Villanova Men’s Basketball 2024-25 Schedule

The Villanova Wildcats failed to make the Big Dance during the 2023-24 season, their second under head coach Kyle Neptune, despite once again earning a preseason Top 25 ranking.

They enter 2024-25 with the lowest expectations in more than a decade. Despite a Top 25 recruiting class headlined with ESPN Top 100 members Josiah Moseley and Matthew Hodge, the Wildcats began this season unranked for the first time since 2012.

History might favor them in that case, as those Wildcats managed to make the NCAA Tournament despite finishing 13-19 the previous season, but another year on the outside looking in once March rolls around could mean Neptune’s job.

Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of Villanova Men’s Basketball’s 2024-25 schedule.

2024-25 VILLANOVA MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Monday, Nov. 4, 8 p.m. 75-63 W vs. Lafayette, FS1
Wednesday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. 90-80 L vs. Columbia, CBSSN
Friday, Nov. 8, 8:30 p.m. 91-54 W vs. NJIT, FS2
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 5 p.m. 83-76 L at St. Joseph’s, CBSSN
Friday, Nov. 15, 5 p.m. 70-60 L vs Virginia at Baltimore, Md., TNT
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m. 93-49 W vs Penn, Peacock
Sunday, Nov. 24, 1 p.m. 76-75 L vs Maryland, ESPN
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 7 p.m. 72-48 W vs Rider, FS2
Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m. 68-60 W vs Cincinnati, FS1
Saturday, Dec. 7, 4:30 p.m. 94-65 W vs Temple at Wells Fargo Center, NBC
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m. 86-72 W vs FDU, FS1
Tuesday, Dec.17, 7:30 p.m. 79-67 W vs Seton Hall, Peacock
Saturday, Dec. 21, 4 p.m. 86-79 L at Creighton, FS1
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 6:30 p.m. 73-65 W at Butler, FS1
Saturday, Jan. 4, 12 p.m. 100-56 W vs DePaul, FS1
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 6:30 p.m. 68-66 W vs UConn, FS1
Saturday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m. 80-68 L at St. John’s, CBSSN
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m. 69-63 L at Xavier, FS1
Friday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m. 75-73 W vs Providence at WFC, FS1
Monday, Jan. 20, 6 p.m. 64-63 L vs Georgetown, FS1
Friday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. at Marquette, FS1
Saturday, Feb. 1, 1 p.m. vs Creighton at WFC, FOX
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 9 p.m. at DePaul, CBSSN
Sunday, Feb. 9, 12 p.m. vs Xavier at WFC, FS1
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 6 p.m. vs St. John’s, FS1
Saturday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m. at Providence, CBSSN
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m. at UConn, FS1
Friday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m. vs Marquette at WFC, FS1
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 8:30 p.m. at Seton Hall, FS1
Monday, March 1, 12 p.m. vs Butler, FOX
Tuesday, March 4, 8 p.m. at Georgetown, Peacock
Wednesday, March 12 – Saturday, March 15, Big East Tournament, New York, N.Y.

2024-25 VILLANOVA MEN’S SCHEDULE ANALYSIS

Game 1, Monday, Nov. 4 vs. Lafayette (8 p.m.)

The Wildcats open the season at the Finneran Pavilion against Lafayette: one of the worst teams in the nation last year. In six games played since 1999—including in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament—Villanova sits at a perfect 6-0 against Lafayette, defeating them by an average of more than 32 points per game.

They last faced off in Allentown in November 2017, a game Villanova won 104-57, the largest margin of victory in the series. With the Leopards in flux since the retirement of long time head coach Fran O’Hanlon, expect a Wildcats win.

Game 2, Wednesday, Nov. 6 vs. Columbia (7 p.m.)

Villanova’s home non-conference schedule continues soon thereafter against Columbia, a team that last made the NCAA Tournament during Lyndon B. Johnson’s second term in office. The Wildcats possess a 4-1 record against the Lions all time in this battle of the big cats, including an ongoing four game winning streak that dates back to 2000.

