Update:March 3 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 68-72 loss to Cincinnati, we congratulate five VUHoops readers who took medals in this final round. Gold Medal: Gorms (67-69), earning 5.0 points; Silver Medals: Kait’08 (72-74) and Steph (72-70), earning 3.0 points each; Bronze Medals: Clarkkell (68-65), and Jim89 (69-78) earning 1.0 point each. Our updated leader board and contest winners are provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas: Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a PUSH by picking ‘Nova +1.5 points (WIN) and the Over (WIN). The details follow. With the PUSH, we finish down $100 for the season.

Contest Winners

Congratulations to Dom and Scott0220, who finished tied for first place with 17.5 points.  Under the rules of the game, the first tie breaker is the number of times the contestants won medals over the course of the season, without regard to type. Dom won five times — LaSalle (Silver), Marquette (Silver), St. John’s (Gold), Notre Dame (Gold) and Connecticut (Silver). Scott0220 won four times — LaSalle (Gold – Bulls-eye), Temple (Bronze), St. Joe’s (Silver), and Pittsburgh (Gold).  Under the time breaker, Dom takes the first place prize, a framed original 1974 UPI proof photograph of VUH Hall of Famer, Howard Porter, and Chris Ford accompanied by an extremely rare autograph of Porter with certificate of authenticity. Dom has the option of swapping for the second place prize, an 8×10 autographed photograph of VUH Hall of Famer Scottie Reynolds  plus by an 8×10 autographed picture of Villanova Coach, Jay Wright, both with certificates of authenticity.  Scott0220 takes the second place prize, but has the option of swapping for the third place prize an 8×10 autographed photograph of VUH Hall of Famer Randy Foye.  Congratulations also to Clarkkell, who takes the third place prize, (the Randy Foye autographed photo or whatever is left after Dom and Scott0220 decide whether to exercise their options).

Congratulations to Dom, Scott0220 and Clarkkell and to all of those who earned medals over the course of the contest. Note to the winners: please contact me at barrett113@aol.com to provide your shipping address for delivery of your prizes.

Final Leader Board

Update March 3 (Game Time) … A total of 20 VUHoops readers posted predictions, with only 4 (20%) picking the Cats to lose. As a group, the readers see ‘Nova winning by a 3.0 points, 72-69, implying an over/under of 141.0. The Vegas odds makers are picking ‘Nova to lose by 1.5 points and set the over/under at 138.5 points, implying a final score of 69-70.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening:  March 1, 5:00 PM … The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Saturday’s game against Cincinnati in the Pavilion (2:00PM, ESPN3) in the 22^nd and final round of our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Check the post for the Rutgers game for the latest leader board.

Special Note:   I will be traveling this week with limited access to the Internet.  I will post the game results and contest winners when I return on March 4.  Also, the information that follows was written on February 26 prior to my departure and does not reflect the results of Villanova’s game against Rutgers on Thursday nor Cincinnati’s game on Wednesday against Marquette.

Villanova (11-17, 4-12) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #94 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 110, a SOS of 4, and score an average of 71.6 PPG while giving up an average of 71.8 PPG.

Cincinatti (20-9, 10-6) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #37 by Kenpom.com.  The Bearcats have an RPI of 72, a SOS of 111, and are scoring an average of 69.8 PPG while giving up an average of 61.3 PPG.  The table below sets out their wins and losses since the beginning of the Big East season.

Be sure to game preview as well.  Good luck!

Special Note: When posting predictions, be sure to:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Bearcats 75)

Update:March 1 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 77-71 win over Rutgers, we congratulate four VUHoops readers who took medals in this round. Gold Medal – Bulls-Eye: bhank (77-71), earning 10.0 points; Silver Medal: Two in the Pinkston (75-70), earning 3.0 points; Bronze Medals: Hardcore fan (77-67), and Jim89 (75-69) earning 1.0 point each. Our updated leader board is provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas: Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a PUSH by picking ‘Nova +3.5 points (WIN) and the Under (LOSS). The details follow. With the PUSH, we remain down $100 for the season.

