On Wednesday, Villanova released part of its 2020-21 men's basketball schedule. The school revealed nine games, including five non-conference and four Big East contests. The remaining Big East games, as well as two more non-conference games, will be released in conjunction with the full Big East schedule at a later date. The game against Virginia has been confirmed and will take place on its originally scheduled date of Dec. 19 at Madison Square Garden. Here's what has been confirmed by the school...

Nov. 25 Empire Classic (Baylor, Arizona State, Boston College)
Nov. 26 Empire Classic (Baylor, Arizona State, Boston College)
Nov. 30 St. Joe's
Dec. 3 Temple
Dec. 11 at Georgetown
Dec. 14 DePaul
Dec. 16 Butler
Dec. 19 Virginia (Madison Square Garden)
Dec. 23 at Marquette

The one big change from what we were expecting is the absence of the Texas game, which was reportedly going to take place December 6. We'll have to wait and see if that game is one of the two remaining non-conference games to be announced. The other is expected to be La Salle. For now, we know what the first nine games of the season should be and when they are expected to happen. Times and television information will be announced at a later date.

As preseason rankings continue to filter in, CBS' Matt Norlander released the final installment of his full Division 1 rankings on Thursday, and he has Villanova as his top team entering the season. In the article below we have some details and reactions to the rankings as well as a link to the rankings themselves.

Ken Pomeroy released his initial 2020-21 rankings late Tuesday night, and Villanova checked in at No. 4 overall. The Cats are ranked 5th in offensive efficiency and 9th in defensive efficiency.

Nova trails Baylor (potential opponent), Gonzaga, and Duke in the rankings. The Wildcats are also one of just three teams (Baylor, Duke) to be ranked in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

Some other rankings of interest:

Creighton is the next highest-ranked Big East team at No. 13. Marquette checked in at No. 34 followed by UConn (43), Seton Hall (50), Butler (56), and Providence (63). The remaining Big East teams landed outside the top 70.

Texas is No. 9, Virginia is No. 16, and Arizona State is No. 36. So if the schedule plays out the way we expect it to, Villanova is currently looking at two top 10 KenPom opponents, another top 20 opponent, and a top 40 opponent in the non-conference.

The two main takeaways here are the KenPom numbers fall in line with what we've seen from the majority of the preseason polls, at least in terms of the assessment of Villanova, and that Villanova's schedule is looking like one of the most impressive in the country heading into the season.

The preseason Big East First and Second Team All-Conference selections were announced Wednesday and Villanova was well represented. Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl were named to the First Team, while Justin Moore was named to the Second Team.

There's not much surprise with Gillespie and Robinson-Earl on the first team. Gillespie is expected to be a candidate for conference Player of the Year honors while Robinson-Earl is coming off a freshman campaign that saw him win Big East Freshman of the Year.

I wouldn't say that Moore landing on the second team was a "surprise" exactly, but it certainly feels like he's been flying under the radar at least in terms of the national perception of Villanova so it's great to see him recoginzed by those in the conference. Moore had an excellent frehsman season and will look to take the next step in his progression as a sophomore. If you've been following along this offseason, you know I'm high on Moore, and again it's great to see him get a bit of recognition.

We're less than a month away from tip-off and there is a lot to be excited about.

The Big East preseason coaches poll has been released, and Villanova sits at the top. Not much of a surprise here as the Cats are a consensus top 3 team in the country and the early favorite to win the Big East, but still a big deal and something we need to remember not to take for granted. Nova received 9 of 11 first-place votes, with the other two going to Creighton.

Here is the full preseason coaches poll for the Big East:

1. Villanova
2. Creighton
3. Providence
4. UConn
5. Seton Hall
6. Marquette
7. Xavier
8. Butler
9. St. John's
10. DePaul
11. Georgetown

Jay Wright met with reporters Wednesday and here are all the important takeaways. For anyone interested in just a quick summary, here a few key points:

-I believe it's safe to rely on the scheduling reports we heard earlier this weeek (Dec. 11 start to conference play, Nova's likely non-conference opponents). Some tweaks are still possible, but I think that it gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect. Also, I think we will get word of an official Big East schedule soon, and Nova's full schedule is likely to follow quickly after that.

-The team has been dealing with some minor injuries. Wright didn't get into specifics regarding what the injuries were or who was affected, but noted it has disrupted their preparation and has prevented him from nailing down the starting lineup and defining roles. I didn't get the impression that any of these injuries were serious or would linger into the regular season, but they have added another challenge to an already difficult preseason.

