Villanova Men's Basketball
Eric Dixon Back for Show-Stopping Swan Song | Meet the Wildcats

This is one in a series of stories introducing the Villanova Wildcats’ 2024-25 roster.
The Villanova Wildcats dealt with plenty of turnover this past offseason, losing nine of 15 players to graduation, the transfer portal or the NBA Draft. Entering a critical juncture in head coach Kyle Neptune’s tenure after consecutive seasons spent watching the NCAA Tournament at home, one critical factor remained constant, however. Graduate forward Eric Dixon.
The 6-foot-8, 265 pound wing initially tossed his hat in the ring, declaring for the NBA Draft, but ended up withdrawing from the process less than two months later, returning to Villanova for his final year of eligibility. After earning Second-Team All-BIG EAST honors in each of the past two seasons, Dixon looks like one of the best players in the nation to start the 2024-25 campaign, leading Division 1 with an average of 25.7 points per game, making 53.3 percent of his shots and 49.3 percent of three-pointers, leading the Wildcats’ offense as a volume scorer.
Eric Dixon first came to Villanova ahead of the 2019-2020 season, the No. 76 player in his graduating class according to ESPN. A native of nearby Abington Township, Dixon chose the Wildcats over offers from Virginia, Maryland, Penn State, Seton Hall and Temple, making up his mind early and signing his letter of intent during the spring of his junior season.
Going Way Back
He played sparingly during his first two seasons with Villanova, taking a redshirt and slimming down from 275 pounds to his current playing weight, then started working his way into the lineup for 21 games and 8.2 minutes per night. Since then he’s joined the starting lineup, starting 117 of a possible 118 games for the Wildcats over the past four seasons, the lone exception a game he missed due to suspension this season for taking part in pre-draft events for the NBA.
Dixon contributed 9.1 points and 6.4 boards per game during Villanova’s run to the Final Four in Jay Wright’s final season, then followed that up with consecutive seasons of more than 15 points per game, and the ensuing All-BIG EAST honors.
His renewed effort (and accuracy) from beyond the arc has helped him unlock a new aspect of his game, one that’s solidified his place as one of the best wings in the country, and he excels at getting to the line when driving to the rim. Despite his role as a prototypical volume scorer, Dixon’s contributions go far beyond getting to the basket. He sets screens, snags rebounds and is a strong defender, and should see himself in the mix for a number of national awards this season.
From a strong all-around player to one of the best in the country, Dixon’s rise to prominence will prove critical for a Wildcats team trying to make their first NCAA Tournament since 2022.
Career Stats:
Year | GP | MIN | FG% | 3% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | PF | TO | PTS |
20-21 | 21 | 8.2 | 46.7 | 25.0 | 64.5 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 3.0 |
21-22 | 38 | 25.2 | 49.8 | 48.6 | 82.1 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 9.1 |
22-23 | 34 | 31.6 | 49.2 | 37.8 | 79.2 | 6.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 15.4 |
23-24 | 34 | 30.5 | 46.5 | 34.6 | 86.2 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 16.6 |