Leader Board

Update March 1 (Game Time) … A total of 37 VUHoops readers posted predictions, with 17 (32%) picking the Cats to lose.  As a group, the readers see ‘Nova winning by a 1.0 points, 68-67, implying an over/under of 135.0.  The Vegas odds makers are picking ‘Nova to lose by 3.5 points and set the over/under at 138.0 points, implying a final score of 68-71.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening:  February 28, 5:00 PM … The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Thursday’s game against Rutgers in Piscataway (9:00PM, ESPN2) in the 21st and penultimate round of our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Dom and Scott0220 continue to share first place; click here to see our full leader board.

Special Note:   I will be traveling this week with limited access to the internet.  I will do my best to post the game results for this and the final game against Cincinnati while I am away, but please be patient.

Villanova (11-17, 4-12) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #94 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 110, a SOS of 4, and score an average of 71.6 PPG while giving up an average of 71.8 PPG.

Rutgers (13-16, 5-11) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #95 by Kenpom.com.  The Scarlet Knights have an RPI of 137, a SOS of 42, and are scoring an average of 66.0 PPG while giving up an average of 65.6 PPG.  The table below sets out their wins and losses since the beginning of the Big East season.

Be sure to read our game preview as well.   Good luck!

Special Note: When posting predictions, be sure to:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Scarlet Knights 75)

Update: February 25 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 46-67 loss to Georgetown, we congratulate three VUHoops readers who took medals in this round.  Gold Medal:  Bogg357 (51-63), earning 7.5 points; Silver Medal: wildcat07 (56-68), earning 4.5 points; Bronze Medals: Beardog (58-69), earning 1.5 point.   Our updated leader board is provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas:  Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a DOUBLE LOSS by picking ‘Nova +9.0 points (LOSS) and the Over (LOSS).  The details follow.  With the double-loss, we are down $100 for the season.

Leader Board

Update: February 25 (Game Time) … A total of 51 VUHoops readers posted predictions, with 32 (63%) picking the Cats to lose.  As a group, the readers see ‘Nova losing by a 5.0 points, 66-71, implying an over/under of 137.0.  The Vegas odds makers are picking ‘Nova to lose by 9.0 points and set the over/under at 135.0 points, implying a final score of 63-72.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening:  February 23, 8:00 PM … The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Saturday’s game against Georgetown at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC (2:00PM, CBS) in the 20th round of our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Dom and Scott0220 are now tied for first place; click here to see our full leader board.

Special Note:   As the last of four rivalry games, this is your last shot to make a big move on the leader board as points increase by 50% in this round:  Bulls-eye = 15 pts; Gold (non-bulls-eye) =7.5 pts; Silver = 4.5 pts; Bronze = 1.5 pts.  Even if you have 0 points so far, you mathematically still have a chance to win first prize with wins over the last three games.

Villanova (11-16, 4-11) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #89 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 108, a SOS of 4, and score an average of 72.5 PPG while giving up an average of 72.0 PPG.

Georgetown (20-6, 10-5) is ranked by #9 by AP and #17 by Kenpom.com. The Hoyas have an RPI of 13, a SOS of 15, and are scoring an average of 69.7 PPG while giving up an average of 59.2 PPG.  The table below sets out their wins and losses since the beginning of the Big East season.

Be sure to read our game preview as well.  Good luck!

Special Note: When posting predictions, be sure to:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Hoyas 75)

Update: February 20 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 70-73 loss to UConn, we congratulate seven VUHoops readers who took medals in this round.  Gold Medals:  Kait’08 (71-75), earning 5.0 points; Silver Medals: JDW71 (68-75), Dom (71-70), Jim89 (68-75), Ed’77 (72-71), and Gorms (68-71), earning 3.0 points each; Bronze Medals: Jimmy (75-73), earning 1.0 point.   Our updated leader board is provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas:  Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a SINGLE WIN by picking ‘Nova +3.0 points (PUSH) and the Over (WIN).  The details follow.  With the single-loss, we are up $100 for the season.