-One thing that isn't mentioned in the article: Villanova is working to figure out the best way to determine what fans can get into games. Recent changes to Pennsylvania COVID guidelines have allowed for attendance at sporting events, and the university is currently working under the assumption that approximately 900 people would be allowed in the Pavilion. Now, that 900 is total occupancy, so it includes teams, referees, TV personnel, media, and arena and other staff, but it's still nice that there is a chance that at least some fans will be able to attend. It's also worth wondering if this will affect the location of games, as we mentioned earlier in the summer the possibility of playing more games at the Wells Fargo Center in order to get more fans in based on percentage of capacity. Just something else to keep an eye on as there appears to be optimism that there might be some sort of fan attendance.

More detail on the first two points, along with other topics discussed and quotes from Jay, are contained in the following article.

As programs around the country scramble to build schedules for a slightly delayed 2020-21 season, it appears the Big East has taken the next step in clarifying the situation for its member schools. Jon Rothstein is reporting that the Big East will begin conference play Friday, December 11.

That would give schools roughly two weeks to get in non-conference games before starting Big East play. Jay Wright has said he hopes to play the maximum number of games allowed this season (27) which would leave Nova with seven non-conference dates to fill. We still don't know exactly what the conference schedule will look like in terms of dates, but with an extra 2-3 weeks of conference play compared to the normal end of December start you would think there would be enough flexibility to round out the non-conference schedule after conferece play has started as it will be difficult to get seven games in from Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Recently, Nova has had one or two non-conference games after the start of Big East play, and I would imagine that will be the case this season as well.

The situation remains fluid, but right now Villanova is expected to open the season Nov. 25 against Arizona State at a reworked Empire Classic. They would play the winner/loser of the other matchup (currently Baylor vs. Boston College) on the 26th. We've also gotten reports that the scheduled Big East/Big 12 Battle matchup between Nova and Texas is scheduled for Dec. 6. You'd have to think that would be the final non-conference game before Big East play opens. That leaves the Cats with four games to fill. I'd suspect they'd try to get two games in between Nov. 27 and the Dec. 6 date with Texas and then look to fill the other two dates between conference matchups. All indications are that both Villanova and Virginia remain committed to playing their scheduled meeting, although a date is still to be determined. I speculated that the remaining three dates would be Big 5 opponents, and Rothstein reports that Wright has confirmed Nova plans to play Temple, St. Joe's, and La Salle. We'll get a clearer picture once the full Big East schedule is released, something I think will happen sooner than later, and I also suspect that the member schools already have a good idea what it will look like so we may get a rush of scheduling info all at once. For now, it appears we have the opponents for the 2020-21 season nailed down. The schedule currently looks like this:

Empire Classic: Nov. 25-26 (two games) Arizona State, Baylor/BC
At Texas: December 6
Virginia: TBD
Temple: TBD
St. Joe's: TBD
La Salle: TBD
20 Big East Games (each team twice): Starting Dec. 11

College basketball season is inching closer, and some preseason awards lists have started to filter out. Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl are garnering plenty of attention.

Both were named to the Blue Ribbon Preseason All-Big East Team. Not much of a surprise here, as Gillespie is expected to be in contention for Big East Player of the Year and Robinson-Earl is coming off conference Rookie of the Year honors and is widely expected to take a step forward this season.

In addition, Blue Ribbon named Gillespie to the All-American Second Team and Robinson-Earl to the All-American Third Team.

Some nice regcognition for the duo as Villanova prepares for what should be another great season.

Continuing our look at the roster with a potential wild card in sophomore Bryan Antoine.

Villanova football and basketball radio broadcasts will move from 610 AM to 95.7 FM for the 2020-21 season. If you're interested in quotes regarding the switch, see the article below.

Some notes and rumors have surfaced regarding the schedule over the past few days. Here is a roundup of what we're hearing so far.

Zach Braziller of the New York Post is reporting that the Big East schedule will be done "relatively soon." He also reports that the focus remains on regular travel. There was a conflicting report that the league was still considering starting the conference season with regular travel then switching to a bubble for the remainder of games, but I can't find the source of that report now (taken down?) so between that and Braziller's report, I'd expect regular travel to be the route that is ultimately taken. Of course, we'll continue to monitor.

Jon Rothstein had reported that the league was targeting December 12-23, however December 11 has been mentioned as well. Braziller has also reported that the league hopes to get 4-5 league games in for each team before the new year which would indicate the earlier side of Rothstein's timeline or the December 11 report.

Finally, Rothstein reports that the scheduled Big East-Big 12 Battle matchup between Villanova and Texas will take place December 6. If that proves true, it appears that all the most high-profile non-conference games for Villanova will be played with the season kicking off with Michigan (and potentially Baylor) at a reworked Empire Classic, the Texas game, and all indications that a way to play the Virginia game will be found.

