Big Five play begins Tuesday for the Wildcats at Saint Joseph’s

VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Philadelphia tradition that dates back to 1956-57, the Big Five, will resume for Villanova when it visits Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday at 5 p.m. CBS Sports Network will broadcast this game nationally with Tom McCarthy and former Wildcats head coach Steve Lappas on the court-side. Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby will answer the call on the Villanova IHeart Radio Network.

The meeting point is shortly after 5:00 p.m. at the Hagan Arena on City Avenue in Philadelphia.

Tuesday’s game is the first of three games the six members of the Philadelphia Big Five will play in a format that debuted in 2023-24. The first two games – one home and one away – are part of the pod game that determines the matchups for the Big Five Classic, a tripleheader scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Wells Fargo Center .

The second Big Five matchup for Vilanova will be Tuesday, Nov. 19, when the Wildcats host Penn at Finneran Pavilion (7 p.m./Peacock).

Villanova earned a 91-54 victory over NJIT on Friday night at Finneran Pavilion to increase its record to 2-1. Saint Joseph’s dropped a 73-67 decision to Central Connecticut State at Hagan Arena and is 1-1 so far.

Last season, the Hawks ended Villanova’s 11-game winning streak in the series with a 78-65 victory at Finneran Pavilion. The Hawks hit 14 of 27 from beyond the 3-point arc in the contest (.519), as part of a .569 shooting night from the field. The Wildcats, meanwhile, were just 22 of 56 from the floor (.393).

Part of the Wildcats’ winning formula Friday night was a bench that delivered 29 points. Tyler Perkins (12 points) and Kris Parker (11 points) did a lot of that damage, but rookie Josiah Moseley (four points, four rebounds and two blocked shots) also contributed.

“Josiah is a high-level player,” said Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. “He does so much on the field – extremely talented. He can shoot, drive, makes good decisions offensively and his body and agility on defense are incredible. He can guard 1-5 as well as anyone on our team.”

Despite the relative proximity of the Villanova campus to Saint Joseph’s, the reality is that this will be the first road game for a Wildcats unit that features nine freshmen, including five who are getting their first taste of college basketball.

“For us,” said Neptune, “it’s 94 by 50 feet. We look forward to the challenge.”

This is the first of two road games for Villanova this week. On Friday, the Wildcats will be in Maryland for the Hall of Fame Series game in Baltimore against Virginia. The tip-off here is also set for 5 p.m