Villanova Basketball to Host Brunson, Hart in Season Kickoff

Villanova Men’s Basketball announced via tweet that they’ll host Wildcats alumni Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart at 7 p.m. the Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday, Sept. 17 for a live rendition of the duo’s podcast, “The Roommates Show”.

Per the release, the event will also help kick off the men’s and women’s basketball seasons, with formal introductions for the teams, interviews with their respective head coaches, Kevin Willard and Denise Dillon, as well as members of the 2016 National Championship team that included Brunson and Hart.

Other festivities include a special celebrity guest and three-point and dunk contests. Per a report from Dylan Johnson of the Villanovan, the kickoff event will replace Hoops Mania, which served a similar purpose in recent seasons and included skills competitions from the student-athletes.

The ticket lottery for students will open at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Admission for students is free via the lottery system; the event will also be open to the public.

Brunson played for Villanova from 2015 to 2018, winning a pair of national championships and the national college player of the year award in 2018; Hart joined the Wildcats in 2013 and graduated in 2017. Roommates during their time together at Villanova, that gave Brunson and Hart the inspiration for their podcast. They currently play together on the New York Knicks along with fellow Wildcats alumnus Mikal Bridges.

Brunson started the 2025 All-Star Game last season, while Hart set a Knicks franchise record for triple-doubles in a season. They helped the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in over a quarter century.