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Villanova vs. St. Joseph’s: Three Things to Watch For in the ‘Holy War’

After downing Penn in a homage to the Wildcats' old home, the Jake Nevin Fieldhouse, the No. 4 Villanova Wildcats (7-0) will head on the road to resume Big 5 play against rival St. Joseph's Hawks (4-3).

The Hawks returned above-.500 after beating Bucknell, 83-70, on Wednesday night. They enter Saturday's game after winning back-to-back games against the Bison and Sacramento State.

Villanova leads the all-time series against St. Joe's, 48-25, and the 'Cats have won five-straight meetings. The Hawks have only beaten the Wildcats twice over the last 10 years.

Here are three things to watch for heading into Saturday:

Blend of Old and New

Following a successful 2015-16 season that resulted in an Atlantic-10 championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, a number of key player departures threw a number of untested or previous backup Hawks into much bigger roles.