Villanova Reaction: Another Wildcats’ Season Gone Too Soon

For the third straight year, Villanova Men’s Basketball saw their season come to an untimely end. No matter if they elect to play in the NIT or College Basketball Crown, the Wildcats won’t go dancing this March.

The college careers of longtime Wildcats Eric Dixon and Jordan Longino are drawing to a close, as are those of transfers like Jhamir Brickus, Wooga Poplar and Enoch Boakye: the entirety of Villanova’s starting lineup this season. Head coach Kyle Neptune will likely be looking for a new job in a matter of days after failing to make the NCAA Tournament in any of his three seasons.

The 2024-25 Wildcats died as they lived, building up a strong lead before coming unraveled in the final minutes, allowing UConn to close them out on a 22-5 run and turning a close game into a 73-56 blowout.

Dixon led the nation with an average of 23.0 points per game, finishing just shy of the Wildcats’ all-time scoring record. With an excellent supporting cast of players like Poplar, Longino, and Brickus around him, Villanova certainly possessed the raw talent of a tournament team.

Wildcats’ fans and media exhibited a range of emotions following their unceremonious exit from the Big East Tournament: gratitude for the senior class, empathy for Kyle Neptune, gallows humor at the way the season ended. Here’s what they had to say.

If this is it for Eric Dixon, he ends his Villanova career with 2,235 points. Kerry Kittles maintains the program's all-time scoring record of 2,243 points.

UConn ended Dixon's streak of 47 straight games in double-figures, holding him to 8 points on 2/15 from the floor.

— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 14, 2025

Thank you, Wooga Poplar

Brought some energy back to the Finn and we’re really exciting to watch. Can’t wait to add your name to the list of Wildcats in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/TZ5w2X2SQX

— Villanova Report (@NovaReportMBB) March 14, 2025

Look, I haven't watched every UConn game this year, but I've probably watched 15 or so. And I definitely have not seen them defend better than they did in the second half tonight against Villanova. https://t.co/EfDdx0ujZW

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 14, 2025

After watching this first half of UCONN/ Villanova, NO IDEA how this Villanova team isn’t an NCAA Tournament lock

Dixon is the nation’s leading scorer
Poplar & Longino are STUDS
Perkins is a great glue guy

It’s a travesty that this team is not projected to be in the tournament pic.twitter.com/tsAvKn2sz3

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) March 14, 2025

The sun sets every 16 hours on the planet Neptune, and for Villanova we’re sitting on 15:59.

— No Escalators (@NoEscalators) March 14, 2025

You can't tell Wooga shouldn't be on the NBA draft boards right now.

— Villanova Enthusiast 😼 (@NovaKnowsBall) March 14, 2025

"I’m thinking about the guys in the locker room that just lost," Kyle Neptune said when asked if he was concerned about his future. "I’m thinking about our staff that just lost. Just them, we just lost a game and put a lot into it. That’s all I’m thinking about right now.

— Jeff Neiburg (@Jeff_Neiburg) March 14, 2025

I do think Kyle Neptune can be a perfectly fine college basketball coach. He was just thrown into the deep end with too big of a job, too soon, in one of the toughest leagues in the country.

I hope he has a great second act somewhere.

— HurleyMania (@HurleyMania) March 14, 2025

Also the part where Kyle Neptune called no timeouts to stem it

I’ll miss that the most. https://t.co/ROAKDGqDbc

— HurleyMania (@HurleyMania) March 14, 2025