Villanova and UConn tip off at the Pavilion on Wednesday night. (Photo: Aaron Bracy)
By AARON BRACY
January 8, 2025
VILLANOVA, Pa. – With seven minutes left in the first half, Jhamir Brickus looked one way and threw another, dropping a perfectly placed dime to Kris Parker, who took one dribble and dunked it home.
A few minutes later, Tyler Perkins found Parker on a fastbreak for a basket, then hit Wooga Poplar for a jumper.
The Pavilion was rocking, as loud as I’ve heard it, and quite the turnaround from the boos that reigned down on the team and coach last season and the coach during introductions earlier this season.
Those boos are an afterthought now, as this Wildcats team showed they are legitimate with an impressive 68-66 victory over ninth-ranked and two-time defending national champion UConn on Wednesday night.
The box score shows that Eric Dixon led the Wildcats (12-4, 4-1 Big East) with 23 points, 18 of which came after the break. And, certainly, Villanova could not have won without the nation’s leading scorer. But the box score also shows that Dixon, uncharacteristically, needed 20 field goal attempts and nine free throw attempts to get there.
This victory was a team victory, with the Wildcats’ supporting cast playing a starring role. This was especially the case in the first half when Dixon missed 7 of 8 shots, but the Wildcats entered the intermission ahead 32-25 after the rest of the Wildcats shot 57.1 percent from the field.
“There’s a lot of talented guys in here, and they showed it today,” Dixon said. “They helped pick me up, for sure.”
Poplar finished with 18 points and hit a tiebreaking three-pointer with just under 5 minutes left that put Villanova ahead for good.
“I just saw the rim, so I shot it,” he said.
Pretty simple, kind of like how easy the game seems to be coming to the transfer from Miami of late. Over his last four games, Poplar, looking every bit like an NBA wing, has averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 59.1 percent from the field, including 52.9 percent from three-point range.
“We’ve got a lot of shooters,” Poplar said. “E’s the guy everybody wants to double-team, so we just have to play, trust E, and trust his playmaking ability.”
It was much more than just Poplar helping out Villanova’s star. There was Jordan Longino finding the range for the second straight contest, dropping 12 points and making 2 of 3 from deep, giving him a smooth 87.5 percent (7 of 8) make rate from the arc in the last two contests. Jhamir Brickus, as he’s been all season, was solid, with seven points, five assist, four rebounds, and just one turnover in 32 minutes.
It didn’t get past UConn coach Dan Hurley just how good the Wildcats are. He praised them beforehand and continued doing so afterward.
“Those guys are good,” Hurley said. “Brickus is really good. Longino is finally healthy. He’s a really good wing. Poplar is an NBA wing. Dixon is one of the best players in the country. I love Perkins as a shooter off the bench. Obviously, he’s a nice piece. They get enough out of their centers.”
And then Hurley continued, with what will be music to Nova Nation’s ears, as the Wildcats try to end a two-year NCAA tournament drought. Wednesday’s win, certainly, will help them build their case. If you ask Hurley, they’re in.
“They pass the look test of an NCAA tournament team,” he said. “They’re obviously going to have to win a lot of games in the Big East to make up for the Columbia game and the St. Joe’s game. You can’t tell me that that’s not an NCAA caliber team with one of the best players in the country.”
One of the best players in the country who is getting help from his friends.
Around the Big 5 on Wednesday
–Loyola Chicago 79, La Salle 68: Corey McKeithan had 24 points, but it wasn’t enough for La Salle (10-5, 1-1 Atlantic 10) to avoid its first home loss at Glaser Arena, where they dropped to 6-1.
–Duquesne 85, Saint Joseph’s 81, OT: In Pittsburgh, Rasheer Fleming had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Xzayvier Brown added 17 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds, but the Hawks (10-6, 1-2 Atlantic 10) couldn’t pull it out in OT.
–ECU 80, Temple 79: Jamal Mashburn Jr. had 22 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Owls (9-6, 1-1 American) in the road defeat. After sitting out of Friday’s win over Wichita State due to personal reasons, Lynn Greer III played five minutes and went scoreless.
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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.
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