Leader Board

Update: February 20 (Game Time)  … A total of 39 VUHoops readers posted predictions, with 18 (46%) picking the Cats to lose.  As a group, the readers see ‘Nova losing by a 2.0 points, 68-70, implying an over/under of 138.0.  The Vegas odds makers are picking ‘Nova to lose by 3.0 points and set the over/under at 137.5 points, implying a final score of 67-70.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening:  February 19, 9:30 AM … The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Monday night’s game against Connecticut at Wells Fargo Center (7:00PM, ESPN) in the 19th round of our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Scott0220 remains alone in first place; click here to see our full leader board.

Villanova (11-15, 4-10) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #89 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 101, a SOS of 4, and score an average of 72.6 PPG while giving up an average of 71.9 PPG.

Connecticut (16-10, 6-8) is unranked by AP but ranked #40 by Kenpom.com. The Huskies have an RPI of 25, a SOS of 1, and are scoring an average of 68.4 PPG while giving up an average of 63.3 PPG.  The table below sets out their wins and losses since the beginning of the Big East season.

Be sure to read our game preview tomorrow.  Good luck!

Special Note: When posting predictions, be sure to:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Huskies 75)

Update: February 18 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 70-74 collapse to Notre Dame, we congratulate eight VUHoops readers who took medals in this round.  Gold Medals:  Bill’77 (70-67), Colt (64-73), Dom (74-71), and TopGere (63-74),earning 5.0 points each; Silver Medal: marty1029 (62-74), earning 3.0 points; Bronze Medals: chuck st. petersburg (61-74), Gorms (67-68), and TK87 (64-71),earning 1.0 point each.   Our updated leader board is provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas:  Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a DOUBLE WIN by picking ‘Notre Dame -2.5 points (WIN) and the Over (WIN).  The details follow.  With the double-loss, we get back to even for the season.

Leader Board

Update: February 18 (Game Time)  A season-low 36 VUHoops readers posted predictions, with 22 (61%) picking the Cats to lose.  As a group, the readers see ‘Nova losing by a 5.0 points, 64-71, implying an over/under of 135.0.  The Vegas odds makers are picking ‘Nova to lose by 2.5 points and setting the over/under at 133.0 points, implying a final score of 65-68.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening:  February 16, 9:00 PM … The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Saturday night’s game against Notre Dame at Wells Fargo Center (9:00PM, ESPNU) in the 18th round of our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Scott0220 remains alone in first place; click here to see our full leader board.

Villanova (11-14, 4-9) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #87 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 101, a SOS of 7, and score an average of 72.7 PPG while giving up an average of 71.8 PPG.

Notre Dame (18-8, 10-3) is ranked #23 by AP and #38 by Kenpom.com. The Fighting Irish have an RPI of 33, a SOS of 36, and are scoring an average of 68.0 PPG while giving up an average of 61.9 PPG.  The table below sets out their Big East wins and losses so far this season.

Be sure to read our game preview tomorrow.  Good luck!

Special Note: When posting predictions, be sure to:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Irish 75)

Update: February 7 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 51-65 loss to South Florida, we congratulate three VUHoops readers who took medals in this round.  Gold Medal:  FruitLoops (57-63), earning 5.0 points; Silver Medal: Justin (57-68), earning 3.0 points; Bronze Medal: TC (62-66), earning 1.0 point.   Our updated leader board is provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas:  Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a DOUBLE LOSS by picking ‘Nova +3.5 points (LOSS) and the Over (LOSS).  The details follow.  With the double-loss, we drop to -$200 for the season.

Leader Board

Update: February 15 (Game Time) A total of 43 VUHoops readers posted predictions, with 17 (40%) picking the Cats to lose.  As a group, the readers see ‘Nova winning by a 1.0 points, 70-69, implying an over/under of 139.0.  The Vegas odds makers pick ‘Nova to lose by 3.5 points and set the over/under at 130.5 points, implying a final score of 64-67.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening:  February 13, 6:00 PM … The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Wednesday’s game against South Florida in Tampa (7:00PM, ESPN2) in the 17th round of our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Scott0220 stands alone in first place; click here to see our full leader board.

Villanova (11-13, 4-8) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #78 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 90, a SOS of 6, and score an average of 73.6 PPG while giving up an average of 72.1 PPG.

