Wisconsin will get another crack at Villanova this winter, and this one comes with a road backdrop.
The Badgers announced last week that they’ll face the Wildcats in the Philly Hoops Showdown at Xfinity Mobile Arena, home of the Philadelphia 76ers, on Saturday, December 12th. It’s a rematch of last year’s meeting in Milwaukee, a game Villanova won 76-66 in overtime at Fiserv Forum.
That loss landed at a rough point in Wisconsin’s season. The Badgers were still trying to shake off a 30-point blowout defeat to Nebraska, and senior forward Nolan Winter was emotional afterward, promising the group would be better.
They did respond. Wisconsin found its footing in January, rolled through a strong stretch in Big Ten play, and finished 24-11 overall with a 14-6 mark in conference games. That run earned the Badgers a No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, where they reached the semifinals before bowing out, and a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
This year’s Wisconsin roster will look very different. The Badgers are set to bring in eight new faces, including guards Owen Foxwell and Trey Autry, wing Eian Elmer, and center Victory Onuetu. After leaning heavily on the backcourt in 2025 with Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, Wisconsin’s top returners now sit in the frontcourt with Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp.
Villanova is also retooling, though it does bring back leading scorer Tyler Perkins. The Wildcats are adding eight newcomers of their own, with five coming through the transfer portal and three from the 2026 freshman class.
The series history still tilts Villanova’s way. Wisconsin is 2-1 all-time against the Wildcats, with the Badgers’ signature win coming in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, when they knocked off the No. 1 seed 65-62 in the Round of 32.
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Nick Boyd Suddenly Faces A Brutal NBA Crossroads After Warriors Run
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Now Boyd is left waiting on what comes next, and the path is not especially clear. If the Warriors do not keep him in the mix, he could be pushed to look beyond the usual G League route and weigh overseas opportunities, where a league like the NBL could offer a more direct next step. For a player trying to convert a brief summer audition into a real professional foothold, the margin between staying in the NBA orbit and moving on is suddenly pretty thin. [Read more 🡒]