VILLANOVA, Pa. -- The top-ranked Villanova Wildcats are back to work after a much-deserved week off to complete final exams and wipe away any lingering aches and pains.
Awaiting undefeated Villanova (12-0) is DePaul in the Big East opener for both teams Wednesday night at The Pavilion.
The Wildcats have won 18 straight contests, dating to their six-game run through the 2016 NCAA Tournament on their way to the program's second national championship. Villanova will also be in search of its 45th consecutive victory at The Pavilion, its cozy on-campus arena on the Main Line.
"I think we are ready for the Big East season," said Villanova senior Josh Hart, a preseason National Player of the Year candidate. "But we just have to keep getting better as we can."
In the Wildcats' last game Dec. 21, they crushed American, 90-48, with Hart's 20 points and seven rebounds leading the way.
Mikal Bridges and Eric Paschall each scored 15 points for the surging Wildcats.
Bridges has started nine straight games while guard Phil Booth has been out with tendinitis in his left knee. Booth is still day-to-day and questionable against DePaul. But Bridges has continued to improve every single game.
"Well, he is just so versatile," Villanova head coach Jay Wright said of Bridges. "He can guard guards, he can guard forwards. He hits 3s, he drives, he plays the top of our press. He's just a really complete basketball player. He's learning how to be a starter at this level. To be a starter at this level, you have to play every minute and you have to play hard. That's hard to do. Mikal would come off the bench like Eric is this year.
"Now Mikal is giving us 28 to 30 minutes of really hard and smart basketball. I'm really proud of him. He had four assists (against American) and no turnovers. He's just a really good basketball player."
Paschall, a transfer from Fordham, will get his first experience in the rugged Big East and he's ready for the challenge.
"Just playing with these guys makes it a lot easier, just knowing that they have my back and I have theirs," Paschall said. "Playing Villanova basketball for 40 minutes is what I want to do. Adjusting to it isn't the hardest thing. It's just making sure I do all the little things on the court."
DePaul (7-6) most recently fell to Missouri State, 69-58, in the consolation game of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic on Dec. 23.
Billy Garrett Jr. scored 16 points and contributed three rebounds, two assists and two steals while being named to the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic All-Tournament Team. Tre'Darius McCallum scored 11 points and Brandon Cyrus had 10.
Freshman Devin Gage had five points on 2-of-8 shooting though he's been playing better in recent games.
"I've been telling Devin he has to play with more energy and be an attacker," DePaul head coach Dave Leitao told the school's website before the most recent tournament. "I'll take my chances giving him the ball when he's on the attack."
The Blue Demons have dropped two in a row after winning two straight.
DePaul is 1-1 all-time against Villanova.
