Villanova Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Wildcats

BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 16: Will D. Cat, mascot for the Villanova Wildcats, peforms as they take on the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers in the second half during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 16, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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VILLANOVA, PA – FEBRUARY 22: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats acknowledges the crowd as they honor him for his 500th career win earlier in the season before the game against the Butler Bulldogs at The Pavilion on February 22, 2017 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /

Nonconference schedule

There are a few major games in Villanova’s nonconference schedule this season. After a few easier games to start the year, Villanova will partake in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, where they face Western Kentucky in the first round. If Mitchell Robinson had decided to stay with WKU, then this would be a very intriguing game, but now it should allow Villanova to move on to the second round easily. Other teams in the tournament include Purdue, Tennessee, SMU, Northern Iowa, NC State, and Arizona.

In addition to the tournament, Villanova will face off against Gonzaga at home and then take a road trip to take on their rivals in Temple before closing the nonconference.

Conference schedule

In conference play, the Big East will be extremely difficult this season. It is possible that eight schools will compete for a NCAA Tournament bid this season and that will make every game very important. The Wildcats have dominated the conference as of late, but there are several teams that have a chance to win the conference this season. Villanova will be the favorite and will likely win the conference, but it could be closer this season than in year’s past.