Villanova will open the 2019-20 season on Wednesday, Nov. 6, with a home date versus the George Washington Colonials. The Wildcats were picked to finish in a fifth place tie in the Big East preseason coaches poll, while the Colonials were selected to be seventh in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.
 
The Wildcats are 31-19 (.612) all-time in season openers and are 25-16 (.600) in season openers under head coach Harry Perretta.
 
George Washington will be the first of four Atlantic 10 opponents on this year's Villanova schedule. In addition to the Colonials, the Wildcats play at Fordham on Nov. 17, will host Saint Joseph's on Dec. 7 and travel to La Salle on Dec. 21.
 
Wildcat senior forward Mary Gedaka was a unanimous selection to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Big East team. As a junior last year, Gedaka was a second team All-Big East selection. Gedaka averaged a team-high 14.4 points per game and a team-best 6.8 rebounds per contest a season ago, while shooting a team-high .661 from the field (199-of-301). She also tallied 88 assists, 31 steals and 22 blocks last season.
 
Two Wildcats who redshirted last year will be on the active roster for the 2019-20 season. Kenzie Gardler and Maddie Siegrist will be redshirt freshmen this season and both are expected to see playing time off the Villanova bench. Siegrist was a two-time All-State honoree at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. During her senior year in high school, she averaged 32.7 points per game and 13.1 rebounds per contest. Gardler was a three-time All-Philadelphia Catholic selection and was a 2018 first team All-State honoree. Gardler scored 1,128 career points in high school and helped Cardinal O'Hara to the 2017 and 2018 Catholic League championship.