With that assumption here's what the schedule will look like so far...20 Big East games, Michigan, Baylor/BC, Texas, and Virginia. That would leave Nova with three open dates. If I were to speculate, I'd have to think that Big 5 opponents may be the favored schools to fill those dates. Again, I'm speculating here, but between the ease of travel, the ability of Big 5 schools to be able to match testing and other protocols related to COVID, and Wright's respect for Philadelphia basketball tradition there is a lot working in favor of scheduling Big 5 games in the remaining slots. The safety and logistical ease of Big 5 games is hard to ignore.

Once the Big East schedule is released, we'll be able to speak with much more certainty on the schedule and hard confirmation on the rest of the schedule will likely follow quickly. For now, it looks like a good bet that the most anticipated games of the non-conference will happen as we use the limited information at hand to piece together the situation.

Continuing our look at the roster for the upcoming season with a player I'm very high on, sophomore Justin Moore.

For now, Villanova is still on track to open the season with the Empire Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena on Nov. 25, the first day of the 2020-21 college basketball season. On Thursday, some rumblings about the event surfaced.

Originally slated to have a field of Villanova, Baylor, Michigan and N.C. State, there are now reports that Boston College will replace N.C. State in the field. Jon Rothstein first reported the news.

The matchups haven't been determined yet, but there are some rumors swirling that Nova will open with Michigan. This is not confirmed, just wanted to pass along what I've been hearing.

As expected, things are developing rapidly as far a the 2020-21 college basketball schedule is concerned. When speaking with reporters yesterday, Jay Wright indicated that the Empire Classic, which includes Villanova, Baylor, N.C. State, and Michigan, may be in doubt. Now, courtesy of some excellent reporting by Adam Zagoria, it appears that the Empire Classic will not only happen, but will serve to kick off the season for the Wildcats.

Zagoria reports that the Mohegan Sun Arena is slated to host several events (Empire Classic, Legends Classic, Hall of Fame Invitational, Hall of Fame Tip-Off) over multiple dates including Nov. 25-26 (the first two days of the season), Nov. 28-29 and Dec. 3-4. Initially, it was unclear which events would be on which dates, but Zagoria followed up with information that pinned down the dates for each event, with the Empire Classic kicking things off.

While no official announcement has been made, this appears to be solid information. If it proves to be, what changed from yesterday when Wright thought the event could be in doubt? First, it appears (another head nod to Zagoria) that the Big East has nailed down a mid-December start date for conference games while also assuming a 20-game conference schedule. Wright was adamant that establishing the conference schedule was the top priority and that the non-conference schedule would fall into place once that was done. Even without specific dates nailed down, knowing the target start date for conference play allows teams to begin to fill in dates from Nov. 25 until mid-December. Second, the Mohegan Sun Arena stepped up to provide a home for the event as well as offering multiple solid dates of availability. With those factors settled, it appears things were able to come together quickly.

Zagoria adds that the Mohegan Sun has also opened another window from Dec. 7-11 during which it could host games and is eyeing a possible third window from Dec. 15-20. The third window is in doubt because conference play will be underway, but the venue is open to hosting either high-profile non-conference games or intriguing conference games during that time. The Big East appears committed to playing conference games at campus sites/home arenas at this point, but it's hard not to wonder if perhaps the scheduled Villanova-Virginia game could be a candidate for that third window. We noted yesterday that Wright seemed intent on finding a way to get the Virginia game played.

We expect more information to come out and for it to do so quickly as teams scramble to nail down their schedules, but for now it appears likely that Villanova will kick off the season with the Empire Classic and we'll be keeping an eye out for an official announcement.

Jay Wright held a media availability Thursday afternoon and touched on a wide range of topics. The most pressing topic was scheduling as programs across the country scramble to fill out their schedules now that we have a start date and a minimum and maximum number of games (must play 13, maximum 27).

Wright said that everything hinges on the Big East schedule, and the priority is getting that settled first and as quickly as possible. The league has discussed the idea of a bubble for some conference games, but it appears unlikely it will ultimately go that route. Once the conference schedule is set, the focus will shift to filling out the non-conference schedule, and Wright is hoping to play as many non-conference games as possible and wants to get to the maximum number of allowed games. It appears unlikely that a full Big 5 schedule will be played this season but that some Big 5 games will be included. It sounds as though playing the Virginia game will be a priority, while the Empire Classic with N.C. State, Michigan, and Baylor remains up in the air as it was scheduled for November 19 and 20, before the new start date. We'll know more on the Empire Classic once each conference nails down their schedules. Wright also said that he hopes to be able to keep some of the "mid-major" type opponents, namely Howard, as high-profile games are incredibly important to those programs both financially and in terms of postseason play. He also said that if the Howard game is lost this year, they would likely try to schedule it next year. The Big East held a conference call this morning to work on the schedule and will host another one tomorrow morning, and Wright also was heading to another scheduling call following his media availability.

