VILLANOVA, Pa. – Light blue will be the color of choice Saturday as Villanova (12-9 overall, 5-5 BIG EAST) hosts surging Creighton (15-6 overall, 8-2 BIG EAST) at the Wells Fargo Center at 1 p.m. Villanova will don its light blue uniforms and fans attending are encouraged to do the same for this one.
 
The Wildcats return to action following a mid-week bye in the regular season slate. Villanova last saw action at Marquette on Jan. 24, an 87-74 loss to the Golden Eagles.
 
Saturday's game airs on the Fox broadcast network with Tim Brando and Donny Marshall courtside. Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby will be at an adjoining table near midcourt for the audio call which can be heard on the Villanova Sports Network on IHeart (Fox Sports Radio Philadelphia and Sirius XM channel 387).
 
The BIG EAST Road Show will be in the house Saturday and then also be on hand Sunday when the Villanova women host Marquette at Finneran Pavilion.
 
For the fourth consecutive season, the BIG EAST Conference will partner with the Black Fives Foundation, a nonprofit public charity dedicated to inspiring excellence in youth by preserving, teaching, and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball.
This year's theme, "Pioneers of Change," will shine a spotlight on the early African American trailblazers who revolutionized the game and left an indelible mark on the sport.
 
Saturday's matinee will be one of those highlighting that partnership this weekend.
 
 "This season, we are once again honored to spotlight the powerful and inspiring stories of African American pioneers who laid the groundwork for the game of basketball as we know it today," said BIG EAST Commissioner, Val Ackerman. "Their legacy inspires our athletes and communities, and we're proud that the BIG EAST platform will be used to celebrate and elevate their impact in a meaningful way."
 
BIG EAST players will wear shooting shirts emblazoned with the phrase "Pioneers of Change" alongside the team logos of historical Black Fives basketball teams. From the early 1900s through the 1940s, these teams played in ballrooms and gymnasiums located within the same geographic footprint as many of the BIG EAST schools today.
 
"We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with the Big East Conference" said Black Fives Foundation founder, Claude Johnson. "This partnership gives us the chance to honor these pioneers who broke barriers and shaped basketball history. By amplifying their stories, we can give them a voice and ensure their contributions resonate far beyond the court."
 
Fans can experience the celebration during 22 BIG EAST Men's and Women's Basketball games, where players will wear shooting shirts with the mantra, "Pioneers of Change." For more information, visit //www.bigeast.com/blackfives or follow the BIG EAST on Instagram at @BIGEAST. For more on the Black Fives Foundation please visit www.blackfives.org or @blackfives on social media.
 
Saturday also marks the annual "Suits and Sneakers' game, an annual initiative of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in tandem with "Coaches vs. Cancer".In addition, at halftime Villanova will honot its latest inductees into the Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
 
Creighton comes to Philadelphia riding a six-game winning streak that included an 86-77 victory over Xavier Wednesday night at CHI Center in Omaha. Ryan Kalkbrenner finished with 29 points and nine rebounds.
 
For the Wildcats, Jordan Longino was named to the Big Five weekly honor roll on Monday after averaging 22.5 points per game last week. Longino has averaged 14.0 ppg over his last six outings for Nova. Fifth year forward Eric Dixon, the nation's leading scorer (24.6 ppg), enters this game nine points shy of the 2,000 points plateau (1,991).