VILLANOVA, Pa. – After a brief step outside the 2019-20 BIG EAST regular season slate – albeit against a Connecticut team that will return to the conference next fall – Villanova resumes league action Tuesday night when it hosts Butler (15-3 overall, 3-2 BIG EAST) at Finneran Pavilion.
 
Tipoff is set for just after 7 p.m. CBS Sports Network will have the television coverage with a crew that includes Andrew Catalon, former Wildcats head coach Steve Lappas and sideline reporter Jon Rothstein. Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby will have the radio broadcast on 610 ESPN in the Delaware Valley and the TuneIn app everywhere.
 
Butler won 15 of its first 16 games this season to climb to No. 5 in last week's Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls. The Bulldogs then dropped games to Seton Hall at home and to DePaul in Chicago on Saturday afternoon. Butler leads the BIG EAST in scoring defense, surrendering just 57.1 points per game, and field goal percentage defense (.377).
 
Seniors Kamar Baldwin (15.1 ppg) and Sean McDermott (11.5 ppg) set the scoring pace for the Bulldogs.
 
For its part, Villanova (14-3 overall, 4-1 BIG EAST) has made gains at the defensive end since early December. Over its first 10 games this season, the 'Cats allowed opponents to average 69.3 points per game. In its last seven contests, though, that number has dropped to 63.2 points per game. On Saturday, Nova was able to hold UConn to 2-of-15 shooting (.133) from beyond the 3-point arc and 55 points.
 
The Wildcats also created 17 Husky turnovers Saturday.
 
"I think we were really aggressive in off the ball situations with the help," noted Wildcats coach Jay Wright, who last week moved into sole possession of third place in all-time BIG EAST victories with 232, passing Georgetown legend John Thompson. "When they were driving the ball, our help defense was really aggressive.
 
"Young players are usually decent on the ball. But when they're off the ball, they're not that good. We're getting better at that. It was definitely part of our ability to create turnovers the other day."
 
Junior Jermaine Samuels scored 19 points in the UConn win and has averaged better than 13 points per game over his last nine outings. That victory helped improve the 'Cats record to 8-0 this season in games decided by 10 points or less.
 
"I think it's just a great thing to know that everybody's on board," stated Samuels. "Winning helps, obviously. At the end of the day we're going to come back, get better, and learn from our mistakes. The best thing about this team is that we're all focused on being the best team we can be by the end of the year."
 
This game is the fourth in a row for the Wildcats on home courts. Villanova heads back on the road Friday afternoon when it is slated to travel north to Providence ahead of a Saturday matinee at the Dunkin Donuts Center against the Friars. Game time is set for 1 p.m. in a game that will air nationally on CBS and also be heard on 610 ESPN Radio.
 
The 2019-20 season – Villanova's 100^th college basketball campaign – is presented by Hartford Funds and Coca-Cola.