Villanova Bracketology: Men’s, Women’s Teams Drop After Notre Dame Loss

After a season-opening loss to a Notre Dame team expected to finish near the bottom of the ACC, Villanova Men’s Basketball fell two seeds in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s first tournament assessment of the 2026-27 season.

Lunardi currently pegs the Wildcats as a No. 9 seed, predicting them to play Baylor in Charlotte as part of the East Regional in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats (1-1) are down to No. 42 in the KenPom ratings and didn’t pick up any Top 25 votes in this week’s AP Poll; preseason rankings had them hovering somewhere between No. 26 and No. 35. Lunardi predicts that five of 11 Big East teams will make the Big Dance this season and slots both Xavier and Providence in his first four out.

UConn (No. 1 seed), St. John’s (No. 4 seed), Marquette (No. 7 seed), Creighton (No. 12 seed) are the other Big East programs to make it.

Charlie Creme predicts that two Big 5 women’s teams will make the postseason, listing Villanova as a No. 9 seed — a two-line drop from the preseason — and Saint Joseph’s, the unanimous A-10 preseason favorite, as a No. 13 seed. The Hawks brought back last season’s A-10 Most Improved Player of the Year, Gabby Casey, and Sixth Woman of the Year Aleah Snead. They last made the NCAA Tournament in 2014.