Villanova Ranks Fourth in Big East in Preliminary KenPom Ratings

College basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy released his preliminary rankings for the 2026-27 season on Sunday, Oct. 11: the Villanova Wildcats checked in at No. 32, good for the No. 4 spot in the Big East. UConn (No. 11), St. John’s (No. 23) and Creighton (No. 30) begin ahead of the Wildcats, who rank No. 22 and No. 53 in offensive and defensive efficiency, respectively.

Marquette (No. 34) and Providence (No. 39) are hot on the Wildcats’ tail, while Butler (No. 88) has the worst rank in the conference. Most other offseason rankings, including those of Jon Rothstein and Evan Miyakawa, have Villanova inside the top 30; the Big East coaches poll picked them to finish third. With the NCAA Tournament expanding to 76 teams, the Wildcats are all but guaranteed a postseason spot if they can make good on their reputation.

Elsewhere in the Philadelphia Big 5, Temple ranks No. 115, good for the sixth spot in the American Conference. Saint Joseph’s (No. 120) comes next with the eighth best spot in the A-10, while Penn (No. 128) is hot on the Hawks’ heels as the Ivy League favorite.

La Salle (No. 171) has the second-worst rank in the A-10, while Drexel (No. 247) rounds out the Big 5 as the No. 10 team in the CAA.