College basketball season is finally here! Villanova basketball starts their new season at home against Lafayette.
Villanova will kick off its season against Lafayette College on Monday, Nov. 4, in the Finneran Pavilion.
General Information
Teams: Villanova and Lafayette
Tip time: 8 p.m. EST
Watch: FS1
Listen: Villanova Sports Radio Network
What to know about Lafayette
Lafayette ended last season with an 11-21 overall record and a 10-8 Patriot League record. Last year was head coach Mike McGarvey’s first full season under the helm after taking over the program halfway through the 2022-23 season.
The last time Lafayette had a winning season was in 2019, finishing 19-12.
A huge returning piece in the lineup is senior guard Devin Hines. The six-foot-four guard from West Palm Beach, FL, led the team in scoring with 9.8 points a game. Hines also averaged 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Among other returnees includes seven-foot senior center Justin Vander Baan. Vander Baan was a force in the paint, averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.
Lafayette was ranked sixth out of ten in the Patriot League Preseason Poll.
Latest on Villanova basketball
Villanova leads the series all-time, 10-1, with its only loss coming from a forfeit in 1922.
The Wildcats will be without their stalwart sixth-year Eric Dixon after he was suspended one game for participating in the Portsmouth Invitational this offseason. Dixon entered his name in the 2024 NBA Draft but decided to return to the Main Line for his final year of college eligibility. The NCAA has a policy against players participating in invitationals like the one Dixon played in.
Dixon’s absence should not be a blaring issue for the Wildcats in their game against the Leopards.
Senior Jordan Longino is in the best shape of his college career. A healthy Longino will be a huge addition to the Wildcats lineup. Last season, he only started in five games and averaged 6.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. In Villanova’s exhibition against Robert Morris on Oct. 28, Longino dropped 21 points in 24 minutes.