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Villanova faces a tough test if injured Darryl Reynolds can't play

NEWARK, N.J. – The leading rebounder in NCAA Division I, Seton Hall center Angel Delgado has posted a double-double of points and rebounds in 12 of the Pirates' 13 Big East games. The only time he didn't achieve that distinction came last month against Darryl Reynolds and Villanova.

NEWARK, N.J. – The leading rebounder in NCAA Division I, Seton Hall center Angel Delgado has posted a double-double of points and rebounds in 12 of the Pirates' 13 Big East games. The only time he didn't achieve that distinction came last month against Darryl Reynolds and Villanova.

However, Reynolds, the unsung member of the second-ranked Wildcats' starting five, has missed the last two games with a rib injury. He is listed as a game-time decision for Saturday's contest between 'Nova (25-2, 12-2 Big East) and the Hall (16-9, 6-7) at the soldout Prudential Center.

A win would enable the Cats to clinch a tie for their fourth straight Big East regular-season championship.

The toughness, strength and ability of the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Reynolds to box out the 6-10, 240-pound Delgado would be vital to the Wildcats' success against a Seton Hall team that has defeated Villanova once in each of the last three seasons.

Villanova coach Jay Wright said Reynolds, who suffered the injury late in the Feb. 7 game against Georgetown, didn't practice all week. As for his participation Saturday, the coach said "he's close and we've got a shot at getting him Saturday – an outside shot."

"He's a game-time decision," Wright said Friday after practice at the Pavilion, "We're going to be careful with him because with the injury he has . . . if there was any chance of him making it worse, it probably would be against Delgado, who is real physical. So we're going to make sure he's in great shape before we use him."

If Reynolds can't go, 6-7, 250-pound sophomore Eric Paschall will play inside with inexperienced 6-10 freshman Dylan Painter in reserve.

Reynolds said rest and ice have helped him experience less pain in his rib area. He said the Wildcats are going to have to gang-rebound against Seton Hall just like they did in their 76-46 win over the Pirates on Jan. 16 at the Pavilion, with or without him.

"Our team has a next-man-up mentality," he said. "One guy goes down, the next guy's up. It's just what we've been doing for the last couple of years.

"That's the beauty of our team. That versatility just allows us to keep a good rotation of guys. Everybody rebounds, everybody plays hard, so it's not like when one guy goes out, we don't have this. It's just that the next guy does more."

The Wildcats also must worry about 6-4 junior guard Khadeem Carrington, who went off for a career-high 41 points Wednesday night in the Pirates' 87-81 win over Creighton. Carrington, who was 18 of 22 on free throws, can affect a game with his outside shot and his ability to drive to the basket.

Booth update

"Not looking good."

Wright said junior guard Phil Booth, who has not played since the third game of the season in November because of pain and inflammation in his surgically repaired left knee, still hasn't practiced and the possibility of his return is "not looking good at all."

"He's working out individually but he has not practiced," Wright said. "If he said to me, 'I want to play,' then I'd have to make a decision. But we're not even close. It's not looking good at all.

"I'm disappointed for him. I feel bad for him, but it's just one of those things. I'm not going to deal with it unless I have to, and I probably won't have to."

jjuliano@phillynews.com

@joejulesinq