Did Villanova miss an opportunity to schedule a marquee OOC opponent at the Palestra?

Happy Tuesday, 'Nova Nation. A bit of old news at this point, but I don't think we've openly discussed it here yet. Tom Izzo has been on the record saying he wants a game at the Palestra in Philly. Naturally, we hoped for a quasi-home-and-home with Villanova.

Last week, news broke that Michigan State will play their conference road game with Penn State at the Palestra. That's disappointing, to be honest, but not all that surprising. For whatever reason, schools with good conference schedules don't seem that eager to schedule home-and-homes with fellow elite programs. One-off events seem to be the preferred method.

Shame.

And now, the "news."

Penn State and Michigan State Basketball to Play at the Palestra In January | BT Powerhouse
The two teams will meet in Philadelphia at the historic venue early in 2017.

Three Returning Big East Players Who Are Under The Radar | Today's U
For the Big East Conference, which is fresh off the Villanova Wildcats winning the entire thing, we all know the top dogs. The teams that matter most...

Villanova linebacker lands with Eagles in push for NFL career | Delco Times
Bears minicamp was over and Don Cherry was on his way out of the training complex secure in the knowledge he belonged in the NFL. And then his phone rang. The Villanova tackling machine was going to be waived.

Eagles sign former Villanova LB Don Cherry and former Alabama S Nick Perry | CSN Philly
Even with Cherry, the Eagles are still light in the depth department at linebacker. After starters Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham, the team has Najee Goode, Deontae Skinner, seventh-rounder Joe Walker and a couple of other undrafted free agents.

Former Southern Miss forward Jonathan Mills shot dead in Chicago | SBNation.com
He was 26 years old.

Bruce Pearl has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country at Auburn | SBNation.com
Auburn has never been known for its hoops program, but Pearl is trying to change that.

DePaul Basketball Player signs an... NFL Contract | ProFootballTalk
The Panthers are deep enough and talented enough to take a look at projects during training camp. And their latest one checks off a pair of the unconventional boxes. The team announced they signed tight end Eric Wallace, waiving wide receiver Kobi Hamilton to clear the roster spot.

ACC Adding More Conference Basketball Games is Wise, but Doing the same in Football Would be Foolish | Shakin The Southland
In basketball, if Duke had to drop its upcoming basketball game against Grand Canyon University to maintain an away from home game against Kansas... well that'd be fine. They have 16 other home games plus two exhibitions.

Louisville And Virginia Tech Give Thanks For The ACC Network | Today's U
Just imagine being a longtime fan of Louisville or Virginia Tech. This announcement has to seem like a dream. The Cardinals and Hokies are now in a position of wealth and power among big-time college sports programs that would have seemed unimaginable 20 years ago.

This College Student Started a Fashion Company in Her Dorm Room | BlackEnterprise.com
Chinasa Gift Nwokocha proves you don't just sit around waiting for opportunities--you create them. Learn how she started a fashion company in her Villanova University dorm room.