Villanova Men’s Basketball Summer Practices Officially Underway

Villanova Men’s Basketball won’t face off against BYU in their Monday, Nov. 3 season opener for another 140 days, but the Wildcats are already hard at work on the court preparing for the 2025-26 campaign.

The team’s official Twitter (X) account posted a video in early June captioned “Day 1 😤” showing new head coach Kevin Willard clapping before cutting to a quick highlight montage of players dunking, dribbling and practicing catch-and-shoot three-point shots.

At the end of the clip, linked here, Willard says “that’s a good first day, let’s get better: every day we get a little better, you understand?”

The Wildcats last made the NCAA Tournament in 2022, when they went on a Final Four run in legendary head coach Jay Wright’s final season. After a head coaching change this offseason, Villanova returned just three players from the 2024-25 season due to graduations and transfers: only one of those players, rising junior Tyler Perkins, played even a minute last season.

Despite all the turnover, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi ranks the Wildcats as one of his teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble heading into next season. Only time will tell whether they can make good on that projection.

Click here for a look at the Wildcats’ roster going into next season: players with hyperlinked names include a film review of their talents.