Villanova Preview: ‘Cats Aim for Semifinals, NIL Rewards

Villanova Men’s Basketball will take on USC at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 in the quarterfinal round of the College Basketball Crown.

The winner will move on to the semifinals, securing an NIL prize purse worth at least $50,000; the loser goes home empty-handed.

Playing their first game under interim head coach Mike Nardi, Villanova dispatched Colorado 85-64 in the opening round of the tournament, while the Trojans obliterated Tulane in a 29 point win. Nevertheless, the Wildcats enter as a healthy favorite, given a 60.4 percent chance of winning in ESPN Analytics’ simulations. The money line sits at -230 in Villanova’s favor, with a point spread of -5.5 and an over/under at 150.5. Both teams rank in the top 50 in terms of offensive efficiency and have defenses hovering around the top 100.

Where to Watch; Who to Watch

FS1 holds the broadcasting rights for this matchup. Eric Dixon leads Villanova and the nation in points per game with an average of 23, vaulting himself into the No. 1 spot on the men’s program’s all-time scoring leaderboard during the win over Colorado. Shooting guard Wooga Poplar takes point in rebounds (6.9) and steals (1.3), while point guard Jhamir Brickus paces the team with 4.8 assists per game. Enoch Boakye rounds out the major statistical leaders with an average of 0.8 blocks. Poplar also averages double digit points (14.7), dropping 24 on Colorado in the opening round, while fellow senior Jordan Longino puts up 11.7 points per game.

USC runs through junior guard Desmond Claude, who leads the team in points (16.0) and assists (4.3) per game, but they also have three more players averaging double digit points: Wesley Yates III (14.1), Chibuzo Agbo (11.8) and Terrance Williams II (10.6). Forward Saint Thomas paces the Trojans in rebounds (5.7) and steals (1.4), and Rashaun Agee tacks on 0.8 blocks per game.