The 2017-18 college hoops season ended with Villanova handing Michigan a 79-62 defeat to win the national title. Just three games into the 2018-19 season, basketball junkies are getting a rematch on Wednesday of that fateful San Antonio showdown from early April.
The No. 8 Wildcats are far from the same squad that won it all -- four of the top scorers from last season are off to the NBA -- but Jay Wright has plenty of pieces to work with. With Eric Paschall and Phil Booth leading the charge for a re-made roster that continues to feature Saddiq Bey and Collin Gillespie as secondary stars, they have Big East title aspirations and a shot to take down Michigan for a second time in six months.
As for No. 18 Michigan, John Beilein fields both new and old faces that features a breakout freshman in Ignas Brazdeikis. He leads the team in scoring, just ahead of returning star Charles Matthews. NCAA Tournament darling Jordan Poole is also a major factor for the Wolverines along with sophomore Isaiah Livers.
Viewing information
- When: Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, Pennsylvania
- TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go)
- Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Game prediction, pick
Latest odds via SportsLine: Villanova -7.5
Surprise, surprise: Just like last season, Villanova's offense is elite, and Michigan's defense is elite -- both units rank inside the top-6 in adjusted efficiency, according to KenPom. Just like last season, too, I like Nova to roll over Michigan in this matchup. Pick: Villanova -7.5
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