Villanova Preview: History on the Line for Eric Dixon vs Colorado

Villanova Men’s Basketball will debut in the College Basketball Crown invitational tournament on Tuesday, April 1, taking on the Colorado Buffaloes at 8:30 p.m. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Third Team All-American Eric Dixon leads Villanova and the nation with 23.0 points per game, and he enters the Crown needing just nine points to pass Kerry Kittles (2,243) for the top spot in Wildcats’ scoring history.

This marks the Wildcats’ first game since March 13, when their chances of an NCAA Tournament bid came to an end in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. The Buffaloes (14-20) finished last in the Big 12 but that didn’t stop them from stirring the pot in the postseason, ending West Virginia’s season in the conference tournament as the Mountaineers controversially missed the Big Dance.

Colorado knows how to play spoiler, but Villanova (19-14) holds a 70.8 percent chance of winning this matchup per ESPN Analytics. ESPN Bet puts them as a 4.5 point favorite (point spread) with the money line set at -195 and an over/under of 146.5 as two measured offenses face off.

Interim head coach Mike Nardi will lead the Wildcats in the wake of Kyle Neptune’s firing, while new Villanova head coach Kevin Willard will watch from the stands.

The Wildcats lost forward Nnanna Njoku to the transfer portal, but he underwent season ending surgery in January so his absence is not a new development. Colorado lost five players, largely reserves or redshirts, to the portal since their season ended.

Where to Watch; Who to Watch

FS1 holds the broadcasting rights to this matchup. Athletic shooting guard Wooga Poplar paces the Wildcats in rebounds (6.9) and steals (1.3), while Jhamir Brickus notches 4.9 assists per game and Enoch Boakye takes home the honors with 0.7 blocks in 21.7 minutes per night, his playing time limited this season in Neptune’s guard-heavy offense.

After Dixon, Poplar (14.5) and Jordan Longino (11.6) average double digit scoring, with Brickus (9.5) hot on their heels. All five of the Wildcats’ starters will exhaust their eligibility at season’s end, so they have plenty to play for in trying to showcase their talent for professional franchises. As of right now, Dixon is the only Villanova player expected to come off the board in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Senior guard Julian Hammond III, meanwhile, leads Colorado in points (12.5), assists (3.2) and steals (1.2) per game. 6-foot-8 forward Andrej Jakimovski leads the Buffaloes with 5.0 rebounds per game, and is their only other player to average double digit scoring (10.4 points per game). Lanky forward Bangot Dak picks up 1.3 blocks per game in 19.7 minutes per night… and plays the third-most minutes for the Buffaloes as head coach Tad Boyle makes full use of his bench.