Villanova Forward Eric Dixon Popping Up in Mock Drafts

Although both the NBA and NCAA seasons have three (or more) months left to run, mock draft season never ends, and it’s time to take a look at what the pundits have to say about Villanova forward Eric Dixon.

The 6-foot-8, 265 pound small forward leads the nation with 25.9 points per game, making 48.98 percent of three-point attempts (the fifth-best accuracy rate in Division 1) and sinking an average of 3.43 shots from beyond the arc, good for the No. 14 mark.

Dixon’s combination of size, shooting and athleticism gives him a variety of tools that make him a mismatch at wing at the collegiate level, but the NBA is a different beast, and with his 24th birthday fast approaching in late January, that might put some teams off in favor of a younger player to develop. That he’ll end up on NBA teams’ radars’ is no surprise, as Dixon declared for the draft at the end of the 2023-24 season, taking part in pre-draft scrimmages and other activities before ultimately deciding to return to Villanova for his final year of eligibility.

Mock Draft Season

What does remain up in the air, however, is where — and when — he’ll end up falling in the draft, and a recent mock from Bleacher Report gives us an idea. Eric Dixon snuck into the final spot, pick No. 59, of Jonathan Wasserman’s Jan. 1, 2025 two round mock draft, going to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wasserman gave Dixon an eventual NBA comparison of center Luka Garza, currently of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who spends time in the G-League and in the NBA as a bench player.

Of course, Dixon serves as a wing rather than a traditional power forward, so Garza may not be the best comparison… and while he’s excellent driving to the basket in college, it’s his three-point shooting that has turned into his best (and, perhaps, most translatable) asset.

It’s also important to note that the NBA Draft order won’t end up finalized until May 12 when the draft lottery takes place. Mock drafts shouldn’t be taken as gospel even when we know exactly where teams will be picking, but it does give a good idea of what part of the draft Dixon might end up selected in… that is, late in the second round.