As for COVID-19 protocols, the team is currently testing once a week and the goal is to ramp it up to three times per week as the team gears up for full practices and games. The players' rooms are all grouped together and were strategically placed at the end of a hallway next to an exit to reduce the amount of foot traffic and interaction with the larger student body. The players are being discouraged from having guests, and the Pavilion is open to them for Zoom classes if they want to get out of their rooms. Wright said the staff is encouraging players to be leaders in following university protocols and is impressing upon the players the importance of following guidelines, highlighting the fact that a mistake that leads to contracting the virus would impact the entire team. No players or staff members have tested positive at this point.

As for practice, the team has yet to hold a full team practice. So far, they've been practicing in "pods" of four players at a time. The hope is to ramp up to full team practices soon.

In terms of early returns so far, Wright highlighted Cole Swider, Jermaine Samuels, Justin Moore, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl for the condition in which they returned to campus, joking that "they may have done better than they would have being with us." He also noted that Swider and Brandon Slater have looked particularly good so far with the caveat that it's hard to get a full picture of where the guys are at when they are just playing within their own pod.

Wright is also hopeful that at some point at least some fans would be allowed in attendance, although he noted that state and local guidelines would have to allow for it. He also noted that the allowance of fans could have an effect on where games are scheduled. If it becomes clear that no fans will be allowed at any point in the season, then all home games would likely be played at the Pavilion. However, if the state sets a percentage of capacity number to be allowed in, they could look to schedule more games at the Wells Fargo Center as the higher capacity would allow for more fans to get in.

For now, we'll wait for them to hammer out the Big East schedule as that needs to get completed before anything else can be worked out. I'd expect this to get done sooner than later so that schools have as much time as possible to try to work out non-conference games.

As expected, we got a decision on the start of the college basketball season on Wednesday and the season will kick off November 25. That represents a two-week delay from the usual start of the season, but considering the circumstances and the uncertainty of the past few months, it is welcome news. The selection of Nov. 25 allows for schools to take advantage of the six-week or so period when students won't be on campus over winter break and should also allow for teams to get creative in managing some semblance of a non-conference schedule.

Official practices can begin October 14, and before that programs can have eight hours of on-court work per week instead of the usual four hours that usually precedes the start of official practices. The eight-hour allowance begins September 21.

With dates settled, we will now wait for indications of what the schedule will look like, but for now, we know a college basketball season is on the way.

Continuing our look at the roster with Robinson-Earl, who will look to build on his impressive freshman season and who I think is the leader of a group that will be incredibly important for the Cats this season.

As we noted yesterday, five-star 2021 guard Trevor Keels was expected to cut his list to a final three imminently. On Wednesday, Keels indeed revealed the three programs remaining in contention for his commitment, and as expected Villanova made the cut. The Cats are joined by Duke and Virginia. There is no timetable for a decision, but Rivals' Corey Evans suggests one could come by the end of the month.

Villanova's lone remaining 2021 target may take the next step in his recruitment sometime soon. Keels has conducted one of the more close to the vest recruitments in his class, with very little hard information coming out. However, it appears that we may hear something from the Keels camp soon that will serve to clarify his recruitment a bit. Keels posted a photo on his Instagram saying Top 3 with a question mark and the caption "coming soon."

The expectation is that two of the three spots will be Villanova and Duke, with Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio State and Louisville vying for the third spot. Based on what I'm hearing, I expect Virginia to round out the trio, but it wouldn't be shocking if it was North Carolina. Michigan and Louisville are potential darkhorses to get into the top 3 but expect it to be some combination of Nova, Duke, Virginia and UNC.

We don't know exactly then the list will drop, but at the very least some time in the near future we should get some insight into where Keels is at and see if Nova is indeed still in the mix.

Continuing our look at the 2020-21 roster with a bit of an unknown in Tulane transfer Caleb Daniels.

With the hometown Sixers searching for a new coach, Jay Wright's name has inevitably come up. On Wednesday, Wright issued a statement addressing the issue and made clear where he stands.

"Out of respect for our Villanova Community and our 76ers organization, I feel the need to address speculation about the 76ers head coach position.

The 76ers have a great leader in Elton Brand, outstanding young talent and an incredible opportunity for any coach to compete for a championship. As a lifetime 76ers fan, I have confidence they will bring in the right coach to build on what Brett Brown has developed.

