Villanova basketball hasn’t been able to replicate the Jay Wright days, but the Wildcats hope this will be the year.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Villanova basketball.
Entering last season, the Villanova Wildcats had a reputation to defend after exiting the NIT in the first round a year after a trip to the NCAA Final Four. Again Villanova exited the postseason in the first round of the NIT.
Villanova basketball has an entirely new identity this season besides a few returning players. Longtime Wildcat Justin Moore departed the team this offseason along with Mark Armstrong, TJ Bamba, Tyler Burton, Brendan Hausen, and more. Sixth-year Eric Dixon will lead the Wildcats. He entered his name in the 2024 NBA Draft but decided to play his final year of eligibility at Villanova.
Dixon is just one of three returning who played meaningful minutes last season. The other two players are senior Jordan Longino and redshirt junior Nnanna Njoku.
Some new faces joining this season are fifth-year Jhamir Brickus, senior Wooga Poplar, and senior Enoch Boakye. Those players can provide depth in the starting rotation.
A large number of transfers joined the roster this offseason.
While a lot of talent departed the Main Line, the Wildcats have built a roster capable of doing damage.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Kyle Neptune (3rd season at Villanova, 4th season overall)
2023-24 record: 18-16 (10-10)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to VCU (70-61) in the first round of the NIT
Notable departures:
- Justin Moore (9.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.2 APG)
- Mark Armstrong (8.4 PPG, 2.4 APG, 2.3 RPG)
- TJ Bamba (10.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.8 APG)
- Tyler Burton (7.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.0 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Saint Joseph’s (Nov. 12)
- vs. UVA (Nov. 15)
- vs. UPenn (Nov. 19)
- vs. Maryland (Nov. 24)
- vs. Cincinnati (Dec. 3)
- vs. Big 5 Classic (Dec. 7)
Projected Rotation
PG: Jhamir Brickus (5-11, 188, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 13.9 PPG,4.8 APG, 3.5 RPG, 40 3P% (La Salle)
SG: Wooga Poplar (6-5, 197, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 13.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 38.5 3P% (Miami-Fla)
SF: Jordan Longino (6-5, 215, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 6.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.5 APG
PF: Eric Dixon (6-8, 265, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 16.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 APG
C: Enoch Boakye (6-11, 255, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 7.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 0.4 APG, 61.6 FG% (Fresno St.)
6: Tyler Perkins (6-4, 212, So.)
2023-24 stats: 13.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.9 APG (UPenn)
7: Nnanna Njoku (6-9, 245, R-Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 0.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.1 APG, 11 GP
8: Matthew Hodge (6-8, 220, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #70 ranked recruit
9: Josiah Moseley (6-6, 228, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #82 ranked recruit
10: Aleksandar Gavalyugov (6-2, 175, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #1 ranked Bulgarian recruit
11: Malcom Thomas (6-8, 218, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #206 ranked recruit
12: Jordann Dumont (6-8, 220, R-Fr.)
247Sports Composite Not Ranked
13: Kris Parker (6-9, 201, Rs.-Fr.)
247Sports Composite #99 ranked recruit (Alabama)
Walk-Ons: Collin O’Toole (6-1, 175, Sr.) & Wade Chiddick (6-4, 200, Jr.)
Villanova Basketball team MVP: Eric Dixon
I am going with the consensus here. Dixon is bound to have another season leading the team in a majority of categories. He led the Wildcats last season in scoring (16.6 PPG)and rebounding (6.5 RPG).
Dixon is the main stalwart. I think without Dixon there is a lot less of an opportunity to make March Madness.
Dixon this season is only one of three players who had meaningful minutes last season. With a complete redesign of the roster, I think Dixon is the man to put all the pieces together. He has experience with Jay Wright and Neptune. There is no one on this roster arguably other than Jordan Longino that knows this team more than Dixon.
Dixon’s physicality has evolved over his time at Villanova. He has speed, strength, and the ability to shoot from further than mid-range when needed.
Villanova Basketball make-or-break player: Jhamir Brickus
With the number of new players Villanova claimed this offseason, it is hard to point to a make-or-break player. I could even argue Dixon is the make-or-break player.
With that aside, Brickus is my pick for make-or-break player of the year.
The La Salle transfer was named to the third-team All-Alantic 10 last season.
He played the best colligate basketball season last season averaging 13.9 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds.
What excites me about Brickus’ play is that he can score both in the paint and from the arc. He shot 40% from the three-point line. That fills a much-needed hole in Villanova’s offense after the loss of Brendan Hausen to Kansas St.
Brickus is only five-foot-11, but he uses it to his advantage most of the time. If chemistry gets going with Brickus and Dixon, the Wildcats can make themselves a threat in the Big East.
Key Analytic: Free throws
Villanova has led the country in free throw percentage for the last three seasons.
Last season they shot 83.0% from the free-throw line. It is what Villanova basketball is known for.
It is not the stat everyone wants to talk about or acknowledge as a “key analytic,” yet it wins the team games.
Villanova Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 7th in the Big East
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Exit