They last played in November 2017, a week before the aforementioned Lafayette game, with Villanova securing a 75-60 win. Although head coach Jim Engles helped NJIT (incidentally, Villanova’s next opponent) return to respectability after a miserable stretch in the mid-2000s, he hasn’t had much luck with Columbia since taking the helm in 2016. 

Game 3: Friday, Nov. 8 against NJIT (8:30 p.m.)

The Wildcats’ busy opening week rolls on with another home game, this one against the New Jersey Institute of Technology. They’ve clashed twice since 2012 with Villanova picking up a pair of home wins, the most recent in 2014.

The Highlanders made a coaching change ahead of last season, bringing first-time head coach Grant Billmeier to the bench, but the early returns don’t look promising. NJIT struggled to a 7-21 record in his first season and have never made the NCAA Tournament at the Division 1 level.

Game 4: Tuesday, Nov. 12 at St. Joseph’s University (5 p.m.)

Big Five play begins in the Wildcats second week of the season, when make the short trip to Philadelphia to take on St. Joseph’s University in the Holy War.

The Hawks claimed their lone matchup last season, jumping out to an eight point lead at halftime and staying comfortably ahead on the way to a 78-65 win at Villanova. The stunning home upset snapped an 11 game winning streak for the Wildcats, the longest in the rivalry’s history… but did little to dent Villanova’s all-time 54-26 lead (42-25 since Big Five play began). 

St. Joe’s has yet to make the NCAA Tournament in five seasons under head coach Billy Lange.

Game 5: Friday, Nov. 15 against Virginia in Baltimore (5 p.m.)

One of the Wildcats’ first real tests of the season, this matchup will have a different flavor than one might expect from recent history. That’s because long-time Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett retired on the eve of the 2024-25 season, stunning the college basketball world.

Despite the Cavaliers and Wildcats’ success on the national stage over the past decade, they’ve only played each other eight times… five of those coming before the turn of the millennium. UVA holds a 5-3 advantage in those matches, but the Wildcats won the most recent, a 2017 thriller that saw then-No. 1 Villanova claim a 61-59 win on a Donte DiVincenzo buzzer-beater.

This game will take place at a neutral site, Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena, as part of the Hall of Fame series. 

Game 6: Tuesday, Nov. 19 against Penn (7 p.m.)

Big Five play continues against the Penn Quakers, who Villanova has dominated with a 51-18 record since 1949. It’s been tougher going for the Wildcats in recent seasons, as Penn bounced back from a 15 game losing streak that spanned from 2003 to 2017, holding the Wildcats to a much narrower 2-3 record since 2018.

That includes a 76-72 Penn win at the Pavilion last season, one that helped knock the Wildcats out of the AP Poll.

While the Quakers made the NCAA Tournament during head coach and long-time Ivy League stalwart Steve Donahue’s third season in charge, they haven’t made it back since. 

Game 7: Sunday, Nov. 24 against Maryland in Newark (1 p.m.) 

Tournament and invitational play typically characterizes the week around Thanksgiving, but things will look a bit different for the Wildcats this season. They’re facing Maryland in the Empire Classic, usually conducted as a tournament: this year it’s just a one-off, though, one that ESPN Analytics sees the Terrapins winning 66.5 percent of the time.

Villanova dropped the Wildcats 57-40 last season, their fifth win in a row dating back to 1985… when the No. 8 seeded Wildcats upset the No. 5 Terrapins with a 46-43 Sweet Sixteen thriller on the way to their first-ever national title.

Game 8: Wednesday, Nov. 27 against Rider (7 p.m.)

Next for the Wildcats is what should be a buy game gimme against the Rider Broncs of the MAAC. Villanova holds a 10-0 record against Rider dating back to 1952, most recently defeating them 88-67 at the Pavilion in 2013.

