For the first time in 999 days, the No. 16 Villanova Wildcats (1-0) and the Temple Owls (0-1) will face off in the latest edition of their Big 5 Rivalry.
COVID-related issues have cancelled the last two matchups meaning the most recent time we saw this matchup was February 16, 2020. Villanova outscored Temple by 24 in the second half which led to a 76-56 victory. It contained arguably the most aesthetically pleasing offensive possession in the history of the sport.
How long ago is that in college basketball terms? Saddiq Bey and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl were starters, Caleb Daniels and Eric Dixon were both redshirting, and Kyle Neptune was still a Villanova assistant and didn’t have Fordham on his radar.