Eric Dixon is set to make his 2024-25 debut, as the Wildcats look to build off of Monday’s win.
The Villanova Wildcats are set to welcome the Columbia Lions for a Wednesday night game at Finneran Pavilion.
Both teams are coming off of a win.
Villanova pulled away late to defeat Lafayette, 75-63, on Monday.
Meanwhile, Columbia came back and held off Loyola (Md.) in an 81-78 thriller. The Lions were behind by as much as 12 points, with less than seven minutes to go, before they went on a late-game push to tie up the game with 1:30 left.
Villanova and Columbia last met in the 2017-18 season-opener at the Wells Fargo, a game that the Wildcats won, 75-60.
However, this is the Lions first trip to the Pavilion since that ill-fated Nov. 20, 2012 game, where Columbia defeated Villanova, 75-57. It was later revealed to be a turning point for then-freshmen Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu and a spark that ignited them early in their careers.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The game will also be available on CBS Sports Network.
Here are three things to watch:
Geronimo!
Columbia senior Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa has been an impact player for the Lions since his arrival as a freshman during the 2021-22 season.
He’s led the Lions in scoring in each of the last two seasons, and he appears to be on his way to another high-scoring year.
The 6-foot-2 guard racked up 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting, with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in Columbia’s Monday night win.
Last year, he enjoyed his best season yet. He logged career-highs in scoring (14.4 points per game), shooting percentage (44.3%) and three-point shooting percentage (39.6%). Rubio De La Rosa has improved as a well-rounded scorer with each passing season. Everything Columbia does offensively will begin with him.
Also keep an eye on Avery Brown, who was the second-highest scorer for Columbia in each of the last two years, and junior Kenny Noland, who is coming off of a career-high 19-point game.
The 6-foot-2 junior primarily came off the bench last season, but he appears to be taking a much bigger role this year. Noland had 19 points, five assists and two steals in the winning effort on Monday.
Eric Dixon’s 2024-25 debut
Matthew Hodge is still undergoing the NCAA Initial Eligibility Process, but Eric Dixon is set to make his regular season debut, after serving a one-game suspension for his participation in the Portsmouth Invitational.
Dixon obviously boosts the Wildcats overall. There were times last season where he carried them, and he’ll have a lot on his shoulders once again. Ideally, it won’t be a five-point game with minutes to go on the clock, and a more comfortable win for the ‘Cats.
It’ll be interesting to see how much his presence lifts the Wildcats, especially when working with some of the newer players.
We got to see a glimpse in the Robert Morris exhibition game, where he led the way with 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including a 5-of-9 clip from long range, with six boards and three assists.
He also reportedly had 38 points in a preseason secret scrimmage against Penn State.
Now, that it’s for real, how will Dixon start off his 2024-25 season?
Tuning down those turnovers
Villanova had five scorers in double figures last time out, including a great debut by Wooga Poplar, who had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double. Freshman Josiah Moseley also showed promise in his collegiate debut, providing 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting in 17 solid all-around minutes off the bench.
It’ll be interesting to see how they build off of those performances, or how Jordan Longino can bounce back from an ugly 3-of-14 shooting clip, after a promising showing against Robert Morris.
However, the 17 turnovers against Lafayette really jumped out. That’s the most turnovers Villanova has recorded since the 78-65 loss to Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 29, 2023.
Poplar and Jhamir Brickus had four turnovers apiece, and three other players had multiple turnovers.
The Wildcats have been typically great at taking care of the ball, even ranking among the top 40 nationwide for lowest turnover rate in each of the first two years under Kyle Neptune.
In the exhibition against Robert Morris, Villanova had 14 turnovers. That’s 31 turnovers over the last two public appearances by the ‘Cats. Granted, there are some kinks to work out with a brand-new roster, but this will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.