GAME NOTES: As the NCAA Tournament draws near, the eighth-ranked Georgetown Hoyas aim for their 20th win of the season as they host the Villanova Wildcats in Big East Conference action. Villanova is a solid 14-8 overall this season, but that record is overshadowed by a 4-6 mark in conference play. The Wildcats carried a crippling five-game losing streak into Saturday's matchup with Seton Hall, but they were able to halt the slide with a narrow 72-70 home win over the Pirates. Villanova is 2-5 in true road games this season and clearly enter's tonight's clash as the underdog. Georgetown has a hold on first place in the Big East standings with a 9-2 record. The team is a perfect 12-0 at home this season and carried a six-game win streak into a much-anticipated meeting with Louisville on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Hoyas dropped a 59-51 decision to the Cardinals on the road in that clash. Georgetown owns a 36-27 series lead over Villanova, including wins in two of the three meetings with the Wildcats last season en route to the Final Four. Still, Villanova is 6-0 at the Verizon Center.

Scottie Reynolds continues to lead Villanova in scoring with 16.8 ppg, and he also owns team-highs of 79 assists and 38 steals. Corey Fisher is second on the roster in scoring with 11.2 ppg, and Dante Cunningham checks in with 10.5 ppg and 6.7 rpg. Overall, the Wildcats are young and inexperienced and is often exposed in a conference that is historically strong. Villanova is netting 75.2 ppg overall while yielding 71.8 ppg to the opposition. In the narrow win over Seton Hall on Saturday, Cunningham tied his career-high with 21 points. Dwayne Anderson, who was making his first start, nailed the decisive three-pointer to lift the 'Cats to victory. Fisher and Anderson both tallied 13 points in that clash, and Reynolds contributed 10 points. Villanova won the game despite shooting just 38.9 percent from the floor.

Roy Hibbert continues to lead Georgetown in scoring with 13.2 ppg on 60.4 percent shooting from the floor, and the 7-2 center is also pulling down 6.8 rpg to go along with 47 blocks. The big man is certainly a candidate for Big East Player of the Year, and he would be even better if he played with a bit more intensity and demanded the ball at the offensive end. DaJuan Summers is posting 11.0 ppg for the Hoyas, as he is the team's only other double-digit scorer. Strong defense is clearly the key to Georgetown's success, as it is only allowing 56.8 ppg on 35.8 percent shooting from the floor. The Hoyas led Louisville by eight points at intermission on Saturday, but a 1-of-11 effort from three-point range in the second half led to the loss. Hibbert and Austin Freeman scored 14 points apiece in the setback, but Georgetown got outscored 18-3 from the foul line in the clash and outrebounded by a 29-24 margin.

Expect the Hoyas to bounce back from the loss to Louisville with a win over Villanova. The Wildcats are a year away from being major contenders in the league.