LAS VEGAS, Nev. – With a convincing 85-64 victory over Colorado in the books, the Villanova Wildcats (20-14 overall) have shifted their focus to a Thursday night matchup at the College Basketball Crown here against USC (17-17). The Trojans advanced to the quarterfinal with a Tuesday triumph over Tulane.
 
FS1 will broadcast this matchup at approximately 9:30 p.m. eastern time. Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson will be courtside at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to describe the action. Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby will have the call on the Villanova Sports Network on IHeart (Fox Sports Philadelphia).
 
After a layoff of nearly three weeks, the Wildcats displayed little evidence of rust. Villanova was credited with 14 assists, moving their record to 15-3 (.800) when delivering 12 or more assists in a game.
 
Senior guard Wooga Poplar picked up where he had left off at the BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep. The Philadelphia native followed his 25-point performance against Connecticut at the BIG EAST Tournament with a 24-point showing on Tuesday night. He converted 11-of-17 field goal attempts in helping Villanova build a 45-30 halftime advantage.
 
"My teammates do a good job of getting me the ball and giving me the confidence to go play," stated Poplar. "The credit goes to my teammates and coaches."
 
Poplar has averaged 16.2 points per game over his last 11 outings. His season scoring average has crept north to 14.7 points per game, second on the squad behind the nation's leading scorer, Eric Dixon (23.0 ppg).
 
Nardi became the first former Wildcat player to lead Nova to a victory since the retirement of Alexander Severance in 1961. Severance played for Villanova from 1926-29.
 
"Being here is a great opportunity," said Nardi of the team's participation in the inaugural College Basketball Crown. "To be a part of this event, with Fox Sports and the Big East, is special.
 
"Also, these (players) love to play basketball and to compete. They were excited to continue to play. This is a great opportunity for them individually to showcase their talents."
 
This will be the fourth meeting all time between the Trojans and Wildcats with USC holding a 2-1 edge. The most recent of those encounters took place at the 2013 Battle for Atlantis. Villanova knocked off USC 94-79 in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. The Wildcats went on to win that tournament.
 
The winner of Thursday night's contest advances to a Saturday semifinal at T Mobile Arena to face the winner of Cincinnati vs. UCF, also taking place on Thursday.
 
 
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