Wooga Poplar improves in season-opening win against Lafayette

Villanova began to pull away from Lafayette midway through the second half of its season-opening win Monday night, but a quick 6-0 push by the Leopards cut Nova's lead to seven, 52-45, with 9 minutes, 13 seconds left, and Kyle Neptune called for one Time out.

It was a nervous night at times for the new-look Wildcats, and they turned the ball over after the timeout, one of their 17 giveaways. But on the ensuing inbound, Wooga Poplar stole the ball, threw over a Lafayette defender and extended Villanova's lead back to nine. Exhale.

Villanova played without its best player, Eric Dixon, who was suspended for one game, and needed an adult in the room at times, as well as Poplar, a senior transfer player from Miami who played basketball at the former math, civics and science school charter school played that one Role outstanding in his Wildcats debut. He finished the game with 20 points to go, 10 rebounds and a plus-16 rating. Villanova won 75-63, and Poplar was a big reason why.

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The Wildcats won't want to play many games without Dixon, an obvious observation that anyone could have predicted before the ball turned to a critical Villanova 2024-25 season. But if there was one game that Dixon should miss, it might be this one. Villanova knows what its fifth year forward is capable of. He will be in contention for Big East Player of the Year. He'll probably be the only reason they win a game or two or six along the way. What Neptune may not have known before Monday was who Dixon's most reliable sidekick would be.

A one-game sample proves nothing, a theme that applies to so many of Monday's wins, but Poplar looked every bit the part of a versatile scoring wing that Villanova didn't have in Neptune's first two seasons as head coach.

“Wooga Poplar is probably one of the best shooters we’ve had here,” Neptune said. “Probably one of the best athletes.”

Poplar made eight of his 13 shot attempts, including two three-pointers on three attempts. Last season in Miami, he shot 38.5% from three-point range. Poplar's 10 rebounds marked just the fourth time he scored in double figures on the glass. Although he turned it over four times, he almost made up for it with three steals.

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It was a homecoming for Poplar, who spent his formative years playing on outdoor courts in North Philadelphia. He said he had about 15 people at the game on Monday and forgot to add some of them to his ticket list that he should have added.

“I’m just happy to be here,” he said.

Dixon will make his debut when Villanova continues its three-games-in-five-days start at home against Columbia on Wednesday, but his absence Monday meant Villanova had to bring in four transfers and one returning player, Jordan Longino. No one starting for the Wildcats on Monday had played a single collegiate minute with any of their fellow starters, aside from a few scrimmages and an exhibition. It showed. The Wildcats were regularly accelerated by Lafayette's pressure. They looked disjointed on some offensive possessions. They missed tasks in defense.

Some of this was to be expected. Take a look around the Big East on opening night. Providence beat Central Connecticut State by four. Xavier struggled against Texas Southern. DePaul needed overtime to beat Southern Indiana. Seton Hall squeaked past St. Peter's. Butler narrowly beat Missouri State. Of the eight Big East teams that opened their season on Monday, three won by double digits, and Villanova was one of them.

All of this is anecdotal, and it means you'll feel discouraged by a 12-point win as a 20-point favorite and probably look for reasons to be negative, a mindset Neptune probably acquired by being Villanova has led to two first-round NIT exits in two seasons.

But there was more good than bad for Villanova on Monday, especially from Poplar and Enoch Boakye, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds and is easily the most athletic center Villanova has had in years. Boakye was brought in from Fresno State so that Dixon could play his more natural position of power forward, and we'll get our first look at what that looks like on Wednesday against Columbia (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network).

However, Poplar provided the dangerous weapon on the wing that Villanova desperately needed while it teetered on the tournament bubble. Of all the possible X-factors, he's the one with the most potential, the one who has the eyes of NBA scouts.

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Dixon and Longino are the last vestiges of Villanova's Final Four past, but Poplar also has Final Four experience.

“I just try to win and compete and be the best teammate I can,” Poplar said. “I try to do everything across the board.”

Monday was a game where the announcer says his name a lot. Which brings us to this name. Wooga, the nickname given to him by his grandmother (his first name is Nisine), is not pronounced woo-ga. It's wuh-ga. The PA announcer will probably have to get used to that.

Any Villanova fan could do the same.