Final Four rematches are highlight of ’Nova schedule

Rematches with Kansas and Michigan, the teams Villanova defeated in the Final Four to win its second national championship in three seasons, highlight the Wildcats’ 2018-19 schedule that was released Thursday.

Villanova beat Kansas in the semifinals,

95-79, and topped Michigan, 79-62, in the national championship game.

The Wildcats entertain the Wolverines in the Gavitt Games on Nov. 14 in the recently renovated Finneran Pavilion. Villanova visits Kansas at historic Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 15.

The schedule includes 10 games at the Pavilion, which underwent $60 million in upgrades over the last year and five games at the Wells Fargo Center. The 31-game slate includes 18 Big East contests and 13 non-conference games including four Big 5 opponents.

The Wildcats open the season against Morgan State at the Finneran Pavilion on Nov.

6. It is the first game at the Pavilion since a 79-63 victory over Creighton on Feb. 25,

2017. Other key matchups on campus are Big

5 showdowns with Temple (Dec. 5) and Saint Joseph’s (Dec. 8). The Wildcats open Big East play against DePaul at home on Jan. 2.

Villanova will spend Thanksgiving playing in the Advocare Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Wildcat open against Canisius on Nov. 22 and then face the winner/loser of Memphis and Oklahoma State on Nov. 23. The final round is set for Nov. 25.

The Wildcats will play Quinnipiac (Nov.

10), Xavier (Jan. 18), Seton Hall (Jan. 27), Georgetown (Feb. 1) and Butler (March 2) at the Wells Fargo Center. Another key matchup is a Dec. 22 date with former Big East foe Connecticut at Madison Square Garden.

All 31 games will be on national television, 21 on Fox or FS1, six on the ESPN networks and four on the CBS networks.

Villanova lost four key members off the national championship team when Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman entered the NBA draft. Bridges, DiVincenzo and Spellman were selected in the first round and Brunson was chosen in the second round. Seniors Phil Booth and Eric Paschall are the top returning players from the team that won its last 11 games to finish 36-4 and claim the national championship.