VILLANOVA, Pa. – A battle of the Wildcats is set for Tuesday night in Manhattan, Kan., as Villanova makes its first ever visit to this part of Kansas for the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle against Kansas State (6-2 overall). Game time is set for 7 p.m. eastern.
 
ESPN2 will carry this contest with Rich Hollenberg and King McClure on hand to describe the action. Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby will handle the radio call on the Villanova IHeart Sports Radio Network (1480 AM in the Delaware Valley).
 
The Wildcats practiced Monday afternoon before boarding a coach bus for the short ride to Philadelphia International Airport for the flight to Kansas. Head coach Kyle Netpune met the media after the 'Cats practice.
 
Villanova brings a 6-3 overall record into this contest following a pair of Philadelphia Big Five losses to Saint Joseph's and Drexel last week. Both teams used a zone defense to help stymie the Wildcats' attack.
 
"The zone that Saint Joe's played was completely different than the one Drexel played," Neptune noted. "They both got completely different things out of it. I thought we got quality shots against Drexel.
 
"At the end of the day there is no team that goes through an entire season that doesn't have a spell where they don't make shots in a game or two or three or four. You have to get (defensive) stops. I thought we did a great job of that in the first half (Saturday). In the second half, we weren't as good. They shot over 50 percent. I thought they did a great job moving the ball. They made some tough, timely shots too.
 
"We had some plays we could have affected that we didn't. That's what we've got to get better at."
 
Villanova connected on just 32 percent of its field goal attempts against the Dragons and were just 5-of-27 from beyond the 3-point arc (18 percent). In those two outings, they were a combined 15-of-64 from long range.
 
"I think we're a good shooting team," said Neptune. "We're going to take our shots. We've always been a program that if we're open, we catch to shoot the ball. We'll continue to do that, no matter what type defense we see."
 
Neptune believes the best way to create offense is from an enhanced defensive position.
 
"At the end of the day, we have to get stops," he stated.
 
The message, notes Neptune, remains consistent.
 
"Every day, we want to just get better," he said. "Sports is such a great mirror of life because there's so much in life you can't control. At the end of the day, you've just got to take the next best action you can.
 
"It's the same thing with our team right now. We've had a tough go of it the last couple of games. Now, what's our next best option. That's our thought process. We've got to be ready for Kansas State."