Villanova hosts Xavier on Super Bowl Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center | Villanova vs. Xavier Preview
Written by David Szczepanski on February 8, 2025
PHILADELPHIA, PA–Villanova earned its first win since January 17th on Wednesday against DePaul in Chicago, Illinois. The Wildcats will attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time since January 8th when they host Xavier in South Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
Villanova defeated DePaul, 59-49, on Wednesday at Wintrust Arena. Jordan Longino scored 17 points, while Eric Dixon added 14 points. The Wildcats’ defense held the Blue Demons to only 49 points, tying a season-low for DePaul, and a 19% success rate from behind the arc.
Villanova (13-10, 6-6 Big East) lost its first matchup against Xavier (14-9, 6-6), 69-63, on January 14th in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Wildcats led by three points with less than two minutes remaining, but Villanova’s defense struggled to close out the victory. Xavier outscored Villanova, 45-31, in the final twenty minutes.
Longino and Dixon both scored 18 points in 37 minutes. Wooga Poplar finished the game with 14 points and five rebounds against the Musketeers.
Ryan Conwell, a junior from Indianapolis, IN, scored a season-high 34 points. He was six-for-10 from behind the arc. Xavier was very successful from three-point range against Villanova. The Musketeers made 10 of their 25 (40%) three-point attempts.
Dixon’s Nation-Leading 23.8 Points per game
Villanova’s Eric Dixon leads the country in scoring with 23.8 points per game. He currently stands at 2,022 points in his college career. He is two points away from tying John Pinone for eighth place in program scoring history.
Longino’s Rise
Jordan Longino has been one of the best players for Villanova over the last month. He averages more than 14 points per game in Big East play this season. Longino has scored at least ten points in eight of his last ten contests.
Xavier’s Successful January
Xavier enters Sunday’s game with five wins in its last seven games. The Musketeers’ two losses in that stretch came against St. John’s in overtime and against Creighton in Omaha. They have won 11 of their 13 home contests in 2024-25. However, Xavier is just 2-6 in away games. Xavier most recently defeated Georgetown, 74-69, at home on Tuesday.
The Musketeers average almost 77 points per game. Xavier converts 38% of its three-point attempts. Zach Freemantle, a fifth-year forward from Teaneck, NJ, leads Xavier with 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest. He scored 10 points against Villanova in the first matchup. Freemantle has scored at least ten points in all 20 games he has played this season.
Ryan Conwell is Xavier’s most efficient three-point shooter, with a 39% success rate in 171 attempts. He averages 16 points per game. Dailyn Swain, a sophomore guard from Columbus, OH, scores more than 10 points per game. He accumulated 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists against Georgetown.
The Musketeers’ defense allows 70 points per contest. They have allowed 73 points per game in conference play. Xavier forces 12 turnovers and seven steals per game. It has held opponents to 69.8 points per game in its last seven contests.
All-Time Series
The Wildcats will host their third game at the Wells Fargo Center this season against Xavier. They have split their first two home games in South Philly. Villanova leads the all-time series against Xavier, 34-9. Coach Neptune is 2-3 against the Musketeers in his coaching career.
Game Information + WXVU Coverage
Sunday’s contest starts at 12pm. WXVU’s pregame coverage begins at 11:30am from the Wells Fargo Center.