I am not a candidate for the job. I am very happy and honored to coach at Villanova.”

In my opinion, Wright leaving has always been a long shot as he has a nearly perfect situation at Villanova. Still, with the success he's had his name will pop up in these coaching searches and many have speculated that the one job he would consider leaving Villanova for is the Sixers. As such, until the Sixers made a hire or Wright addressed the issue, the speculation would have continued. Now we know for sure, and Nova Nation can rest easy knowing Wright will remain with the Wildcats.

Continuing our player-by-player look at the 2020-21 season.

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander shared the most recent updates on scenarios for the potential start of the college basketball season. Here's what we learned.

It looks as though there are four potential scenarios in play at this point:
1. No change to schedule (Practice Sept. 29, season starts Nov. 10)
2. Practice starts Oct. 9, season starts Nov. 20
3. Practice starts Oct. 14, season starts Nov. 25
4. Practice starts Oct. 24, season starts Dec. 4

These scenarios have not been decided on as the only options, but each has been presented to various decision-makers for feedback. Clearly, each scenario comes with its own set of other factors that would need consideration, most notably the impact on non-conference schedules. It appears that the floated idea of a Jan. 1 start date is losing momentum, while starting before or right after Thanksgiving is gaining momentum. This makes sense as it would be wise to take advantage of the winter break period when the majority of students won't be on campus.

The various committees that will be offering input on the situation are all expected to meet this week, and a tentative date of Aug. 31 is set for a meeting between the Men's and Women's oversight committees to nail down a start date/plan to be presented to the Division 1 Council. From there, the D-1 Council is expected to vote on a season start date on September 16.

Another area of discussion is when the NCAA Tournament would be played. The usual March timeline is still in play, but the idea of pushing it back to May has been floated. The delay would allow for more equitable evaluation of teams in conferences that have already postponed sports until the start of the new year (Pac-12, Ivy).

There appears to be some hope of an on-time start, but that starting around Thanksgiving seems to have the most momentum at this point.

At the very least, it looks like we'll get some more clarity on the situation over the next few weeks with hopefully a more solid plan by mid-September.

With the Wildcats solidifying the 2021 class with recent commitments from Jordan Longino and Angelo Brizzi all eyes turned to Trevor Keels. Would Villanova continue to make its push for the five-star shooting guard? Would Keels remain interested despite the big class? The answer to both questions was "yes" and now it looks like the push to sign Keels may be developing into a two-team race.

For a long time the favorites for Keels were assumed to be Villanova and Virginia. Other big players were involved, but Duke and North Carolina in particular were seen to be making a strong push. It now appears that the Blue Devils may have replaced Virginia in the pecking order, joining Villanova as the favorites to land Keels. Rivals' Corey Evans discussed today in his Twitter Tuesday column when he was asked if Michigan remained a contender for Keels.

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals...y-michigan-targets-banchero-to-join-chandler-

We've discussed the reasons why we think Nova would continue to push hard for Keels, and that seems to be playing out. It looks like the Cats will be doing battle with a formidable foe in the race for Keels, but there's no reason to think the Nova doesn't have a very good chance of winning that battle.

Keels has remained quiet and we still don't have much information on how he's leaning or when a decision could come, but his situation will continue to demand our attention into the fall as the Cats are very much still in the mix.

After two quick offers to Jalen Duren and Justice Williams right at the onset of communication with the 2022 class, things have been relatively quiet for Villanova regarding that group. That's understandable, as Jay Wright and staff were focused on nailing down an incredibly important 2021 class. With four key targets now in tow in the 2021 group, some rumblings have popped up regarding the 2022 class.

Word is that the Wildcats have been upping their effort with a pair of elite prospects in the class in Skyy Clark and Jarace Walker. Clark is a five-star PG currently ranked 16th in his class by Rivals, while Walker is a five-star forward ranked 10th.

Although it's early in the process, Clark is considered a Kentucky lean while Walker's recruitment appears wide open.

It remains to be seen how much substance there is to the chatter or how strong of a push Nova will make. However, with the success in the 2021 class Wright and Co. have some flexibility in 2022 and there's no reason not to go for a few home runs. Of course, when you've won two of the last three national titles, you're expected to get involved with these types of recruits, so all things considered the apparent Nova interest isn't much of a surprise.

Much of the recruiting attention remains on 2021 and Trevor Keels as we wait to see if Nova can bring in arguably the best class in the country. We'll continue to monitor that, as well as any further developments with Clark, Walker, and the rest of the 2022 class. I will also update our running tab on 2022 interests to reflect these latest developments.