Eric Dixon and Villanova meet Creighton for the first time this season in Omaha | Villanova vs. Creighton Preview

OMAHA, NE– Villanova looks for its sixth consecutive victory in a matchup against Creighton on Saturday afternoon. Eric Dixon scored 57 points against Creighton in last year’s two battles between these Big East foes. In their final game before the holidays and of 2024, the Wildcats hope to celebrate the holiday season with another win.

Villanova’s Conference Opening Win against Seton Hall

Villanova defeated Seton Hall, 79-67, in its conference opener on Tuesday evening at the Finneran Pavilion. Eric Dixon, the nation’s leading scorer with more than 25 points per game, accumulated 25 points against the Pirates, including 16 points in the second half. Tyler Perkins, a transfer from the University of Pennsylvania, scored a season-high 17 points with five threes.

Villanova defeated Seton Hall on Tuesday evening in its conference opener.

Villanova’s head coach, Kyle Neptune, acknowledged Seton Hall’s toughness and spoke highly of his defense after the game.

“Tough game,” Neptune said. “A lot of respect for those guys. They play tough and nasty. We knew we were going to have to be ready for their toughness and defensive pressure. I thought our guys did a decent job at handling it, and I thought we were pretty good defensively as well.”

Wildcats’ Five-Game Winning Streak

Before the win over Seton Hall, the Wildcats were victorious against Rider, #14 Cincinnati, Temple, and FDU in their five-game winning streak. Villanova is 8-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Villanova scored at least 70 points in four of its last five games. The Wildcats have averaged 79.8 points per game during this five-game winning streak.

Creighton’s Inconsistent Start to 2024-25

Creighton is off to a 7-5 start in 2024-25 with a 0-1 record in conference play. The Bluejays opened their Big East schedule against Georgetown on Wednesday at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The Hoyas crushed the Bluejays, 81-57.

Creighton finished the game with 16 turnovers against Georgetown. The Hoyas also outrebounded Creighton, 39-25. Creighton averages about 39 rebounds per contest.

Kalkbrenner and Ashworth Lead the Way

Ryan Kalkbrenner, a senior center from Florissant, MO, leads the Bluejays with 16.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Steven Ashworth also averages 16.7 points per game in his second season with Creighton. Ashworth played his first three years of college basketball at Utah State. Ashworth scored at least 20 points in his last two contests against Alabama and Georgetown.

Isaacs’ Hip Injury Sidelines Him for Entire Season

The Bluejays’ star offseason addition, Pop Isaacs, suffered a hip injury that required surgery. He is out for the remainder of the season. Isaacs, a transfer from Texas Tech, averaged 16.3 points per game before his injury. Creighton has lost two of its three games since Isaacs’ hip injury.

Jamiya Neal, a senior guard transfer from Arizona State, has increased his role in the Bluejays’ offense with Isaacs’ injury. Neal averages more than 10 points and six rebounds per game this season. However, he scored just five points against the Hoyas earlier this week.

Creighton’s offense has definitely taken a step backward this season, especially since Pop Isaacs suffered a hip injury. The Bluejays convert 46% of their field goal attempts. However, Creighton’s three-point scoring has struggled at times compared to last season.

Analysis: Creighton’s Three-Point Scoring in 2024-25 Compared to 2023-24

Creighton lost its leading scorer and one of its best three-point shooters (probably its best) from last season in Baylor Scheierman, who was 110-for-289 (38%) from behind the arc in 2023-24. Scheierman averaged 18.5 points and nine rebounds per game. He is now with the Maine Celtics in the NBA’s G League.

The Bluejays also lost Trey Alexander, who converted 34% of his three-point attempts a season ago. Alexander was Creighton’s second-leading scorer last season, with more than 17 points per contest. Alexander now plays for the Denver Nuggets.

Mason Miller, who converted 49 of his 108 three-point attempts last season, is just 3-for-23 (13%) this season.

Creighton’s team average from behind the arc has dropped from 36.8% to 33.6% this season. The Bluejays’ offense has also decreased from almost 81 points per game last season to 76 points per contest in 2024-25.

Bluejays’ Defense

Creighton’s defense has allowed 70 points per game this season. In the beginning of December, the Bluejays contained #1 Kansas and UNLV to 65 points or less. However, Creighton allowed at least 80 points in its last two games against #7 Alabama and Georgetown.

According to Kenpom.com, Creighton is ranked 58th in the country, 11 spots behind Villanova. Creighton is still very talented, but the Bluejays have yet to play their best basketball this season, with inconsistent play on both sides of the court.

All-Time Series Info

Villanova leads the all-time series against Creighton, 19-9. The Wildcats and Bluejays split last season’s contests, with the road team winning both games.

How to Watch Villanova vs. Creighton

Tipoff of Villanova vs. Creighton is scheduled for Saturday at 4 pm from CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The game can be watched on FS1. WXVU will have social media coverage of this Big East