Projo College Hoops

Villanova and Boston College meet tonight at 7:10, in a matchup that some have been waiting for since the tournament pairings were announced. Not only is this a classic clash of styles, it is a contest between the team that fled the Big East for greener pastures and one that stayed behind and had a great season. The Philadelphia Inquirer has this tip for folks who haven't seen much of Villanova this year: Sure, the Wildcats are known for their four-guard offense, but this is also a deep squad that can put some serious size on the floor when it needs to.

One of 'Nova's players to watch is Kyle Lowry, for his tremendous speed, his fiery play -- and his status as one of the premier flop artists in college basketball. While playing defense against Arizona on Sunday, Lowry sometimes looked as if he had been launched from a cannon when ballhandlers so much as invaded his personal space. A homegrown product from Cardinal Dougherty High School, Lowry nonetheless has some detractors in the City of Brotherly Love. One of them is Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli, who says he was dissed by Lowry when the playmaking guard was still in high school.

Tonight is also a showcase for two of the biggest stars in BC's basketball history. One is Craig Smith, the powerful power forward who was once dismissed as soft. The other is frontcourt-mate Jared Dudley, an explosive player whom almost every major college program failed to recruit.

---