Villanova’s willard Eyes Undefeated Michigan as Next Major Test
Villanova University men’s basketball head coach Kevin Willard has turned his attention to a formidable upcoming challenge-an undefeated University of Michigan team that he acknowledges is currently playing the best basketball in the nation. This assessment comes on the heels of Villanova’s dominant 90-63 victory over Penn, extending their winning streak to seven games.
Following Saturday’s win, a question from the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff Neiburg prompted Willard to discuss the team’s trajectory. “I know what I’m looking at,” Willard stated, “I’m looking at Michigan. I don’t think anybody wants to look at Michigan right now, to be perfectly honest with you.”
The Wolverines, currently 8-0, are off to a blistering start to the 2025-26 season, boasting an impressive 28-point average margin of victory. Their recent performance includes a decisive 101-60 win against Rutgers in their Big Ten opener, and a string of victories at the Players Era event in las Vegas over San Diego State (94-54), No. 21 Auburn (102-72), and No. 12 Gonzaga (101-61), securing the tournament title.
“We have a big test Tuesday,” Willard affirmed. “They are playing by far the best basketball in the country.”
Historically, Villanova holds a 4-2 series advantage over Michigan, though a significant portion of their matchups – five of six – have occurred on neutral ground. Notably, three of those neutral-site contests took place in the NCAA Tournament (1985, 2018, and 2022), with Villanova reaching the Final Four on three occasions that included a clash with the Wolverines.
This upcoming game marks the Wildcats’ first appearance at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, located near the iconic Michigan stadium, frequently enough referred to as “the Big House.” The game will be broadcast on FS1, with Jason Benetti and Bill Raftery providing commentary. Local fans can tune in on the Villanova Sports Radio Network on IHeart (Sirius XM channel 380),featuring Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby.
Villanova has strategically used the past five weeks to regain full health and foster team chemistry, notably crucial given the arrival of a first-year coach and several new players. The team’s early-season schedule included a 71-66 loss to BYU in Las Vegas, which served as a learning experience.
“We’ll definitely set the schedule up a little bit differently next year,” Willard explained. “We’ll just have a little bit more balance on it. I think being at home has been good for this team. We’ve been able to get a little bit of rhythm practice-wise.”
The team has benefited from the return of key players from injury. Center Duke Brennan, after recovering from a right ankle sprain sustained November 19th against La Salle, has regained his starting position and was recently named Most Valuable Player of the Big Five Classic after a double-double performance (15 points, 10 rebounds). He was also honored as the BIG EAST weekly honor roll recipient and Big Five Player of the Week on Monday.
Graduate transfer guard Devin Askew, who battled a sprained knee throughout September and October, is also finding his stride, contributing 17 points off the bench in the win against Penn. The Wildcats’ reserves collectively delivered a 30-point performance in that game, showcasing the team’s depth.
Villanova has three remaining non-conference games on their schedule. They will host former BIG EAST rival Pittsburgh on Saturday,December 7th,at 4:30 p.m. at Finneran Pavilion (TNT, TruTV, Villanova Sports Radio Network on IHeart). On December 19th,they will face another Big Ten opponent,Wisconsin,in milwaukee (8 p.m., Fox and the Villanova Sports Radio Network). The Wildcats will then begin BIG EAST play on December 23rd at Seton Hall.
