The 2021-22 college basketball season continues to inch closer, and another milestone on the journey to the season was reached Monday afternoon when the preseason AP Poll was released. Villanova will begin the season ranked No. 4.

The Wildcats trail just Gonzaga, UCLA and Kansas.

The only Big East team joining the 'Cats in the top 25 is UConn, who checked in at No. 24. Xavier and St. John's both appeared in the "also receiving votes" section.

We also got a clearer view of how the voters view Villanova's non-conference schedule, and it is as impressive as we expected. 'Nova has opponents currently ranked No. 2 (UCLA), No. 8 (Baylor) and No. 18 (Tennessee). The 'Cats will also get either Purdue (No. 7) or North Carolina (No. 19). Syracuse landed in "also receiving votes."

It's a solid starting point for a group of Wildcats that enter the season with high expectations. They'll have plenty of opportunities to prove they deserve the lofty ranking throughout the non-conference and it will be fascinating to watch the season play out.