The Creighton Bluejays will try to hand No. 1 Villanova its first loss of the calendar year when they visit Philadelphia on Thursday. This will be the teams' first meeting since the Wildcats beat Creighton last March to win the 2017 Big East Tournament.

In its most recent game, Creighton (17-5, 7-3) defeated Georgetown 85-77 behind scoring from guards Marcus Foster (28 points) and Khyri Thomas (22) while senior forward Toby Hegner added 16 points. The Bluejays will rely heavily on Hegner’s production after losing starting forward Martin Krampelj for the season on Jan. 19.

Creighton is looking to make the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time since its run from 2012-2014. The Bluejays' 7-3 mark in conference play is good for third in the Big East and a game and a half behind the conference leading Wildcats (20-1, 8-1). A Creighton win Thursday would strengthen its tournament resume and give the Bluejays a realistic shot to win the regular-season Big East title.

Winners of seven straight, Villanova has not lost since falling to Butler on Dec. 30, 2017. The Wildcats look to maintain their four-week hold on the nation’s top spot with a victory over Creighton. In Villanova’s most recent game, a narrow 85-82 win over Marquette, guards Jalen Brunson (31 points), Donte DiVincenzo (22) and Mikal Bridges (16) handled the bulk of the team’s scoring responsibilities.

The injury of guard Phil Booth caused Jay Wright to shorten his rotation to seven players against Marquette. The trio of Brunson, DiVincenzo and Bridges will need to continue to produce at a high level for Villanova while the team awaits Booth’s return.

Can Creighton gain ground in the Big East standings, or will Villanova make it eight straight?

Creighton vs. Villanova
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 1

Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

TV: FS1

Streaming: fuboTV