PHILADELPHIA — It's measuring-stick time for Xavier basketball.
The 10th-ranked Musketeers (15-2, 3-1 Big East) will soon know how they compare with top-ranked and Big East Conference favorite Villanova University Wildcats (14-1, 2-1 Big East) Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center (8 p.m., FS1).
The game is an occasion that promises to provide context and information needed to discern exactly who, what and where the 2017-18 Musketeers are.
"We're excited. It's a heck of an opportunity. Certainly not an easy one," Xavier head coach Chris Mack said Tuesday. "They've earned the right to be No. 1 and I think anybody in our league understands what Villanova brings to the table.