 
This is Villanova's second appearance in this event. In 2016, Josh Hart scored 37 points to help propel the 'Cats to a 76-66 victory over Notre Dame.
 
Villanova has been idle since Saturday, when it built a 41-25 halftime lead at Philadelphia Big Five rival Saint Joseph's and then held off a Hawks' charge to post a 78-66 win.
 
After averaging 29.3 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc through its first six outings, the Wildcats took only 43 in their three wins last week over La Salle, Penn and Saint Joseph's. That development had less to do with a strategic imperative than it did the reality of where the good looks were to be found in these local rivalry games where the Wildcats twice faced former members of its coaching staff (Ashley Howard at La Salle and Billy Lange at Saint Joseph's).
 
"I like 3's better," noted Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "I really do. Billy knows everything we do. A lot of the things we do, Billy put in. He knew how to take away our 3's. Saint Joe's did a great job of it, as did Penn, as did La Salle.
 
"Saint Joe's was going to force contested 3's and live with it. We have some other options though. We've got guys who can post up and drive to the basket."
 
Few did it better last week than Big Five Player of the Week Saddiq Bey. Bey finished with 22 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's win at Hawk Hill.
 
"Saddiq can post up, he can take it off the dribble inside with both hands," Wright stated. "That's what makes him a heck of a player."
 
The week-long break between games has allowed Villanova to zero in one some details after a busy stretch that saw them play three times in a six-day span.
 
"It's actually been good for us," said Wright. "In the beginning of the season when you look at your schedule, you see where the gaps are and you plan appropriately. We got rested up a little bit and then had a kind of minicamp scrimmage where we brought officials in.
 
"We need the practice. This has been good for us as we get ready to play a very good Delaware team."
 
The 2019-20 season – Villanova's 100^th college basketball campaign – is presented by Hartford Funds and Coca-Cola.