Villanova Forward Eric Dixon Inching Up Mock Drafts

Villanova forward Eric Dixon leads the nation in scoring with an average of 23.6 points per game and remains in the mix for a bevy of national awards. With his college eligibility exhausted, Dixon is beginning to creep up NBA Draft boards.

Bleacher Report analyst Jonathan Wasserman pegged Dixon as the No. 59 pick in a January mock draft. Now, Wasserman’s March 2 mock has him going to the Memphis Grizzlies with pick No. 53 earlier in the second round.

At 24 years old, Dixon is a good deal older than the average NBA draft pick, especially in this era of one-and-done’s. During the 2024 NBA Draft, for example, the average age of all the players selected came out to 20 years and 229 days. Even so, Dixon’s combination of size and scoring makes him a difficult talent to pass up on. Dixon stands 6-foot-8 and tips the scale at 265 pounds, but he’s still a more than capable threat on the perimeter, draining 91 of 212 three-pointers this year — nearly seven attempts per game — at a torrid 42.9 percent success rate that ranks 15th in the NCAA.

Wasserman listed former Wildcat Eric Paschall, who won a pair of national championships with Villanova in 2016 and 2018, as Dixon’s pro comparison. While Paschall earned an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection with the Golden State Warriors in 2020, he spent just three seasons in the NBA, averaging 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per night before crossing the pond to play in Europe.

Dixon’s ability to both play as a traditional power forward and knock down shots like a wing could give him the versatility he needs to maintain a roster spot in the pros.