Villanova basketball (2-1) dominated New Jersey Institute of Technology [NJIT] (0-2), winning by 37 points on Friday, Nov. 9.
“I thought our guys came out and played extremely hard from the tip to the last buzzer,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said. “I thought we were locked in attention to detail, to personnel and we gave just great energy from the beginning to the end.”
Graduate forward Eric Dixon again proved why he is one of the best forwards in the country, posting a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double. Dixon was eight-for-11 from the field.
Takeaway #1: Villanova basketball
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, the Wildcats lost to Columbia. In the game, the team seemed to have no aggressiveness on either side of the ball. That changed Friday night.
The term ‘40 minutes of Villanova basketball,’ can be heard in interviews, social media posts and team meetings. When done right, 40 minutes of Villanova basketball is different from your average college game. That is why coaches preach it to players.
“I thought we came out, set the tone and played hard,” Neptune said. “I thought we were extremely connected. I thought we played for each other.”
Wildcats were diving for loose balls and rebounds, which was familiar to the program, and they won two championships in three years in 2016 and 2018. There was a sense of urgency to play tough and physical basketball.
The Wildcats out-rebounded NJIT 38 to 21. Villanova outsized and outplayed the Highlanders in the paint. Villanova also scored 36 points in the paint compared to NJIT’s 18. It was an aggressive outing by the Wildcats. If they can keep up this energy and physicality, this team is going to start winning a lot more games by wider margins.
Takeaway #2: Bench Scoring
Last game, Villanova’s bench did not score until five minutes remained in the game. Against NJIT, however, that was the opposite.
Villanova’s bench set a standard early, aiding in a 17-2 run to start the game.
Sophomore Tyler Perkins led the bench in scoring with 12 points and shot 57% from three-point range. Another double-digit scorer was redshirt freshman Kris Parker, scoring 11 points on 50% from three-point range.
Villanova’s bench outscored NJIT’s bench 29-12. It was complete dominance from the top to the bottom of the lineup.
“We have extreme confidence in whoever goes in,” Neptune said. “I think up and down our roster, we have extremely talented guys. Also, we got a lot of guys who [played] their first and second college games so extremely proud of those guys and how they played tonight.”
The bench efficiency will be a big factor come conference play in the Big East. Other teams have deep lineups and Villanova needs the bench to maintain competitiveness in games.
Takeaway #3: Forcing turnovers
The Wildcats had 21 points off 12 turnovers, flipping the game script of their last game.
NJIT could not maintain possession of the ball for a decent amount of the game.
“We were way stronger with the ball,” Neptune said. “I thought we were just way more intentional, knowing what we’re doing while we’re out there. I just think our mindset was at an extremely high level coming into the game, and I thought our guys were focused throughout.”
Those turnovers partially come from the Villanova way of basketball. Being aggressive and physical to create those turnovers is what the program is known for.
Villanova will return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 12, against Big 5 rival St. Joe’s. It is the first road game of the season for the Wildcats and they enter the Hagan Arena on Hawk Hill, the soon-to-be site of the 2025 ‘Holy War.’
The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network with tipoff set for 5 p.m.