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Villanova-Marquette Preview

Jan 2, 2010 - 3:05 AM By CHRIS ALTRUDA STATS Editor

Villanova (11-1) at Marquette (9-4), 3:30 p.m. EDT

With two lopsided victories since its lone loss, Villanova looks eager to justify its status as the preseason favorite in the Big East.

The eighth-ranked Wildcats begin the process of doing so Saturday in their conference opener at Marquette, which squandered an opportunity to upset a top 10 opponent its last time out.

Villanova (11-1, 0-0) has bounced back from a 75-65 defeat at Temple on Dec. 13 in impressive fashion, ripping Fordham and Delaware by a combined 72 points while averaging 96.5 in those games. Scottie Reynolds hit six of his team's 13 3-pointers and finished with 22 points in a 97-63 win over the Blue Hens on Dec. 23, with reserve Taylor King adding 19 points and 12 rebounds.

While the Wildcats were picked to finish atop the Big East, No. 5 Syracuse and sixth-ranked West Virginia have stolen some of Villanova's thunder with their impressive starts. Reynolds, who returned for his senior season after helping the Wildcats reach the 2009 Final Four, is ready to get his team back in the national mix again.

"We're interested to see how we're going to stack up against those guys," said Reynolds, who has averaged 20.4 points in five games versus Marquette.

The recent one-sided wins showed how important Reggie Redding is to a Wildcats squad looking to return to the Final Four. After being suspended the first 10 games due to a charge for marijuana possession, the senior swingman totaled 31 points and 15 rebounds in his two contests, making a seamless return to the starting five.

"He's just been so consistent every day at practice," coach Jay Wright said. "Our second team would beat our first team because he'd make a play. He just kept it going in the Fordham game and every day of practice leading up this game."

Villanova scored at least 90 points in four of its last five games.

Marquette (9-4, 0-1) opened Big East play with a 63-62 road loss to the Mountaineers on Tuesday. The defeat was particularly tough to swallow after Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmie Butler missed the front ends of 1-and-1s in the final minute, and Da'Sean Butler hit a 20-footer with two seconds left for West Virginia.

"We're second in the league in free throws," Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. "However, you have to be tough enough to make them."

It was the second time this season poor foul shooting cost the Golden Eagles, who went 10 for 19 from the line in a 57-56 defeat to Florida State on Nov. 29.

Johnson-Odom, making a Big East-leading 59.6 percent (31 for 52) of his 3-point shots, will try to keep Marquette rolling from the perimeter. The Golden Eagles - second in the conference from beyond the arc at 42.5 percent - made 10 of 16 versus West Virginia and went 20 for 33 the last two games.

Butler will try to bounce back after being held to nine points and three rebounds, well below his season averages of 15.5 and 6.8.

Villanova won two of three meetings with Marquette last season, the last one a 76-75 victory in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. The Golden Eagles, though, are 2-0 at home versus the Wildcats since joining the Big East in 2005.