VILLANOVA, Pa. – Seton Hall brings a three-game winning streak with it to Philadelphia Saturday where the Pirates (15-7 overall, 6-6 BIG EAST) will meet No. 15/15 Villanova (18-6 overall, 11-3 BIG EAST)
 
Tipoff is set for just after 1 p.m. from the Wells Fargo Center. The Fox broadcast network (Fox 29 in the Delaware Valley) will carry the game with Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson courtside. The radio broadcast can be heard via the Villanova IHeart Radio Network with Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby describing the action (Sirius 138/XM 201).
 
The Wildcats powered past St. John's on Tuesday night 75-69 at Madison Square Garden. The starting backcourt of Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore overcame ankle injuries to contribute to the win, despite having not practiced in the days preceding the game. Head coach Jay Wright reported neither player has participated in practice the last two days.
 
"I feel better," Gillespie said on a Friday Zoom call with the media of his right ankle. "It's just day by day, getting treatment and trying to do whatever I can to get healthy.
 
"I'm about 75-80 (percent) right now but no excuses. I'm just trying to go out there to help the guys in whatever way possible. There's no different approach to the game. Just trying to be aggressive, take what's there play off of my jump shot, do all the little things and try to make sure we're playing Villanova Basketball while leading those guys and holding everybody accountable."
 
Gillespie did not score but contributed 10 rebounds in the win Tuesday night.
 
"He kind of played like a power forward," quipped Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "But he showed a lot of courage to be out there."
 
Wright recounted that there was a point in the first half Tuesday night when he was unsure if Gillespie would be able to continue.
 
"Early in that game when there was a transition layup and he fell down, I knew he wasn't right," stated Wright. "I was thinking we would use him just for ballhandling against the press. I didn't realize it was going to turn into a Moses Malone evening for him."
 
Wright anticipates that the approach Saturday will be similar.
 
"We've kept him off of his feet, so we'll probably do the same thing we did the other night," Wright said. "We'll see where he is because he hasn't done anything since the game."
 
The process will be similar for Moore, who originally sprained his left ankle on Feb. 2, sat out last Saturday's win over Connecticut, and returned to play 35:10 against the Red Storm (16 points).
 
"Justin didn't practice," Wright said, "but at least with him we know he can play."
 
The Wildcats have studied the tape of the final four minutes of Tuesday night's game, when St. John's staged a furious comeback from a 20-point deficit before Villanova secured its win in the final 25 seconds.
 
"We've gone over our habits and concepts again," said Gillespie. "Making sure we're in the right spots, where our teammates expect us to be, and not playing tentatively at the end of the game while still staying on the attack. It's just a learning experience. Everything we do is a learning experience for us, whether it's win or lose. We've got to learn from those last three or four minutes and come back and get better."
 
Villanova downed Seton Hall 73-67 on New Year's Day in Newark, N.J., as the Pirates were coming out of a COVID-19 pause and missing several key contributors. But the Hall has found the stride it had in November and December when it climbed into the national rankings.
 
"We know how great a team Seton Hall is," Gillespie stated. "They're tough, they're physical and we know how great a coach (Kevin) Coach Willard is. We know it's going to be a battle like every other Big East game. They're coming together at the right time and have a lot of key pieces that are playing well."

Though the Wildcats have taken the last three meetings in this series, Seton Hall claimed the most recent game played in South Philadelphia, winning 70-64 at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 8, 2020.