It's No. 1 Villanova vs. Temple

No, it's not being played at the Palestra.

It will be contested a few miles away on North Broad Street.

But there is no doubting tonight's clash that pits No. 1 Villanova vs. Temple at the Liacouras is one of the biggest Philly hoops events in years.

It is not the first time the two schools have met when one of them was the top-ranked team in the country. Terry Toohey recounts the fever that surrounded the meeting between the Owls and Wildcats back in 1988. At that time, John Chaney's Owls, led by Mark Macon and Howard Evans, were No. 1. They faced a stiff challenge from Rollie Massimino's 'Cats, which featured Doug West.

The game, won by Temple, 98-86, is widely considered one of the greatest in the long, illustrious annals of Big 5 play. Villanova is chasing another bit of Bbig 5 history as well. If the Wildcats win tonight, they will become the first Big 5 team in history to win the outright City Series title in the full round-robin tournament three years in a row.

The only thing missing is the venue. This one will be played at the Liacouras Center, not the Palestra.

Make sure you follow our live blog tonight to get live updates during the game.

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