The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team is scheduled play Villanova for the first time since 2014, per report. The Orange and Wildcats will meet this upcoming season in early December, according to Jon Rothstein.
Sources: Villanova will face Syracuse in the 2021 Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Second game of doubleheader is currently TBD.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 22, 2021
The game is part of a double-header, as is usually the case with the Jimmy V Classic. Syracuse has participated in the event as recently as 2017, when the Orange took down former Big East rival Connecticut. Villanova also participated in the event and beat Gonzaga 88-72.
Syracuse usually plays in New York City at least once per season. Prior to last season’s altered college basketball schedule (due to the ongoing pandemic), SU was scheduled to play LSU in the Gotham Classic before all non-conference games were move to the Carrier Dome. Syracuse played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn during the 2019-20 season, going 0-2.
This will be the first game for Syracuse at Madison Square Garden since the 2018-19 season, where the team went 0-2 in the 2K Classic.
Syracuse and Villanova had a storied history throughout the Big East. The programs have met 72 times, with the Orange holding a 39-33 edge in the series. Syracuse has won five of the last seven meetings. The Wildcats beat SU in the most recent contest.
Both Syracuse and Villanova are coming off Sweet 16 runs in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Former Villanova forward Cole Swider also transferred to Syracuse following the end of the season.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].