ESPN Analytics puts the Wildcats’ chances of victory at 96.2 percent in one of their last tune-up games of the season.

Game 9: Tuesday, Dec. 3 against Cincinnati (6:30 p.m.)

Villanova will help host the final rendition of the Big EAST-Big 12 Battle at home against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Much like the Cavs, Cincinnati excelled during the 2010s, making the tournament for nine straight seasons between 2011 and 2019, although they never wound up facing the Wildcats in March.

The Bearcats haven’t been back to the tournament since, but they’ve always played Villanova close, winning their past three games in a span of 13 months in 2012-2013 to push the all-time series to an even 4-4. ESPN Analytics gives Cincinnati a 68 percent chance of winning, expecting them to continue to have the Wildcats’ number.

Game 10: Big Five Classic, Saturday, Dec. 7 vs Temple ( 4:30 p.m.)

Now that Drexel has a place in the Big Five, the Classic will follow the same format as its inaugural running last season. Villanova played to a 1-1 record against their pool of Penn and St. Joseph’s, meaning they won’t have a chance at another Big Five title this season. Instead, they’ll face off in the third place game against either Temple or LaSalle, to be finalized after those teams face off in pool play on Saturday, November 30.

Game 11: Wednesday, Dec. 11 against FDU (7 p.m.)

Villanova’s non-conference schedule concludes with a home game against Fairleigh Dickinson, who earned a slice of history in 2023 when they knocked off No. 1 seed Purdue despite entering the NCAA Tournament as the No. 16 seed, just the second team to ever accomplish that feat.

That FDU squad looks a lot different from this one, however. They’re in their second season under head coach Jack Castleberry, who struggled to a 15-17 record last season that ended up good for fifth place in the NEC.

While FDU shocked the world in 2023, ESPN Analytics puts their chances of shocking Villanova this season at just 1.9 percent.

Game 12: Tuesday, Dec. 17 against Seton Hall (7:30 p.m.) 

Conference play begins at home against Seton Hall midway through exam week. Villanova split the season series against the Pirates last season, with the home team winning each game: the Wildcats win came in the form of an 80-54 drubbing that saw Eric Dixon lead all scoring with 18 points.

Despite that lopsided result, Seton Hall finished the year above Villanova in both their conference and overall records, going on to win the NIT.

ESPN Analytics gives the Wildcats a comfortable advantage as the home team, expecting them to win in 75.4 percent of simulations run.

Since 1997, the Wildcats hold a decisive 33-12 advantage in games against the Pirates.

Game 13: Saturday, Dec. 21 at Creighton (4 p.m.)

2024 will conclude—at least on the court—for the Wildcats later that week when they travel to Omaha to take on the Creighton Blue Jays.

Creighton made the Sweet Sixteen last season, but that didn’t stop Villanova from playing the Blue Jays close, snatching a 68-66 overtime win on the road courtesy of an Eric Dixon three-pointer. The Blue Jays returned the favor in the regular season finale with a regulation buzzer beater that handed Villanova a 69-67 loss.

Creighton looks like a force again this season, entering the season at No. 15, and ESPN Analytics gives the Wildcats just a 20.3 percent chance of stealing a road win. If last season’s precedent is anything to go by, this will be a matchup to watch.

Dating back to 1951, Villanova’s record against Creighton sits at 19-9, but they’re 5-5 against the Blue Jays since 2021.

Game 14: Wednesday, Jan. 1 at Butler (6:30 p.m.)

Villanova will begin 2025 as they finished 2024, on the road in the far western regions of the Big East. The Bulldogs gave Villanova an apt dogfight the last time they traveled to Indianapolis, taking down the Wildcats 88-81 in double overtime.

Once again, ESPN likes Butler’s chances of taking down the Wildcats, giving the latter just a 35.9 percent chance at the upset.

Game 15: Saturday, Jan. 4 against DePaul (12 p.m.)

