Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - A top-25 matchup in the Big East takes place in Philadelphia this afternoon, as the 17th-ranked Villanova Wildcats and the 20th-ranked Syracuse Orange square off at the Wachovia Center.

Jay Wright's Wildcats are starting to build a little momentum, as they have won four straight games entering this contest, including a 94-91 win at Providence on Wednesday. With the victory, the 'Cats moved to 18-4 overall and a solid 6-3 in league play.

The Orange were cruising this season until an ugly three-game slide to close out the month of January. February however, has gotten off to a rousing start, as Jim Boeheim's squad knocked off a tough West Virginia squad this week, 74-61. The win over the Mountaineers gave the Orange six wins in 10 conference tilts thus far.

Syracuse holds a 34-28 advantage in the all-time series with Villanova, but the Wildcats grabbed two of three from the Orange last year, including an opening round matchup in the Big East Tournament.

The backcourt combination of Eric Devendorf and Jonny Flynn was too much for West Virginia to contend with, as the two explosive guards tallied 22 points apiece in the win at the Carrier Dome this week. Paul Harris provided the perfect complement in the frontcourt with a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds. It was definitely needed down low, as Arinze Onuaku played just 18 minutes due to a lingering knee injury. One of the top offensive teams in the Big East this year, Syracuse has plenty of scoring depth, with five players currently averaging double figures. Flynn is both the team's top scorer (17.0 ppg) and distributor (5.8 apg). Devendorf is a savvy veteran that adds 15.2 ppg to the mix. Harris (13.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and Onuaku (11.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg) provide a dominant pair in the low post, while Andy Rautins (10.0 ppg) gives the team yet another perimeter threat.

It was an impressive performance on the boards which played a big part in Villanova being able to escape Providence with a win this week. The Wildcats hauled in a season-high 50 caroms and outrebounded the Friars by 12 boards. Scottie Reynolds was magnificent in the win, as he poured in 31 points. Dwayne Anderson added 19 points in support, while Dante Cunningham, Reggie Redding and Corey Fisher all chipped in with a dozen points. Cunningham completed a double-double in the game with 11 rebounds. Villanova took a big lead at the half (49-34) thanks to eight three-pointers in the first 20 minutes of action. Providence started to close the gap in the second half, but Villanova was able to slam the door shut down the stretch. Villanova is not an offensive juggernaut, but the team certainly has the ability to score points, averaging 74.8 ppg on the year. Cunningham is the team's top option in the frontcourt, pacing Villanova in both scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg). Reynolds provides balance with a perimeter game that nets 15.1 ppg. Fisher rounds out the team's double-digit threats with 10.0 ppg.