VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova is pointed toward its first Philadelphia Big Five matchup of the new season. It meets Penn (1-1 overall, 0-1 Big Five) at the historic Palestra Monday night at 7 p.m. (ESPN+ and NBC Sports Philadelphia). Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby will have the radio call on the Villanova IHeart Radio Network.
 
The Wildcats posted a pair of comfortable non-conference wins last week over American (90-63) and LeMoyne (83-57) to start the season with a 2-0 mark. This is the first of three Philadelphia Big Five opponents for Villanova in 2023-24, under a new format initiated last spring that also includes the newest member of the City Series, Drexel.
 
Each school now plays a single road Big Five contest and one at home. (In the case of the Wildcats, the home game will happen Wednesday, Nov. 29 vs. Saint Joseph's at Finneran Pavilion.) All six teams will then play on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Wells Fargo Center, with a champion crowned in the nightcap.
 
For Villanova, however, those details are for later. The focus now is a Quakers unit that typically stretches its opponents out defensively, prioritizing shots near the basket and 3-pointers. In last season's meeting between the teams at Finneran Pavilion, Nova limited Penn to 6-of-23 shooting from beyond the arc (.261) and went on to post a 70-59, Cam Whitmore fueled the offense with 21 points.
 
"We know how challenging these Big Five games are," stated Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. "It's always a battle, especially on the road."
 
Villanova last visited the Palestra in 2021-22, picking up consecutive wins over La Salle (72-46) and the Quakers (71-56).
 
For graduate transfer Hakim Hart, it's a return to past glory. Hart led Roman Catholic High School to a pair of Philadelphia Catholic League titles at the Palestra.
 
In the Friday night win over LeMoyne, Hart finished with a +23, tying Mark Armstrong as the most productive Wildcat in that category. He finished the night with three points, three assists and five rebounds.
 
"I think Hak is doing a great job," Neptune stated. "There is something to be said for guys coming in from a completely different system and still fitting in seamlessly at a new spot. Our new guys have done that. I think as we go, we'll only get better as they start to feel more comfortable.
 
"We know Hak. He's been a contributor on a really good team. We're excited about where he can get to as he continues to get comfortable."
 
A pair of sophomores – Armstrong (nine points, four assists, zero turnovers) and Brendan Hausen (18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from deep – also made substantial contributions in the win over the Dolphins.
 
"Both of those guys are sophomores now with a year of college basketball under their belts," notes Neptune. "They've worked hard and gotten better."