Villanova and DePaul tip off at the Pavilion on Saturday. (Photo: Aaron Bracy)
By AARON BRACY
January 4, 2025
VILLANOVA, Pa. – Let’s get this out of the way right at the top: DePaul is probably going to finish near the bottom in the Big East.
First-year coach Chris Holtmann has reinvigorated the program with energy and better talent, but the Blue Demons have a long way to go.
Let’s also mention this: Seton Hall is probably going to finish right next to DePaul, likely in 10th or 11th place, either right below or right above DePaul.
And, finally, this: Butler is probably going to finish closer to DePaul and Seton Hall at the bottom than two-time defending national champion UConn, Marquette, or St. John’s at the top of the league standings.
Villanova’s three Big East wins? DePaul, Seton Hall, Butler.
But let’s also making something else really clear: Villanova is playing really good basketball right now. The Wildcats completely dominated DePaul on Saturday at the Pavilion, winning 100-56—and it wasn’t really even that close, if you can believe it. The Wildcats jumped out to a 13-0 lead, inconceivably stretching their two-game run to 35-1 over 10 minutes, 29 seconds when factoring in the remarkable 22-1 run to end the contest in Wednesday’s solid 73-65 win at Butler.
Wooga Poplar threw down a dunk-of-the-year candidate while continuing his stellar play that will put him among the top candidates for First Team All-Big East if this continues, tallying 17 points while draining all three three-point shots. NCAA leading scorer Eric Dixon had another 25-point outing, Jordan Longino netted a career-high 19 points, making all five three-pointers, and Jhamir Brickus had 11 points and 11 assists for the Wildcats (10-5 overall, 3-1 Big East).
The defense was stout. The offense was typically efficient. The ball moved with beauty and precision. There was a lot to like if you’re a Villanova fan—or coach.
“Our team is confident offensively, but when we defend like that we give ourselves a chance each time out,” Wildcats coach Kyle Neptune said after watching his squad hold the Blue Demons to 25.9 percent (7 of 27) from long range, an area DePaul has excelled at this season.
Neptune wasn’t throwing many more superlatives at the victory.
“There’s a long, long season to go,” he said. “Teams are going to get better. Everybody wants to be the best by the end of the season. Right now, we haven’t really done much. We’ve gotten to the point where our guys are confident at what we’re looking to do. I think they’re connected. And now we’ve just got to keep going.”
Clearly, the Wildcats are improving, just as the coach had hoped. The competition will get tougher, beginning on Wednesday when the Huskies invade the Main Line. Then, Villanova will travel to Madison Square Garden on Saturday for a matchup against the Red Storm. More will be learned about the Wildcats then. At present, there are encouraging signs.
Just ask the opponent.
“I think they’re one of the most gifted offensive teams that I’ve seen,” DePaul coach Chris Holtmann said. “They’re highly efficient. It’s way more than Dixon. But Dixon, he’s the biggest mismatch I’ve seen in years. Unfortunately, we didn’t provide the kind of fight we needed to consistently. But give them credit.”
“I think they’re one of the most gifted offensive teams that I’ve seen.” — DePaul coach Chris Holtmann
Yes, give the Wildcats credit. Recognize who their wins have been against, of course. But give them credit for the victories and, more to the point, for the way they have playing.
This week, we’ll learn more about what playing that well means.
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Butler leads Drexel past NC A&T, 68-59
Yame Butler scored 24 points to lead the Dragons to the victory at North Carolina A&T, upping their record to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in the Coastal Athletic Association. Butler made 9 of 13 field goals, including 3 of 5 from deep.
Kobe MaGee, Jason Drake, and Shane Blakeney each added nine points for the Dragons, who held NC A&T to 19 percent shooting in the second half.
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Aaron Bracy has been covering Philadelphia sports since 1996. Follow Bracy on X: @Aaron_Bracy and like his Facebook and Instagram pages. His book on the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team is expected to be published on March 1, 2025. Read a summary and preorder it by clicking HERE. Contact him at aaron@big5hoops.com.