DePaul suffered through a miserable 2023-24 season that saw them go 0-20 in the Big East and just 3-29 overall.

The Wildcats cheerily contributed to three of those losses, crushing them 84-48 in Chicago and 94-69 at home. They then matched up in the first round of the Big East tournament where DePaul nearly stole the win, leading by two with less than ten seconds left to play. That’s when Justin Moore, now of the Osceola Magic (NBA G-League) nailed a three ball to keep Villanova’s season alive.

Things can change in a hurry in the era of the transfer portal—and with new head coach Chris Holtmann, formerly of Ohio State—at the helm, but ESPN rates Villanova’s chances of a home win at 74.4 percent regardless: they’ve been nothing short of dominant against the Blue Demons, posting a 36-8 record all time.

Game 16: Wednesday, Jan. 8 against UConn (6:30 p.m.)

The first team to win consecutive national championships since Florida in 2007, the Huskies remain a dominant force this season, entering the season at No. 3 in the AP Poll.

Villanova played UConn close at home last season, cutting the deficit to 61-60 on a Justin Moore jumper with 35 seconds to play but, needing to foul to stay in it, they couldn’t eke out a win, eventually falling 66-65.

ESPN Analytics gives the Wildcats a 28.2 percent chance at the upset, about as good as a Villanova fan could hope for against the reigning back-to-back champs, but the fact remains that they’ll need some unlikely heroics to come out on top. An extremely close series historically owing to the teams’ success as Blue Bloods (or New Bloods), Villanova holds the all-time advantage 38-36.

Game 17: Saturday, Jan. 11 at St. John’s (7 p.m.)

St. John’s had the Wildcats’ number last season, beating them 81-71 at Villanova before putting the hurt on, 70-50 barely two weeks later.

Bragging rights will hinge on this matchup—and especially their second game later in the season—as the Red Storm have closed the all-time series to 66-65 in the Wildcats’ favor. Fresh off a tournament snub, a motivated St. John’s team could be a force, and ESPN gives Villanova just a 21.8 percent chance of stealing a crucial conference win on the road.

Game 18: Tuesday, Jan. 14 at Xavier (6:30 p.m.)

Conference play continues in Cincinnati against Xavier, who the Wildcats split the series with last season, trading home wins. Villanova led 28-26 at the half against Xavier last February but couldn’t hang on: Brendan Hausen, now playing for Kansas State, missed a game-tying free throw with 45 seconds to go and, while Villanova did manage to get the ball back, they never got a shot off in the eventual three-point loss.

Right now, ESPN gives Villanova a 38 percent chance of knocking off the Wildcats on the road… and improving on their 34-8 all-time record in doing so.

Game 19: Friday, Jan. 17 against Providence (7 p.m.)

Up next, the Wildcats will host Providence, who they swept with a pair of double digit wins last season, including a 68-50 decision at home. One of the longer running rivalries Villanova takes part in (their 110 games played since 1949 is second only to Seton Hall) Villanova holds a 68-42 edge.

ESPN Analytics likes the Wildcats to take care of business at home, giving them a 68.8 percent chance of winning.

Game 20: Monday, Jan. 20 against Georgetown (6 p.m.)

Big East play continues against the Hoyas, who finished with a 2-18 conference record last season. Villanova provided two of those losses, winning a 75-47 bloodbath at home last February. While Georgetown historically plays the Wildcats close—the all-time series sits at 47-41 in Villanova’s favor—the Hoyas have made the NCAA Tournament just once since 2015 and possess a pitiful 3-24 record against Villanova dating back to 2013. 

The Big East preseason coaches poll selected the Hoyas to finish ninth, indicating they don’t expect drastic improvement under second year head coach Ed Cooley. ESPN, meanwhile, gives Villanova an 86.7 percent chance of winning which, home game or not, says quite a bit in an always-competitive conference. 

