Big East Tournament 2015: Villanova vs Xavier TV Info, Live Stream, Predictions

A couple of two-point games have decided who will play in the 2015 Big East tournament title game, as Villanova and Xavier will suit up for the conference finale at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

The Wildcats, a candidate for one of the coveted No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament, just barely squeaked past Providence, 63-61. The Musketeers led by as much as 20 against Georgetown before allowing it to storm all the way back, but they eventually held the Hoyas at bay and won, 65-63.

If the semifinals are any indication of the type of game Nova and Xavier will put on for the fans at MSG on Saturday, then it might take an overtime or two to decide this one.

Make sure you're in front of your television or mobile device to check this one out.

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City

When: Saturday, March 14, at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Prediction

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Villanova has been considered a likely candidate to earn a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance on the heels of its 31-2 regular-season record. But of the four likely No. 1 teams—Duke, Virginia and Kentucky are the other front-runners—Nova gets little recognition.

Providence head coach Ed Cooley agrees:

It's strange for a team as offensively gifted as the Wildcats to get looked over. They rank 20th in the nation in points per game (76.9), 13th in assists per game (16.0) and 39th in field-goal percentage (47 percent).

Josh Hart, the team's third-leading scorer at 10.0 points per contest, is perhaps the embodiment of this team's relatively quiet dominance. His contributions aren't necessarily quantifiable, though. The sophomore works hard on defense, hustles in transition and simply knows where to position himself on both ends of the floor.

CBS Sports Network's Jon Rothstein recognizes his importance:

Hart is killing it in the Big East tournament, dropping 20 and 18 against Marquette and Providence, respectively. In those two contest, he shot a combined 70 percent from the field (14-of-20) and 67 percent from three (8-of-12). Sprinkle in four steals, two blocks, six rebounds and five assists, and you've got yourself the underrated player to watch on Saturday.

Nova took care of Xavier in both matchups this season, outscoring the Musketeers 166-141 in the process. Hart represents somewhat of a new threat for Xavier, as he scored just 20 total points against the team this season.

Containing Hart is one of the many keys for the Musketeers. Head coach Chris Mack has to make sure his defenders stick tight to the guard along the perimeter, as his stroke from deep is the best it has been all season right now.

Keying in on Daniel Ochefu is also of a high importance. The 6'11" junior pulls down 8.3 rebounds per game, making him the premier player on the glass in this game. Matt Stainbrook, Xavier's 6'10", 263-pound big man, must use his bigger frame to box out the 245-pound Ochefu and prevent him from swallowing offensive boards down low.

Stainbrook is a bigger part of his team's offense (12.0 points per game compared to 9.2 points per game), so he also must make Ochefu work defensively. If Stainbrook can tire him out in the post, then his job will become easier on defense.

The deck does appear stacked against Xavier, though. With Nova's third-best scorer playing like a top option, the offense becomes so deep that there aren't many teams in the country that can keep up. Couple this with the fact that the Musketeers have already dropped two games to the Wildcats this season, and we could see more of the same on Saturday.

Both teams will be dancing after Selection Sunday, but only one can be champion of the Big East. That'll be Villanova.

Prediction: Villanova wins, 71-64

Kenny DeJohn is a Breaking News Team Featured Columnist. Follow him on Twitter.