The Villanova Wildcats didn’t ease their way into the Big East play, and head coach Kevin Willard wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. In a 64–56 road win over the Seton Hall Pirates to open conference play in the 2025–26 NCAA season, the Wildcats didn’t just pick up a Quad 1 victory.

They revealed the mentality Willard believes will carry them through one of college basketball’s most unforgiving leagues.

“We’re battle tested,” coach Willard said postgame. “We’ve played BYU on the road, Michigan on the road, Wisconsin on the road. We’ve had to play three Big Five games, which, if you haven’t played through the Big Five, every one of those games is intense. I have a lot of confidence in the fact that our guys have played against a lot of good teams.”

And his confidence showed Tuesday night in Newark. The Wildcats controlled their latest game early in the second half with a decisive 16–0 run, which built a lead that stretched to 20 points and effectively silenced a sold-out Prudential Center. While the Pirates gave them a tough competition and tried to close the margin, the Wildcats dictated the tone defensively, physically, and emotionally.

With games against the BYU Cougars and the Michigan Wolverines in nonconference matchups, the Wildcats were forced into road tests against elite competition and rivalry-style games that mirrored conference intensity long before Tuesday. So, by the time the Wildcats tipped off their Big East play, that moment, that intensity didn’t feel new.

It also showed defensively, as Villanova men held Seton Hall to a season-low 56 points and just 33.3% shooting, turning the Pirates’ offensive rhythm, which has comfortably led them to average 74.6 points per game, into a series of contested possessions. Adam “Budd” Clark, Seton Hall’s top scorer, finished just 1-for-11 from the field as he was unable to keep up with Villanova’s physical coverage.

“I just thought we played really good defense,” Willard added. “I thought we got our hands active. We got a couple steals. We got some good ball fakes… You have to get into transition against them. If you don’t, you’re not going to beat them.”

But even with the show the Wildcats put on, they aren’t the talk of the town, and coach Kevin Willard doesn’t mind that a bit.

“We’re trending in the right direction,” he said. “I like the fact that no one’s really talking about us.”

However, if no one was talking about them so far, they will now. Following their win over the Pirates, the Wildcats climbed to No. 20 in the NCAA’s NET rankings from No. 30. And if their first conference game of the season was any proof, their upcoming matchups promise nothing less than just pure dominance.

A tough stretch awaits Kevin Willard’s Wildcats in the New Year

With this win under their belt, the Villanova Wildcats now sit at 10-2. The only two losses they have faced so far were against the No. 8-ranked Cougars and the No. 2 Wolverines. But while they came up short against high-ranked opponents, playing these intense games, as the coach said, has made them tougher than ever.

With one more game left to play in December against the DePaul Blue Demons, the Wildcats are averaging 78.7 points per game, while securing 37.8 rebounds. However, on an individual level, it is Bryce Lindsay who is leading the team with the most points (16.6) per game, while Duke Brennan is their best when it comes to controlling the boards with 11.4 rebounds.

The Wildcats will now have a week off to enjoy their holidays with their families and get their much-deserved rest, until they return to the Finneran Pavilion to host the Blue Devils on New Year’s Eve for their conference home opener. The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 38-9.

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Following that game, they will play against the:

• Butler Bulldogs on January 3
• Creighton Bluejays on January 7.
• Marquette Golden Eagles on January 10.

However, the game that the fans are most excited for will take place on January 24th, when the Wildcats will lock horns with the No. 4 UConn Huskies.

With the calendar only getting more demanding, the Big East matchups will offer very little margin for error. But for Kevin Willard, that challenge is the point.