No. 5 Villanova (13-2, 8-1) vs. No. 19 Creighton (15-5, 11-4)
CHI Health Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska; Saturday, 5 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Two ranked teams battle as No. 5 Villanova visits No. 19 Creighton in a Big East showdown. Villanova has one win and zero losses against ranked opponents this season, while Creighton has won two of its three games against ranked teams.
VETERAN PRESENCE: Senior leadership could play a big role in this game’s outcome. Denzel Mahoney, Damien Jefferson and Mitch Ballock have collectively scored 46 percent of Creighton’s points this season and 49 percent of the team’s points over its last five games. For Villanova, Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels and Caleb Daniels have collectively scored 47 percent of the team’s points this season.
FUELING THE OFFENSE: Gillespie has made or assisted on 44 percent of all Villanova field goals over the last five games. Gillespie has accounted for 18 field goals and 39 assists in those games.
ASSIST-TO-FG RATIO: The Wildcats have recently created baskets via assists more often than the Bluejays. Creighton has 45 assists on 81 field goals (55.6 percent) across its past three contests while Villanova has assists on 59 of 81 field goals (72.8 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Villanova has committed a turnover on just 13.8 percent of its possessions this season, which is the third-best rate among all Division I teams. The Wildcats have turned the ball over only 9.1 times per game this season.
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