The Villanova Wildcats were left stunned by the Virginia Tech Hokies in their last game. They scrambled to take the game to overtime, but couldn’t come away with the win later. The Wildcats are now hoping to improve to 3-1 as they face the Hartford Hawks, after falling from 3rd all the way to 12th in the latest rankings.

The America East Conference team has played just one game so far, which was a loss to the UConn Huskies. Now they face another uphill task in this 2020 Air Force Reserve Tip-Off Tournament clash against Villanova.

Expected lineups

The Wildcats starting lineup could have one change from the previous games. Jermaine Samuels has started the season poorly, shooting 33% from the field and 20% from three.

The Wildcats might bench him to break his cold streak and start Cole Swider instead. So their lineup could feature Collin Gillespie, Caleb Daniels, Justin Moore, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Swider.

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Hartford has played just one game so far so they would ideally go with the same lineup. Moses Flowers, Hunter Marks, Traci Carter, Thomas Webley, and Austin Williams will be expected to start once again.

Can Villanova shake their defeat off and bounce back?

Villanova started their season well with back-to-back wins against Boston and Arizona State. Therefore, it was surprising to see them slump against Virginia Tech.

They are the #3 seed at the moment and are expected to be strong contenders. So they will have to step up in the game against Hartford.

Sophomore Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has been the star for the Wildcats so far, averaging 20.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Not only has he been a force to reckon with on offense, but his 1.7 stocks (steals + blocks) per game have also helped them on defense.

Hawks’ sophomore Moses Flowers had an excellent game against the Huskies scoring 24 points. So the Wildcats will have to keep a close eye on him.

It should be a comfortable win for Villanova, considering the quality of their squad and also an urge to bounce back from that embarrassing loss. The Wildcats also have a more experienced team than the Hawks, and that will be crucial for Jay Wright’s boys.