Game 21: Friday, Jan. 24 at Marquette (7 p.m.)

Villanova then hits the road to face the team that ended their NCAA Tournament hopes in the second round of the Big East tournament last season. The Golden Eagles made the Sweet Sixteen last season and clocked in at No. 18 in the preseason AP Poll. ESPN gives Villanova an 18.1 percent chance of completing the road upset, and recent history doesn’t do the Wildcats any favors: they’ve lost their last seven games against Marquette dating back to 2022, struggling mightily against head coach Shaka Smart and company despite keeping most of the games close.

They’ll snap that streak at some point, but perhaps not this season (much less on the road).

Game 22: Saturday, Feb. 1 against Creighton (1 p.m.)

As the calendar flips to February, it’s all rematches from here on out. Villanova lost via a buzzer beater at home against the Blue Jays last season, but this young team has a chance to turn out even better than the one that made the Sweet Sixteen in 2024.

ESPN gives the Wildcats a 42.5 percent chance of defending their home court successfully.

Game 23: Wednesday, Feb. 5 at DePaul (9 p.m.)

ESPN analytics says Villanova wins 52.1 percent of road simulations against DePaul in Chicago: as pitiful as the Blue Demons looked last season, they’re a dangerous team that can’t be looked past, just like their performance in the Big East tournament proved.

Game 24: Sunday, Feb. 9 against Xavier (12 p.m.)

Villanova warded off a second half comeback from the Musketeers last January, maintaining the narrowest of leads as two Eric Dixon free throws iced the 66-65 win. Xavier is always a force to be reckoned with, but ESPN puts the Wildcats chances of winning at a solid 65.7 percent. Thus begins the most difficult stretch of the Wildcats’ season.

Game 25: Wednesday, Feb. 12 against St. John’s (6 p.m.)

The Red Storm are always a nightmare to face and perhaps doubly so this season as they look to avenge 2024’s tournament snub. Even with home court advantage at play, ESPN puts the Wildcats’ chances of winning at just 44.8 percent: still perfectly winnable, but not what Villanova fans like to see.

Game 26: Saturday, Feb. 15 at Providence (6 p.m.)

The lone break in what looks to be a murderer’s row schedule in the middle of February, Villanova will have to hit the road to knock off the Providence Friars. ESPN gives them just a 43.1 percent chance of doing so, a testament to how this stretch of the schedule will make or break the Wildcats’ season.

Game 27: Tuesday, Feb. 18 at UConn (6:30 p.m.)

What follows is likely the toughest matchup the Wildcats will face all season, a road date with the two-time reigning champions. Villanova’s chances of securing a regular season upset of epic proportions sit at just 11.9 percent.

Game 28: Friday, Feb. 21 against Marquette (7 p.m.)

The gauntlet continues with next to no time off, as Villanova will have to host the Golden Eagles just three days after their game against UConn. Their chances of winning rest at a modest 39.1 percent, but one wonders if that takes into proper account the drain of facing one of the best teams in the nation immediately prior.

Game 29: Wednesday, Feb. 26 at Seton Hall (8:30 p.m.)

Villanova wraps up February with the conclusion of their season series against the Pirates. Even on the road, ESPN gives the Wildcats a 53.3 percent chance of bringing home the win.

Game 30: Saturday, March 1 against Butler (12 p.m.)

The best month of the year begins at home against Butler, with the Wildcats looking like a narrow (62.9 chance of winning) favorite with several months left to play. The two teams traded home wins last season, with Villanova prevailing 72-62 at the Pavilion, so that seems about right. 

Game 31: Tuesday, March 4 at Georgetown (8 p.m.)

ESPN gives Villanova a 69.1 percent chance of closing their regular season with a road win against the Hoyas, heading into the Big East tournament with some positive momentum behind them.

Big East Tournament: Wednesday, March 12 to Saturday, March 15 (Time and Opponent(s) TBD)