VILLANOVA, Pa. -Villanova is set to open its 105
th season of Men's Basketball Monday evening at Finneran Pavilion against Lafayette. Tipoff is set for just after 8 p.m.
The game will air on the Fox Sports app from start to finish. FS1 will feature live look-ins from the contest as part of its annual "whiparound" coverage of the BIG EAST Conference. Scott Graham will handle play-by-play duties with Jim Spanarkel serving as the analyst. The Villanova IHeart Radio broadcast will feature Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby for the 27
th consecutive season.
The Wildcats have won both regular season openers in head coach
Kyle Neptune's first two seasons at the helm. Villanova defeated La Salle 81-68 in 2022 and knocked off American 90-63 in the season kickoff contest a season ago.
Villanova, which downed Robert Morris 87-73 at Finneran Pavilion in an exhibition game on Oct. 27, will be without co-captain and preseason All-BIG EAST First Team choice
Eric Dixon on Monday evening. Dixon was assessed a one-game NCAA suspension for impermissible participation in the Portsmouth Invitational last April as he explored the possibility of entering the National Basketball Association Draft.
The Wildcats will look to fellow co-captain
Jordan Longino to help provide leadership against the Leopards. In the exhibition game the native of Doylestown, Pa., connected on 8-of-12 field goal attempts, finishing with 21 points to go with five rebounds.
Transfer guard
Wooga Poplar (Miami) was selected a Preseason Third Team all-BIG EAST pick by the league's coaches. He'll be joined by two more transfers, guards
Jhamir Brickus (La Salle),
Kris Parker (Alabama) and
Tyler Perkins (Penn) in a new look Villanova backcourt.
Forward
Enoch Boakye, who spent the 2023-24 campaign at Fresno State, contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds in the triumph over the Colonials. Other new faces on the front line include freshmen forwards
Josiah Moseley,
Matthew Hodge and
Malcolm Thomas. Hodge did not play against Robert Morris as his NCAA Initial Eligibility Review process is ongoing.
Villanova was picked seventh in the preseason BIG EAST Coaches poll after finishing 18-16 overall, 10-10 BIG EAST in 2023-24.
Monday night kicks off a busy opening week for the Wildcats. Villanova is back in action Wednesday night when it hosts Columbia at 7 p.m. (CBS Sports Network). On Friday night, NJIT will be at Finneran Pavilion for a game that gets underway at 8:30 p.m. (FS1).
