Eric Dixon is one of a handful of wild cards for the 2020-21 Villanova Wildcats. After redshirting his first season on the Main Line, no one is quite sure what to expect from the forward as the Wildcats enter a season of lofty expectations. If recent comments from his coach are any indication, ‘Nova fans will be more than pleased with the Abington HS product.

When head coach Jay Wright met with reporters on Thursday, there were many expected topics: the four recruits who just signed their letters of intent, the current situation with COVID-19, and any pertinent updates with the season rapidly approaching. One topic that emerged that maybe wasn’t so expected was a relatively lengthy discussion about Dixon. And Wright did not hold back in his praise of his young forward.

“I just love this kid,” Wright said. “I think he’s gonna be really good, he’s a really unique player.”

Dixon certainly comes to Villanova with some impressive accomplishments. He finished his career at Abington as the program’s all-time leading scorer. As a senior, he averaged 27.9 points and 11.6 rebounds while leading Abington to a 28-2 record, a district title, and an appearance in USA Today’s Super 25. For his efforts, he was named All-Area Player of the Year by the Inquirer. And he did that getting double and triple teamed on a nightly basis. As you can see, there is plenty to be excited about.

But the time off during his redshirt combined with the trying times we’ve experienced over the last eight months make that phenomenal senior year feel a lot longer ago than it really was. That, along with the natural uncertainty that comes with players going from high school to college ball, has left ‘Nova fans wondering what to expect from Dixon.

One thing is sure: Dixon has made good use of his time. We’ve heard rumors about and even gotten a few glimpses of Dixon’s changed physique. Wright further drove the point home: “I think you’re gonna be surprised when you see him,” Wright said.

Another thing fans can be confident of is Dixon’s ability to play in the post. “He is as good a low post player as we’ve had here since Daniel Ochefu. He is so efficient in the low post and so physical,” Wright said. “This kid’s talented. He’s got a great mindset, really coachable, really great basketball IQ.”

The most important part of Dixon’s transformation will be his ability to play the modern college game and to do so for an extended period of time. Dixon was so dominant in high school that he simply played the game to his strength’s and most opponents didn’t have an answer. That meant a lot of post ups, parking in the middle of the floor and dominating opponents with his size and strength. There’s nothing wrong with that, and those skills will come in handy for Villanova. But he’ll have to do more to maximize his impact. “You have to be able to get out on the perimeter and guard and run the floor and he’s getting a lot better at that,” Wright said. “You don’t change from being a big, plodding, inside player in high school to being a mobile, skilled, killer in college basketball, you don’t do it in just one year. But he’s on a great path to do that.”

Wright understands that his high praise of Dixon will also serve to up the pressure on the forward, but he doesn’t want to dilute his excitement and he believes Dixon can handle the pressure. “I love this dude. I just think he’s got incredible potential so I’m probably putting a lot of pressure on him, I shouldn’t do it, but I’m really excited about him, I don’t want to hide it. I want expectations on him because he can handle it."

So instead, Wright will share his excitement about Dixon while asking for patience from fans and media. “He’s still got work to do but I know he’s gonna get there if everybody can be patient with him,” Wright said. “I just see a huge upside for him, I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but I do want to create an air of patience with him, he’s such a unique player. He’s skilled, he just has to get in shape and learn how to run up and down every possession. I think you’ll see what I mean when you see him. He’s really good for a few possessions in a row and then he goes back to the old big guy, but he’s coming. I’m excited about him.”

It’s still a work in progress, but Wright is clearly excited about what Dixon can do and Dixon is clearly on the right track.

“He’s talented enough, he’s got a great body, he’s skilled enough, and he’s working hard enough that he’s gonna get to that point when he can really go up and down and when he does he’s gonna be really good,” Wright said.