Villanova Basketball: Why Wooga Poplar is the most important team transfer for 2024-25
By Joey Loose
The two seasons since Jay Wright’s retirement have not gone according to plan at Villanova. Wright rode a Hall of Fame career into the sunset after a Final Four run in 2022, but the Wildcats have been a .500 squad in their first two years led by Kyle Neptune. The Wildcats have taken a backseat in a league they long dominated, but could they work their way back into contention this upcoming season?
The good news for next season is that leading scorer Eric Dixon will return for one final rodeo after averaging 16.6 points and 6.5 rebounds a game last season. Much of the rest of the rotation will be far different, as starters TJ Bamba, Tyler Burton, and Justin Moore are all gone while TJ Bamba transferred to Oregon a few months ago. Guard Jordan Longnino is the only other major rotation piece coming back this year.
Plenty of new faces will dot this roster, including a few impressive freshmen, mostly in the frontcourt. The Transfer Portal has also provided much needed additions, including former Penn point guard Tyler Perkins and La Salle guard Jhamir Brickus. The Wildcats also added Enoch Boakye, a center who played at Fresno State, but it’s likely that Wooga Poplar is the standout among the group.
A 6’4 point guard originally from right there in Philadelphia, Poplar spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Miami in the ACC. In his first season starting as a sophomore, he helped take the Hurricanes to their first ever Final Four. Last year as a junior he put up 13.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, making 38% of his 3-pointers in what would be a disappointing season for Miami, finishing 14th in conference.
Poplar took on a bigger role with Miami last season, and despite the team’s overall struggles showed growth as a junior. His overall shooting numbers dipped very slightly last season, but he took on a major involved role and has blossomed more from outside the arc. Hampered briefly by injuries, Poplar still had solid assist numbers and did what he could in a troubled season for Miami.
He’s now among a group of backcourt players hoping to inject some life into this Villanova team. He’ll certainly slide into a starting role and could put up comparable numbers as a difference maker with the Wildcats. It’s uncertain how he’ll handle the adjustment into a new system, but Villanova is counting on his shooting prowess to increase and for him to hold his own against Big East opposition.
Next. Offseason grades for each ACC team. Offseason grades for each ACC team. dark
We could talk a lot more about Poplar and the other additions, but the bottom line is simple. Villanova cannot have a third straight mediocre season, especially after their sustained success in recent years. Whether or not mediocrity strikes again doesn’t depend solely on Poplar’s play, though he’ll have a big say in that future. Can this be a breakout season for both him and this Wildcats program?