With the release of Big East opponents, Villanova’s upcoming men’s basketball schedule is complete

The Big East announced its schedule for the 2023-24 men’s basketball season on Friday. After the Big 12′s expansion, the Big East is now the only Power 6 basketball league to feature a true double round-robin format, in which each team will face every opponent both home and away for a total of 20 games.

The Wildcats open with a Midwest road trip, starting at Creighton on Dec. 20 and at DePaul on Dec. 23. Villanova lost both matchups last year. The loss at DePaul was Villanova’s first to the Blue Demons since 2008.

Villanova’s Big East home opener will be Jan. 3 against Xavier. The Wildcats play three consecutive home games beginning with the Musketeers, followed by St. John’s and DePaul.

Villanova plays six games at Wells Fargo Center this year, including two non-conference matchups (Dec. 2 in the Big 5 Classic, and Dec. 9 against UCLA). The conference portion will start with UConn on Jan. 20, followed by Providence (Feb. 4), Seton Hall (Feb. 11), and Creighton on March 9.

The matchup with the Bluejays will conclude the regular season.

The Wildcats will face Marquette, Butler, and Georgetown in the Finneran Pavilion. Marquette, the reigning Big East champion, will come to Philadelphia on Tuesday, Jan. 30. The Golden Eagles have won four consecutive games over the Wildcats, dating back to 2021.

The Wildcats play at Butler on Jan. 27, but begin at St. John’s on Jan. 24. The game against the Red Storm will be at Madison Square Garden. Villanova plays at Providence on March 2 but will return home before facing Seton Hall on March 6.

The hardest portion of the schedule should be in mid-January. The Wildcats have consecutive matchups with Marquette, UConn and St. John’s, with only UConn at home. The league’s coaches stress that there are no easy games in the Big East, but that stretch includes three of the four toughest conference opponents the Wildcats will face this season.

The Big East Tournament begins on Wednesday, March 13 at Madison Square Garden, concluding with the conference championship on Saturday, March 16.

Villanova lost two of its top four scorers from last season, but returns graduate guard Justin Moore and redshirt senior Eric Dixon. Head coach Kyle Neptune also added a strong transfer class, bringing in Maryland wing Hakim Hart, Washington State guard TJ Bamba, Richmond forward Tyler Burton, and Kentucky forward Lance Ware.

The league is expected to be the nation’s most competitive this year. Reigning national champion UConn, last year’s Big East champion Marquette and Creighton are all projected as Top 10 teams nationally, while St. John’s and Providence are expected to compete. Villanova is seen as slightly behind the big three of UConn, Marquette and Creighton, but could compete for the league title if the transfer class gels with the established stars Moore and Dixon.

Game times and broadcast information still to be announced, but a look at the Wildcats’ complete schedule is located on its website.