Virginia vs Villanova Preview
By Josh Burton
Coming off a 62-45 victory over Coppin State Monday night, the University of Virginia Men’s Basketball team is now 2-0 heading into a big time matchup against Villanova. This game is scheduled to tip at 5 pm Friday as part of the Hall of Fame Series in Baltimore. It will be televised on TNT.
About Villanova
The Villanova Wildcats of the Big East are led by head coach Kyle Neptune, in his third season. Neptune has a career record of 53-51. He's gone 37-35 so far at Villanova. This season, the Wildcats are 2-2 with losses to Columbia and St. Joseph's. They line up as follows:
G - #2 Jhamir Brickus (5’11” Covid Senior, La Salle transfer, 12 points and 4 assists per game)
G - #5 Wooga Poplar (6’5” Senior, Miami transfer, 15 points and 7.5 rebounds per game)
G - #15 Jordan Longino (6’5” Senior, 13 points per game)
F - #43 Eric Dixon (6’8” Senior, 26 points and 8 rebounds per game)
F - #13 Enoch Boakye (6’11” Senior, Fresno State transfer, 6 points and 6 rebounds per game)
Villanova has three other players averaging double digit minutes in each of their games so far, led by 6’4” Sophomore guard Tyler Perkins (7.5 points per game).
The Wildcats are led by Dixon and Poplar. Dixon has been a mainstay in the Nova lineup and is considered one of the top players in the entire country. Poplar has been the Robin to Dixon’s Batman, getting up double-digit field goal attempts in every game so far while hitting at a very respectable percent.
Point Guard Competition
Sophomore transfer guard Dai Dai Ames saw his first start for the Hoos on Monday night as Andrew Rohde was unable to play due to an injury. While Rohde’s status is still to be determined, Ames had a good performance. He finished with 13 points and 3 assists, and did not commit a turnover.
Against Coppin State, Ames showed his ability to get a step on his defender and create for his teammates while also being a capable threat to score himself. Coach Sanchez’s comments in the post game press conference made it seem as though Rohde would be the starter when healthy, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dai Dai stay in the lineup. Also don’t be surprised to see the play together for stretches when Rohde is cleared to play as his positional versatility allows him to move between the guard positions.
Containing Dixon
As mentioned earlier, everything about matching up with Villanova begins with trying to contain Eric Dixon. They've been starting a big lineup with Dixon at the 4-spot, so I would expect Elijah Saunders to get the initial crack at him. Villanova is also able to downsize and play Dixon as a stretch five, so don’t be surprised to see the Hoos throw different looks at him including Blake Buchanan drawing the matchup for extended stretches.
Finding Their Groove
With so many new pieces, results were almost guaranteed to vary this year. Especially early in the season. Saunders has looked good while Ames shined in his start. First year Jacob Cofie has been very impressive as well. Look for all three to continue to build upon their early success.
TJ Power and Ishan Sharma have both shown flashes of their potential but are still looking to settle in. Expect both to continue to try and find their place amongst the rotation as they settle more into Ron Sanchez’s system.
Virginia vs Villanova is always a big college basketball game. It provides both fanbases with the opportunity to get an idea of where their team is stacked up against their peers. How are you feeling about the matchup? The Locker Room Access Pregame Show will begin at 4:30. In the meantime, feel free to join all the discussion on our forum!
(Featured Image Credit: Josie Drumheller/UVA Athletics)