Final Score: Villanova 75, Lafayette 63
 
Eric's Idle: Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST forward Eric Dixon was not in uniform Monday night as he served a one-game NCAA suspension for impermissible participation in last April's Portsmouth Invitational.
 
"I don't think we even addressed that Eric wouldn't play as a team," said Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. "We literally didn't' address it. We all knew that he was going to be out, and other guys would have to step up. We've got a lot of confidence in the rest of our guys."
 
The Wildcats were also without Jordann Dumont (recovery from spring hips surgery) and Matthew Hodge (ongoing NCAA Initial Eligibility Review).
 
Wooga Went to Work: Senior transfer guard Wooga Poplar gave the Wildcats a lift early as they crafted a 12-5 edge. But turnovers plagued the Wildcats over much of the rest of the period as they committed seven miscues, allowing the Leopards to shave the lead to 19-17 with 6:35 to play in the first half.
 
"I thought our guys came out and attempted to play hard," said Neptune. "I thought we got some key stops when we needed them and got some turnovers when we needed them."
 
Lafayette took a 20-19 lead with 5:30 left in the half as Villanova struggled to create offense. A pair of scoring droughts also impacted the first half point total.
 
Villanova held a 30-29 lead at halftime.
 
Poplar led the way with 11 first half points and five rebounds.
 
Also standing out were nine first half turnovers.
 
Early Burst: The Wildcats were able to gain control of the contest midway through the second half, using a 15-2 burst to open up a 52-39 lead. Lafayette scored the next six points, however, and kept itself within striking distance the rest of the way. Key to that were four 3-pointers over the final 14 minutes.
 
"Credit to (Lafayette)," said Neptune. "They were physical with us and resilient."
 
Poplar finished with a double-double (20 points and 10 rebounds in his Villanova debut after three seasons as a Miami Hurricane.
 
"Wooga Poplar is arguably one of the best shooters we've had here," Neptune stated. "When you look at his numbers before getting here and now with us, they're impressive. He's also arguably one of the best athletes we have had here. He's a great teammate as well."
 
"I feel like my teammates made my game successful," said Poplar. "They just handed me the ball at the right times. We just tried to play 40 minutes of Villanova Basketball."
 
When asked how he views his role, Poplar replied: "I don't really know. I just try to compete to win and be the best teammate I can be."
 
Added Tyler Perkins, who finished with 13 points of his own: "I thought (Wooga) was great. It's great to have someone like that on our team."
 
On Enoch: Forward Enoch Boakye played a pivotal role in locking down the interior for the Wildcats absent Dixon. The Brampton, Ontario native finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
 
"Enoch has been really good for us from the second he came on campus," Neptune noted. "His attitude has been amazing. He's a leader and a great teammate. He's such an unselfish guy out there – he sets screens, he rebounds, he talks and he's a guy who will continue to get better as the season goes (along). He's a big-time piece for us."
 
Up Next: Villanova is back in action Wednesday night when it hosts Columbia at 7 p.m. at Finneran Pavilion (CBS Sports Network).