Defending national champion Villanova released its non-conference schedule for the 2018-19 season with an Instagram post on Wednesday.
The Wildcats will have a new-look lineup after the departures of key pieces like Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman. But the Wildcats should still be among the Big East’s elite teams next season as they feature a top-notch recruiting class to go with returning players like Phil Booth and Eric Paschall.
Notable non-conference matchups include a road game at Kansas and a home game against Michigan. A matchup against former Big East rival UConn in Madison Square Garden will be another one to keep an eye on during late December.
Outside of the marquee individual matchups, Villanova will also play in the Advocare Invitational in late November as that event also features Oklahoma State and Memphis. And, of course, Philadelphia college basketball means games against other city rivals as the Wildcats will play Penn, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s and Temple with two of those games -- Penn and La Salle -- coming at the famous Palestra.
Regarded as the No. 5 team in the CBT Preseason Top 25, Villanova’s matchup at The Phog against No. 1 Kansas will undoubtedly be one of the best non-conference games to watch this season.
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