Villanova Men’s Basketball Barely Misses Top 25

The Associated Press released their first college basketball polls in two weeks on Monday, Jan. 5, and Villanova Men’s Basketball landed just outside the Top 25. Although they currently hold the No. 17 spot in the NET rankings and the No. 21 spot in the KenPom ratings, that wasn’t enough to secure their first poll appearance since November 2023.

Instead, the Wildcats (12-2, 3-0 Big East) landed as the No. 26 team in terms of votes acquired, just behind UCF. Ballots award points on an inverse basis, with a No. 1 vote issuing 25 points and a No. 25 vote issuing one. Villanova picked up 127 points, while UCF gathered 132.

The Wildcats won both games they played last week, needing strong second halves to power past DePaul and Butler. This week, they’ll host a dangerous Creighton team that struggles on the road (Jan. 7) before traveling to face Marquette (Jan. 10), who currently occupies the Big East basement. The solution to their lack of recognition from voters? Just keep winning.

Still No Love for the Women’s Team

Villanova Women’s Basketball, similarly, has yet to pick up any votes in the AP Poll this season. Currently 12-3, the Wildcats lost their first game in nearly two months on Sunday, which likely helped kill their chances of a down-ballot mention.

Three Villanova athletes earned recognition from the Big East for their performance last week: men’s guard Bryce Lindsay and women’s guard Jasmine Bascoe, both of whom made their respective weekly honor rolls, and freshman guard Kennedy Henry, who the conference named their freshman of the week.

Lindsay made 8-of-17 three-pointers on the week and averaged 18.5 points per game. Bascoe averaged 13.7 points, although she played just nine minutes in the Wildcats’ blowout win at DePaul, while Henry averaged 15 points and added 11 rebounds, nine assists, nine steals and five blocks across three games played.