The massive snowfall from Winter Storm Jonas pushed the four college games scheduled on Saturday in Philly to Sunday. While you may be waiting all day for Sunday night and the football games, here’s a primer on the matchups facing the City 6 during the wintry weekend.
No. 16 Providence (16-3, 4-2 Big East) at No. 4 Villanova (17-2, 7-0 Big East), 1 p.m.
• Villanova, thus far the beasts of the Big East, faces a tough home-away-from-home test at the Wells Fargo Center with Providence. The Wildcats are coming off a close victory at Seton Hall on Wednesday that kept their conference record unblemished.
• The opposing Friars are led by standout point guard Kris Dunn, a possible lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Dunn averages north of 17 points per game, 6.7 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game. Defense isn’t an issue, either, as he is second in the NCAA with 2.9 steals per contest.
• Villanova will have momentum on its side. The Wildcats have won nine straight games and are 10-0 at home this season.
• Providence has split its last two games, losing to Seton Hall a week ago before defeating Butler on Tuesday.
No. 8 SMU (18-0, 7-0 AAC) at Temple (10-7, 4-2 AAC), noon
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• After a Big 5 win over La Salle on Wednesday at the Palestra, Temple faces perhaps its toughest test of the year. SMU comes into the game undefeated and has rolled through American Athletic Conference competition so far.
• The Mustangs, however, are not eligible for postseason play because of NCAA sanctions. Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown returned last month from a nine-game suspension related to those sanctions.
• Temple can’t quite match the 18-game win streak SMU is on, but the Owls have been playing strong basketball recently. They have won four of their last five games.
• The Mustangs have five players averaging more than 10 points per game. They are led by senior guard Nic Moore, who has averaged more than 13 points and 4.9 assists each year of his collegiate career.
• As a team, SMU ranks fifth in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive efficiency, so how can Temple match the Mustangs’ scoring? Expect the Owls to rely on seniors Quenton DeCosey and Jaylen Bond to lead the way. The two are averaging 15.6 and 9.9 points per game, respectively.
Saint Joseph's (15-3, 4-1 A-10) at La Salle (5-11, 1-4 A-10), 5 p.m.
• Nothing like a Big 5 matchup to help thaw out the city sports scene. However, this game will only count in the Atlantic 10 standings. The official Big 5 contest will be on Feb. 13 at Saint Joseph’s.
• La Salle lost to Temple, 62-49, at the Palestra on Wednesday. Junior Jordan Price, one of the nation’s top scorers, was held to 11 points on 4 of 21 shooting.
• The Explorers went just six players deep in their rotation. They are hampered by injuries and have needed underclassmen to step up. An example is sophomore Tony Washington, who put up a career-high 16 points and 13 rebounds in the loss to Temple.
• St. Joe’s is coming off a strong 75-60 victory over Penn, the second end of the Palestra doubleheader on Wednesday. The Hawks had four players score in double figures, Junior DeAndre' Bembry led the way with 17 points.
• The Hawks have been hot recently. They’ve won four straight games and are 11-1 in their last 12 contests. Meanwhile, La Salle has lost three consecutive games and 10 of its last 11.
UNC-Wilmington (13-5, 5-2 CAA) at Drexel (3-15, 1-6 CAA), noon
• The losses have piled up for Drexel this season. The Dragons fell to 1-6 in conference play on Thursday with a 68-45 road loss at James Madison.
• UNC-Wilmington won the previous matchup between the two squads on New Year’s Eve. In the 75-63 victory, the Seahawks were led by Division II-transfer guard Chris Flemmings, who provided 17 points off the bench and has since moved into the starting lineup.
• The Dragons have struggled offensively this season. They have scored more than 70 points just three times this season. Drexel is led in scoring by Tavon Allen and Terrell Allen (no relation). In the first meeting with UNC-Wilmington, Rodney Williams led the way with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
• The good news for Drexel before its home game vs. the Seahawks: All three of the Dragons' wins this year have come in the city of Philadelphia.
