Some interesting scheduling news on Wednesday as Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports that Villanova will be a part of the 2023 Battle 4 Atlantis field. The early season tournament typically takes place Thanksgiving Week and is held in the Bahamas. Joining Villanova in the field, per Rothstein, will be North Carolina, Michigan, Arkansas, Memphis, Oklahoma, Stanford and Northern Iowa.

Of course, Villanova fans have fond memories of this event as the Wildcats have participated twice before (2013, 2017) and won the title both times.

The 2013 event, in particular, is significant in Villanova lore as it can be viewed as at the very least a major milestone along the path to the dominant run 'Nova would go on over the ensuing decade, and some would argue that the event actually served as a catalyst for what was to come.

At that event, the unranked Wildcats earned a double-digit victory over USC to open the tournament before getting a signature win over No. 2 Kansas in the semifinals. The 'Cats were then able to avoid a letdown, taking care of No. 23 Iowa in the title game.

Coming off a 20-14 season in 2012-13, the three wins in the Bahamas ran Villanova's 2013-14 record to 7-0 with a pair of top 25 wins. The 'Cats would run out to an 11-0 start en route to a 29-5 season. It would prove to be the beginning of a run of dominance that would produce two national championships and one of the best winning percentages in the country.

By the time the 2017 event came around, 'Nova was in the middle of that run of dominance and entered the tournament ranked No. 5 in the country. The 'Cats were one of three teams headlining the event, along with No. 2 Arizona and No. 18 Purdue. Those other two teams failed to hold up their end of the bargain, however, with Arizona falling to NC State and Purdue losing to Tennessee in their opening games. Villanova got past a pesky Western Kentucky team in the opener, dispatched Tennessee in the semifinals and handled Northern Iowa in the final to take home a second Battle 4 Atlantis crown.

As you can see, Villanova has had incredible success at the Battle 4 Atlantis and the event has played a significant role in Villanova's recent history. It appears the Wildcats will get an opportunity to continue those trends in 2023.