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Michigan Basketball announces new home-and-home series with Villanova

Chris Breiler|
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Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines have officially announced a new home-and-home series, set to tip off next season in Ann Arbor. Michigan will clash with Villanova on Dec. 9th at Crisler Arena, and the trip to Villanova will be determined at a later date.

Via MGoBlue.com:

The University of Michigan men's basketball team announced Wednesday (Aug. 6) a home-and-home series with Villanova. The first game is scheduled to be played at Crisler Center on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The return game, at Villanova, is to be determined. Television and tip time will be released on a later date.

The home-and-home series will mark the seventh and eighth games between the Wolverines and Wildcats. Overall, the Wolverines trail 4-2 in the all-time series, with the last game resulting in a 63-55 U-M loss in the 2022 NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Three of the six series games have been in the NCAA Tournament, including the 2018 national title game.

The matchup between Michigan and Villanova also features a head coaching matchup between Dusty May and Kevin Willard.

During his first season with the Wolverines, May led Michigan to an overall record of 27-10, including a Big Ten tournament championship and a run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Entering year two, May's Wolverines are one of the early favorites not just to win the Big Ten, but also the NCAA Championship. That optimism is fueled by signing arguably the top transfer portal class in the nation, along with some huge wins on the recruiting trail. Everything with the Michigan Basketball program is trending the right way under May, and the opportunity to compete against Villanova will only add to the intrigue of what's happening in Ann Arbor.

On the flip side, head coach Kevin Willard is set to begin his first year as head coach at Villanova. Willard has been coaching at the collegiate level for 18 years, and his most recent stretch included three seasons with the Maryland Terrapins. Last year, Willard helped lead the Terps to an appearance in the Sweet 16 before losing to the eventual national champion Florida Gators.

All-Time Series (U-M trails 4-2)

  • vs. No. 11 Villanova (Dec. 30, 1970): W, 103-87 in the Rainbow Classic (Honolulu, Hawaii)
  • vs. Villanova (March 17, 1985): L, 59-55 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round (Dayton, Ohio)
  • vs. No. 12 Villanova (Nov. 25, 2014): L, 60-55 in the Progressive Legends Classic (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
  • vs. No. 2 Villanova (April 2, 2018): L, 79-62 in the NCAA Championship (San Antonio, Texas)
  • at No. 8 Villanova (Nov. 14, 2018): W, 73-46 in the Gavitt Tipoff Games (Finneran Pavilion)
  • vs. No. 6 Villanova (March 24, 2022): L, 63-55 in the NCAA Sweet 16 (San Antonio, Texas)

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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