Villanova Wildcats hosting Michigan Wolverines in 2018 Gavitt Games is exciting

College basketball fans will be in for a treat with a rematch of the National Championship game between the Villanova Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines in the 2018 Gavitt Games.

It’s hard to believe it was only last month in which the Villanova Wildcats claimed their second NCAA title in three seasons after a thrilling 79-62 win over the Michigan Wolverines. Only time will tell when it comes to whether Jay Wright‘s team will have what it takes to make it three championships in four years, but at least that no matter what, the Wildcats will be one of the early favorites to repeat during the 2018-19 season.

Even if key players like Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo will no longer be part of the picture after declaring for the NBA Draft, Villanova is still loaded with plenty of talent to make another run next season. Of course, that’s always easier said than done since the Wildcats will be facing the additional pressure of playing with a target on their backs as defending champions, but at least Wright will have his players well prepared for the upcoming challenges standing in their way.

Watching Villanova pull off the epic run they did during last year’s tournament by winning each game by double-digits, including the championship game against Michigan. One can only imagine the frustration the Wolverines were feeling since John Beilein had put together an impressive run of their own, but on a positive note, at least they’ll have a chance at redemption against the Wildcats to kickoff the new season.

For the college basketball fans unaware, the Gavitt Games is a series between the Big Ten Conference and Big East Conference to start off a new college basketball season, which kind of worked out perfect for the NCAA.

Since Villanova (Big East) and Michigan (Big Ten) happen to play in each of these conferences, this announcement almost seemed too good to be true for college basketball fans, no matter which team they happen to root for.

While both teams will be missing some key players from their previous meeting in April, early signs point to the Wildcats and Wolverines being two of the top contenders once again next season.

If this does end up being the case, that rematch in the 2018 Gavitt Games will be exciting for Villanova and Michigan since both teams will be looking to make early statements about being serious contenders.

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Even if this meeting doesn’t have the same meaning as the National Championship, it would at least make the Wolverines feel a little better about their loss last month to the Wildcats. The start of college basketball may still be months away, but at least this announcement gives Villanova fans another thing to look forward to down the road.