VILLANOVA, Pa. – In the wake of a successful stint at home that produced four consecutive victories, No. 9/11 Villanova returns to the challenges of life on the road Saturday when it meets Providence (11-9 overall, 4-3 BIG EAST).
 
CBS will carry the national broadcast (Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery) while 610 ESPN Radio in the Delaware Valley and the TuneIn app everywhere has the Nova Nation call (Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby). Tipoff at the Dunkin Donuts Center will come just after 1 p.m.
 
The Wildcats knocked off No. 13 Butler 76-61 on Tuesday night at Finneran Pavilion. Providence, meanwhile, dropped a 73-64 decision to conference leader Seton Hall on Wednesday night in Newark, N.J.
 
"Providence is coming off a tough road game," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "They've been playing well in our conference. Alpha Diallo is one of the best players in the conference – a complete player. David Duke is shooting the ball very well. They've got great athleticism and size. They always give us trouble up there."
 
Part of the Wildcats' growth over the last seven weeks – they're 11-1 since downing La Salle at Finneran Pavilion on Dec. 1 – has come at the defensive end. After surrendering an average of 69.3 points per game in their first 10 outings, Nova has allowed 61.5 points per game in its last eight games.
 
Tuesday night, the Wildcats prospered despite converting just 23-of-61 from the field (.377). Helping to offset those numbers was a 21-of-23 effort at the free throw line (.913) and nine 3-point field goals.
 
Saturday's matinee brings together some of the principals who helped the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games. Friars' coach Ed Cooley led the USA contingent of BIG EAST players that included Villanova juniors Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels.
 
"They were wonderful young men to coach and be around," stated Cooley, when asked Thursday about that experience. "They're tough kids, tough-minded men. Both guys were able to make shots and play with an understanding of what we were trying to do.
 
"It will be nice to see them. I'll let them know how proud I am of the way they're playing. I think they're getting better and better each game."
 
This clash is also a homecoming for Villanova's New England natives – Samuels (Franklin, Mass.) and Cole Swider (Portsmouth, R.I.). In his first college appearance in his native state last January, Swider provided 10 critical points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field as Villanova held off the Friars 64-59.
 
Villanova (15-3 overall, 5-1 BIG EAST) stands alone in second place in the BIG EAST, trailing Seton Hall (15-4 overall, 7-0 BIG EAST). The Friars are in a third place BIG EAST tie with Creighton, winners at DePaul on Wednesday evening.
 
Of the Wildcats' 13 remaining regular season games, eight will take them on the road. Seven of those are within the BIG EAST with a Feb. 16 Philadelphia Big Five clash with Temple also on the menu. Another of those road tests will come Tuesday night, when Villanova meets St. John's at New York's Madison Square Garden (6:30 p.m./FS1 and 610 ESPN Radio).
 
The 2019-20 season – Villanova's 100^th college basketball campaign – is presented by Hartford Funds and Coca-Cola.