Tony Bennett preferred the private scrimmage. Ryan Odom, the new sheriff in town with UVA Basketball, is going for a high-profile exhibition to get his team ready for the season.
UVA Athletics announced Thursday that Odom’s team will make its public debut on Friday, Oct. 24, with an exhibition game featuring Villanova.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The matchup features two programs ranked in the Top 15 nationally in wins over the past decade, with three national titles between them – ‘Nova in 2016 and 2018, UVA in 2019.
The two schools met early last season for a neutral-site game in Baltimore, won by Virginia, 70-60.
The game will also be the public debut for new Villanova coach Kevin Willard.