Villanova Basketball: 2024-25 season preview for the Wildcats
By Joey Loose
Season Outlook
Many things have gone wrong since Neptune took over the program, but he and his staff can’t afford to get bogged down by the past. A pair of 10-10 finishes in the Big East has unquestionably underwhelmed, but that doesn’t mean that year three will finish the same. We’ve already detailed the new faces in town for the Wildcats, but did they add enough talent to compete with the bigger names in this league?
Last year, Dixon did a lot of the heavy-lifting on offense and was the only returning double-digit scorer. It’s hard to say that the Wildcats added someone to compete with him as the top scorer, but they at least have new options. Brickus has been a great setup man on offense, while Perkins and Poplar both have legitimate shooting potential.
Work was put in during the offseason not just through the Transfer Portal, with Villanova certainly hoping for production out of some of these freshmen. Hodge and Moseley are the two who might work their way into the rotation early on and both have significant raw talent. The one issue this causes is that the Wildcats’ bench is pretty young and if injuries hit then depth might become a legitimate issue.
The starting five for Villanova should be right on par if not better than last season. There’s no question that Dixon remains the star of the show, but those new pieces in the backcourt pair nicely with the returning faces to create a powerful unit. It’s all about the forwards around Dixon and if this squad can be an elite defensive team for a second straight season.
Next. Preseason SEC power rankings for 2024-25. Preseason SEC power rankings for 2024-25. dark
In the end, this team doesn’t exactly compare to those recent national champions. That doesn’t mean this year can’t be successful, but it’s hard to have faith after back-to-back stinkers after heightened preseason expectations. It’s wise not to expect too much until this team really comes together, though a return trip to the NCAA Tournament isn’t out of the question. If that doesn’t happen, then the coaching carousel might spin its way to Philadelphia in a few months.