Sept. 8, 2005
VILLANOVA, Pa. - Twelve national television appearances, 16 games against the newly expanded Big East and intersectional duels with Big 12 powers Oklahoma and Texas highlight the 2005-06 Villanova Men's Basketball schedule released today. The Wildcats return all five starters and 99 percent of their scoring and rebounding from a 2005 squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats open the regular season at the Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 18, against Stony Brook. Later that month Villanova will host its first-ever game at Trenton's Sovereign Bank Arena, when it faces Rider on Nov. 30. Oklahoma then comes to the Pavilion for the first meeting between the two schools since the 1988 NCAA Southeast Regional Final on Dec. 3 in a contest that will be broadcast nationally by ESPN.
Villanova will help welcome Louisville to the Big East when it opens the conference portion of its schedule on Jan. 5 at Freedom Hall (ESPN2). The Cardinals return to face the Wildcats in Philadelphia on Jan. 30 at the Wachovia Center as part of ESPN's "Big Monday" package. The `Cats will make another "Big Monday" appearance on Feb. 13 from the Wachovia Center when Connecticut visits. Villanova's third Wachovia Center date is Jan. 21, when Syracuse comes to the Center at 6:00 p.m. (ESPN).
The Wildcats are scheduled to make three appearances on CBS. The first takes place on Jan. 14 when Villanova meets Texas for the first time in school history. On Feb. 26 Villanova's game at Connecticut will air on the network as will its contest at Syracuse on March 3.
The Wildcats will also host a series of attractive match-ups on campus at the Pavilion. In addition to Oklahoma, Villanova will meet Big East rivals West Virginia, Seton Hall, Marquette, Georgetown and St. John's in the building. The Pavilion will also play host to a Philadelphia Big Five encounter with La Salle on Dec. 22. The `Cats other City Series dates include: Penn (Dec. 13), Temple (Dec. 31) and Saint Joseph's (Feb. 7). Those three games will be played at the historic Palestra as part of the City Series' 50th anniversary celebration.
Regional and local television information will be announced at a later date along with those game times not yet available.
2005-06 VILLANOVA MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Fri. Oct. 21: Hoops Mania/Blue vs. White scrimmage
Sun., Nov. 13: vs. West Chester (exhibition)
Fri., Nov. 18: vs. Stony Brook
Sun., Nov. 27: vs. Lehigh
Weds., Nov. 30: vs. Rider at Sovereign Bank Arena
Sat., Dec. 3: vs. Oklahoma (ESPN)
Tues., Dec. 6: at Bucknell
Sat., Dec. 10: vs. Longwood at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall
Tues., Dec. 13: at Penn+
Thurs., Dec. 22: vs. La Salle+
Sat. Dec. 31: at Temple at the Palestra+
Thurs., Jan. 5: at Louisville* (ESPN2)
Sun., Jan. 8: vs. West Virginia*
Weds., Jan. 11: at Rutgers*
Sat., Jan. 14: at Texas (CBS)
Tues., Jan. 17: vs. Seton Hall*
Sat., Jan. 21: vs. Syracuse* at Wachovia Center (ESPN)
Tues., Jan. 24: at South Florida*
Sat., Jan. 28: at Notre Dame* (ESPN2)
Mon., Jan. 30: vs. Louisville* at Wachovia Center (ESPN)
Sat., Feb. 4: vs. Marquette*
Tues., Feb. 7: vs. Saint Joseph's at the Palestra+(ESPN2)
Sat., Feb. 11: at DePaul* (ESPN)
Mon., Feb. 13: vs. Connecticut* at Wachovia Center (ESPN)
Sun., Feb. 19: vs. Georgetown*
Thu., Feb. 23: at Cincinnati* (ESPN)
Sun., Feb. 26: at Connecticut* (CBS)
Weds., Mar. 1: vs. St. John's*
Sun., Mar. 5: at Syracuse* (CBS)
