'Cats open Big East at Marquette

#15 Villanova (12-1) at Marquette (11-2)
2:30 p.m., 1 January at the Bradley Center.

TV: ESPN

Line: TBD

Villanova opens the new year with the start of conference play against a talented Marquette team in Milwaukee on Thursday.

The Wildcats face one of the best backcourts in the conference, and will be hard-pressed to contain Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Wesley Matthews. McNeal, in particular, is one of the best perimeter players in the nation, and will be a first-round NBA pick.

Villanova comes in as the ranked team (#15 in the AP), while Marquette just missed out on a top-25 ranking this week. Villanova, however, is not the clear-cut favorite: KenPom's model predicts a one-point Villanova loss, and a 46 percent chance of victory.

The game will be a much-needed test for a Villanova team that is 12-0 against weak teams and 0-1 against Texas. Marquette will be an excellent barometer for both the team's overall level of play and the Wildcats' perimeter defense.

Marquette is 11-2 and will present a tough out at home. Last year, Marquette's Tom Crean put on a coaching clinic as his Eagles defeated the 'Cats 85-75. This year, Crean is at Indiana, but Marquette is still well coached.

I Bleed Blue and White and VUHoops are early with their game previews. Check back later with VBTN and Nova News.

For Marquette, take a look at Cracked Sidewalks, one of the best college basketball blogs in the nation.

Predict tonight's final score in the comment section below. The winner will be honored in bold print in the game recap.