South Florida (15-10, 8-4) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #99 by Kenpom.com. The Bulls have an RPI of 60, a SOS of 40, and are scoring an average of 61.2 PPG while giving up an average of 58.9 PPG.  The table below sets out their Big East wins and losses so far this season.

Be sure to read our game preview tomorrow.  Good luck!

Special Note: When posting predictions, be sure to:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Bulls 75)

Update: February 7 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 74-72 victory over Providence, we congratulate seven VUHoops readers who took medals in this round.  Gold Medal:  marty1029 (75-71), earning 5.0 points; Silver Medal: bhank (77-71), earning 3.0 points; Bronze Medals: barry class of 57 (72-69), Gorms (78-71), Jim89 (73-68), LouBevi (75-68), and Steph (70-73),   earning 1.0 point each.   Our updated leader board is provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas:  Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a DOUBLE WIN by picking Providence +8.0 points (WIN) and the Under (WIN).  The details follow.  With the loss, we are now even for the season.

Leader Board

Update: February 7 (Game Time) A total of 45 VUHoops readers posted predictions, with 5 (11%) picking the Cats to lose.  As a group, the readers see ‘Nova winning by a 6.0 points, 79-73, implying an over/under of 152.0.  The Vegas odds makers pick ‘Nova to win by 8.0 points and set the over/under at 154.5 points, implying a final score of 81-73.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening:  February 6, 8:30 PM … The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Tuesday’s game against Providence at the Pavilion (8:00PM, WPHL17) in the 16th round of our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Scott0220 has retaken the lead and now stands alone in first place; click here to see our full leader board.

Villanova (10-13, 3-8) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #81 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 94, a SOS of 4, and score an average of 73.6 PPG while giving up an average of 72.1 PPG.

Providence (13-11, 2-9) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #117 by Kenpom.com. The Friars have an RPI of 137, a SOS of 104, and are scoring an average of 71.0 PPG while giving up an average of 68.7 PPG.  The table below sets out their Big East wins and losses so far this season.

Be sure to read our game preview tomorrow.  Good luck!

Special Note: When posting predictions, be sure to:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Friars 75)

Update: February 5 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 70-79 loss to Pittsburgh, we congratulate seven VUHoops readers who took medals in this round.  Gold Medals:  Jim89 (68-78), jtc123 (69-81) and Scott0220 (69-77), earning 7.5 points each; Silver Medals: Bri’13 (68-77) and TK87 (70-75), earning 4.5 points each; Bronze Medals: Clarkkell (74-80), and Loser Cruiser (71-75) earning 1.5 point each.   Our updated leader board is provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas:  Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a DOUBLE LOSS by picking ‘Nova +8.0 points (LOSS) and the Under (LOSS).  The details follow.  With the loss, we drop to -$200 for the season.

Leader Board

Update: February 5 (Game Time)  A total of 45 VUHoops readers posted predictions, with 24 (53%) picking the Cats to lose.  As a group, the readers see ‘Nova losing by a 2.0 points,  69-71, implying an over/under of 140.0.  The Vegas odds makers pick ‘Nova to lose by 8.0 points and set the over/under at 144.5 points, implying a final score of 68-76.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening:  February 2, 9:00 PM … The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Sunday’s game At Pittsburgh (2:00PM , ESPN) in the 15th round of our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Clarkkell stands alone in first place; click here to see our full leader board.

Special Note:  This is the third of our rivalry games; points awarded in this round increase as follows:  Bulls-eye = 15 points; Gold (non-bulls-eye) =7.5 pts; Silver = 4.5 pts; Bronze = 1.5 pts.

Villanova (10-12, 3-7) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #72 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 89, a SOS of 4, and score an average of 73.8 PPG while giving up an average of 71.8 PPG.

Pittsburgh (14-9, 3-7) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #70 by Kenpom.com. The Panthers have an RPI of 64, a SOS of 18, and are scoring an average of 71.4 PPG while giving up an average of 66.6 PPG.  The table below sets out their Big East wins and losses so far this season.

Be sure to read our game preview tomorrow.  Good luck!

