Villanova basketball took down FDU, 86-72, to end non-conference play. The win marks a four-game win streak for Villanova, its longest win streak since 2022.
Takeaway #1: Wooga Poplar
Villanova basketball senior forward Wooga Poplar took off the protective goggles and is now finding his role in the Wildcats rotation.
Poplar was not consistent to start the season, especially with his three-point shot. Against Temple on Dec. 7, Poplar finished the game with 18 points and seven rebounds. He hit four of his seven three-point attempts. His teammates have boosted his confidence while his shot was not falling.
“My teammates [kept] telling me to keep going,” Poplar said. “I’m considered a shooter and it wasn’t falling early for me, but my teammates just gave me confidence and I basically just kept going.”
In the first half against FDU, Poplar went on a 10-0 run of his own. It helped the Wildcats gain a sizable lead over the Knights. In that 10-0 run, he sank two threes and two mid-jumpers.
“I didn’t even know until you just said that. It was crazy,” Poplar said. “I just give credit to my teammates.”
The Miami transfer is averaging 35.9% from three on the season.
Takeaway #2: Josiah Moseley
Villanova’s bench has been streaky when it comes to scoring. There are bursts of great offense from the bench and then there is not. Tyler Perkins had his share of scoring against Temple, but freshman forward Josiah Moseley took over against FDU.
“I think (Moseley) brings a lot to the table,” Neptune said. “He’s extremely versatile, with his size, his mobility, his ability to guard literally one through five. He’s a great finisher around the rim.”
Moseley ended the night with nine points and was 100% on field goals and free throws. He is touted by head coach Kyle Neptune as a versatile defender who can guard any position on the court.
The highlight of Moseley’s night was an alley-oop-and-one dunk from Brickus.
The true freshman guard’s nine points in a limited 13 minutes were the second-highest of his young collegiate career. Against Temple on Dec. 7, Moseley had a career-high seven rebounds. The stat line shows he is making use of his limited playing time, but not everything shows up there. He has the ability to efficiently guard any player on the court, under the basket or up top in the backcourt.
Moseley has the potential to be a lethal piece in the Wildcat rotation as gets more comfortable with college basketball play.
Takeaway #3: Terrence Brown is legit
FDU sophomore guard Terrence Brown is currently one of the best scorers in the country.
He put up 27 points, three rebounds and three assists. His 27 points were just one point shy of a season-tying high.
The Knights find ways to get the ball in the hands of Brown. Against Villanova basketball, Brown set a season-high 10 field goals made. Without Brown, FDU would be in a completely different situation.
Brown currently leads the Knights in scoring, rebounds and assists. He is averaging 22.2 points through non-conference play. Pending the rest of the game’s outcomes, Brown is now ranked eighth in points per game across the entire league. On top of his 22.2 points per game, Brown averages 2.8 assists, six rebounds and 2.2 steals.
Bonus Takeaway: Eric Dixon
This could be a takeaway from any Villanova basketball game, win or loss. Graduate forward Eric Dixon is playing elite basketball.
Dixon scored 27 points marking his ninth game with at least 20 points. Villanova’s 72-48 win over Rider on Nov. 27 was the only time he was short of 20 points. He ended with 16 points mostly because of the positive game script.
“No, that’s not something I always think about,” Dixon said when asked about his stats. “What I feel like is this is a young team that has a chance to get a lot better throughout the season. I think that’s what I’m most excited for.”
He is easily a Naismith Player of the Year and Big East Player of the Year candidate.Dixon is averaging 25.8 points which ranks second in the country and first in the Big East.
Up next for Villanova (7-4): vs. Seton Hall – Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Up next for FDU (4-8): at La Salle (6-4) – Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m.