Stanford vs. Villanova College Basketball Preview, Prediction, TV Schedule

TV Schedule: Thursday, Nov. 26, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Arena: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Stanford Cardinal have been one of the surprise teams over the past few seasons, upsetting big-name teams wherever they go. This season, however, Stanford looks to be nowhere near the talent level they have been in recent memory, which has led to a dismal 2-2 start to the season. Their next matchup in the 2015 Preseason NIT on Thanksgiving Day will give the Cardinal an opportunity to turn their fledgling season around by giving Stanford a chance to upset the No. 8 Villanova Wildcats.

The undefeated 4-0 Wildcats have yet to face a team expected to go to the 2016 NCAA tournament, and therefore have yet to be challenged on the season. Jay Wright’s squad has dominated their first four opponents, beating every team by at least 19 points and never allowing more than 63 points. Villanova is the real deal on defense, and the offensive prowess of Josh Hart continues to impress. This could be one of the best all-around teams in college basketball, making them a must-watch team moving forward.

Stanford is not a bad team and did not lose to bad teams, but their back-to-back losses do not bode well for this matchup with the No. 8 team in the nation. Expect this one to be competitive in the first half, but the Cardinal’s offensive woes will catch up to them in the second. Villanova’s great defense against a stagnant Cardinal offense should lead to an easy win for the Wildcats and another example of why Villanova deserves to be in the top five.

Prediction: Villanova 75, Stanford 55

Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.