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Add Lafayette to the 2013-14 Villanova schedule

Just when we thought we had a handle on which teams Villanova would be playing this Fall, another piece of the schedule came out. According to the Allentown Morning Call, the Wildcats will host the Lafayette Leopards on November 8th, in what will be the season opener.

Given the timing of the game and the Wildcats' participation in the preseason Battle for Atlantis tournament, it is possible that Lafayette is the "mainland" game provided for through that tournament. Towson is definitely participating in the mainland portion of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, however, according to a schedule released by Kansas, so they may be more likely. That mainland home game does not count toward the NCAA's scheduling limitation of 27 games per season (excluding a qualified preseason "exempt" tournament).

Last season, Lafayette had an RPI ranking of 151st. Their head coach, Fran O'Hanlon played at Villanova from 1967 until his graduation in 1970 before continuing his career in the ABA and in Sweden. He moved into coaching in 1982 and became the Leopards' head coach in 1995, where he has been since. He maintains a strong relationship with his alma mater, despite coaching elsewhere, and was reportedly involved in the hiring decision that had brought Coach Raphael Chillious to Villanova last season (Chillious had played at Lafayette).

In addition to Lafayette and three games in the Battle 4 Atlantis's Bahamas bracket, Villanova will play the following Non-Conference games:

  1. AT Temple
  2. AT St. Joseph's
  3. La Salle
  4. Towson
  5. Penn
  6. Delaware
  7. Rider
  8. Mount St. Mary's
  9. AT Syracuse (December 28)
Combined with an anticipated 18 league games, facing each opponent from the Big East both home and away. Though the Big East basketball schedule remains unfinished at this point, the 'Cats are expected to travel to Indianapolis on New Years Eve to take on Butler as part of a December 31st hoops marathon on Fox Sports 1.

2013-14 Villanova Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Date Opponent Time TV?
Nov. 8 Lafayette 7:00pm TBD
Nov. 17 Towson TBD TBD
Nov. 22 Delaware TBD TBD
Nov. 28 vs. USC (Battle 4 Atlantis) Noon CST AXS
Nov. 29 vs. Kansas or Wake Forest 2:30 or 8:30 p.m CST AXS/NBC Sports Network
Nov. 30 vs Tennessee / UTEP / Xavier / Iowa TBA AXS/NBC Sports Network
Dec. 15 LaSalle TBD TBD
Dec. 21 Rider TBD TBA
Dec. 28 @ Syracuse TBD TBD
Feb. ? @ Temple TBD TBD
TBD Mount St. Mary’s TBD TBD
TBD Penn TBD TBD
TBD @ St. Joseph's TBD TBD