Virginia set to play “secret” scrimmages against Richmond, Villanova

With the season just three weeks away, the Virginia Cavaliers are getting ready for UNC-Greensboro with a pair of not-so-secret secret scrimmages. Everyone knows schools schedule closed-door matches with other schools, but for some weirdo NCAA rule, schools aren’t allowed to disclose who they are playing (?).

That doesn’t stop the media from disclosing it, however.

Per ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, the Hoos will host Richmond on October 28 and travel to Villanova on November 5. Virginia and Villanova have played the last two seasons, with the home team winning each time. The Hoos almost grabbed the upset at Nova behind some stellar play from Ty Jerome, but a tip-in a the buzzer kept Virginia from scoring the upset over the then #1 Wildcats. Villanova is preseason #6 in the coaches poll, and any tune up against a Jay Wright led team will be a good test for the Hoos.

Coach Bennett vaguely addressed the scrimmages at media day earlier this week and even hinted at another mystery surprise saying, “We’ve got a couple of scrimmages in front of us, and maybe even a surprise one. You never know. But I’ll leave that as the tease. No one knows. I’ve got a secret on all of them, but we’re not sure yet. So I’ll tell you later if it doesn’t come to pass or it does, but there might be something happening.”

Stay tuned to Streaking the Lawn for more preseason basketball coverage as the season nears.