Wisconsin basketball officially announces non-conference matchup with Villanova
The Badgers officially announce the 'Milwaukee Hoops Showdown' with Villanova in December.
The Wisconsin men’s basketball team has officially confirmed another significant addition to its non-conference schedule for the upcoming season: a matchup against Villanova.
In a press release by the University of Wisconsin, the Badgers will take on the Wildcats on December 19th this season at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee in what is being dubbed the ‘Milwaukee Hoops Showdown.’
Villanova has been among the top programs in the country over the past 15 years, especially under former head coach Jay Wright. But since Wright has stepped down, the Wildcats have been just 56-48 in the past three seasons under head coach Kyle Neptune, who was fired last season.
Although Nova hasn’t been one of the nation's premier programs we are accustomed to seeing, the former Big East power is looking to rebound under new head coach Kevin Willard, who is a familiar face for the Badgers. Willard spent the past three years as the head coach of Maryland.
"Any time you get the chance to schedule a powerhouse program like Villanova it's a win-win," UW head coach Greg Gard said. "We get the chance to measure ourselves in the non-conference and Badgers fans in Wisconsin get to see a big-time college basketball game. Much like our exhibition against Oklahoma, I'm excited for our fans and alumni in Milwaukee to get a game in their backyard. The atmosphere has been awesome every time we've played in that area and I have no doubt Fiserv will be filled with red for these games as well."
This will be the third meeting between Wisconsin and Villanova. The most recent and memorable matchup for Wisconsin basketball fans is when the No. 8-seeded Badgers upset the No. 1-seeded Wildcats in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The all-time series is tied 1-1.
The Badgers will already take on Oklahoma in an exhibition game at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee before the start of the regular season. Other notable non-conference games on the Badgers’ schedule this season are a trip to Salt Lake City to take on BYU, the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego, where the Badgers will play Providence and then either defending national champion Florida or TCU, and their yearly rivalry game against in-state foe Marquette in December at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers also announced their conference schedule for the season, which includes home games against Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Purdue. The Badgers will also travel to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, and Washington as part of their Big Ten schedule.
Wisconsin will be battle-tested once postseason play starts. With the returning talent and the players brought in through both the portal and in the 2025 recruiting class, the Badgers are looking to make a deep run in March this season.
Making it to the second weekend of the tournament is something that has alluded the Badgers since the 2017 season, when they beat Nova in the second round and then lost on a heartbreaking last-second shot to Florida to advance to the Elite Eight.
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