Special Note: When posting predictions, be sure to:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Panthers 75)

Update: January 28 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 78-82 loss to Marquette, we congratulate four VUHoops readers who took medals in this round.  Gold Medal:  marc (76-82), earning 5.0 points; Silver Medal: FruitLoops (75-83), earning 3.0 points; Bronze Medals: Ed’77 (80-79), and Jim89 (73-82) earning 1.0 point each.   Our updated leader board is provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas:  Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a SINGLE LOSS by picking ‘Nova +2.5 points (LOSS) and making no bet on the the Over/Under.  The details follow.  With the loss, we are even for the season.

Leader Board

Update: January 28 (Game Time)   A total of 50VUHoops readers posted predictions, with 30 (650%) picking the Golden Eagles to win.  As a group, the readers see ‘Nova losing by a score of 75-76 (a margin of 1.0 point and an implied over/under of 151.0).  The Vegas odds makers pick ‘Nova to lose by 2.5 points and set the over/under at 151.0 points, implying a final score of 74-77.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening:  January 26, 9:00 PM … The window is now open for our readers to post their predicted final scores for Saturday’s game vs. Marquette at Wells Fargo Center (12 Noon, ESPN2) in the 14th round of our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Clarkkell stands alone in first place; click here to see our full leader board.

Villanova (10-11, 3-6) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #75 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 77, a SOS of 3, and score an average of 73.6 PPG while giving up an average of 71.3 PPG.

Marquette (17-4, 6-2) is ranked #17 in the AP Poll and #17 by Kenpom.com. The Golden Eagles have an RPI of 9, a SOS of 23, and are scoring an average of 76.3 PPG while giving up an average of 63.7 PPG.  The table below sets out their Big East wins and losses so far this season.

Be sure to read our game preview tomorrow.  Good luck!

Special Note: When posting predictions, be sure to:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Golden Eagles 75)

Update: January 25 (Game Results) … With the Cat’s 74-84 loss Louisville, we congratulate five VUHoops readers who took medals in this round.  Gold Medals:  Bri’13 (72-80), BZ34 (72-80), and jtc123 (72-80), earning 5.0 points each; Silver Medal: regred (70-81), earning 3.0 points; Bronze Medal: Two in the Pinkston (70-78), earning 1.0 point.   Our updated leader board is provided below.

VUHoops vs. Vegas:  Based on the average predicted scores of the VUHoops Crowd and the posted Vegas line, we would have had a PUSH by picking ‘Nova +9.5 points (LOSS) and betting the Over (WIN).  The details follow.  With the push, we remain +$100 for the season.

Leader Board

Update: January 25 (Game Time)   A total of 53 VUHoops readers posted predictions, with 34 (64%) picking the Cardinals to win.  As a group, the readers see ‘Nova losing by a score of 70-72 (a margin of 2.0 points and an implied over/under of 144.0).  The Vegas odds makers pick Louisville to win by 9.5 and set the over/under at 141.5 points, implying a final score of 66-76.

Scatter Plot of Predicted Scores

Window Opening (January 23, 8:30 PM) … The window is now open for readers to post their predicted final scores for ‘Nova’s game at Louisville on Wednesday (7:00PM, ESPN) in our Closest to the Pin Contest.  Clarkkell remains in first place with 14.0 points. Click here to see our updated leader board.

Villanova (10-10, 3-5) is unranked in the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls but is ranked #75 by Kenpom.com.  The Cats have a RPI of 72, a SOS of 4, and score an average of 73.5 PPG while giving up an average of 70.7 PPG.

Louisville (15-5, 3-4) is ranked #23 by AP and  #41 by Kenpom.com. The Cardinals have an RPI of 40, a SOS of 50, and are scoring an average of 70.8 PPG while giving up an average of 61.6 PPG.  Their wins and losses break down as follows:

Be sure to check out Brian’s game preview on Friday.

When posting predictions, please:

• Use a consistent handle / ID so that we can keep an accurate running leader board over the course of the season. Obviously, score predictions posted by anonymous readers cannot be accepted.
• List your predicted score for Villanova first, followed by the score for the opponent (e.g., Cats 100, Cardinals 75)