Player grades from loss to Columbia

After an excellent and impactful Villanova debut, Boakye wasn’t nearly as effective Wednesday. He did contribute six rebounds and had a steal and a block, but he managed just two points and only took a single shot. It was just a diminished stat line that was the issue, however. On Monday against Lafayette, you could feel Boakye’s presence throughout the game, and he was constantly reminding you he was out there, whether what he was doing showed up in the box score on not. Wednesday night did not have that feel, and it was particularly evident in Columbia’s two-point shooting (70%) and 36 points in the paint. Villanova needs more of Game 1 Boakye if it is going to reach its ceiling.

Eric Dixon A

Dixon made his season debut and made his presence felt from the opening tip. He scored Villanova’s first seven points and 12 of its first 15 en route to 33 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals. He was efficient, shooting 11-16 from the field, 5-7 from three and 6-6 from the line. Essentially, he was everything Villanova expected him to be.

Jhamir Brickus B

Brickus didn’t have the best shooting night, hitting just 2-6 attempts (0-3 from three) for four points. But he dished out eight assists, and more importantly he kept the offensive in sync while he was on the floor. Villanova’s offense became stagnant and disjointed while Brickus sat, highlighting his importance to the team and the impact he makes regardless of his stat line.

Wooga Poplar C

Poplar scored 16 points, second-most behind Dixon’s 33, and added a team-high seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. He wasn’t quite as efficient as he was in the season opener, hitting just 6-14 from the floor and 2-8 from three. Poplar’s rebounding has been huge for ‘Nova so far, helping turn something that had been a weakness in recent years into a relative strength early this season. His activity on defense has been impactful as well. But he had three turnovers after committing four on Monday, and Wednesday’s performance wasn’t as impactful as Monday’s.

Jordan Longino D

It feels like we’ve been harping on Longino a bit to start the season, but the reality is it’s not unwarranted. After shooting 3-14 overall and 0-5 from three in the season opener, Longino hit just 4-13 and 3-9 on Wednesday. He deserves credit for keeping at it and trying to make a positive impact in other areas, but the shooting just hasn’t been good enough. Longino was a team-worst -16 against Columbia.

Tyler Perkins D

Perkins was one of a handful of Wildcats to regress after a solid debut, scoring just five points on 2-6 shooting (1-3 from three). He grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists, and had one of the better +/- ratings on the team (-4). But he had three turnovers, and they were three of the most confounding turnovers you’ll ever see. Two were nearly identical, as Perkins threw the ball to the other team under Villanova’s basket while trying to inbound the ball. The third also came on an inbounds play, only this time Perkins’ pass hit the backboard and caromed well into the air, coming down to a Columbia player. Perkins can give more, and Villanova needs more with him entrenched as the sixth man.

Josiah Moseley C

Moseley didn’t do a whole lot Wednesday night, making his only shot attempt for two points while not recording any other stat. But these grades are relative to role and expectations. He didn’t make much of an impact, but also didn’t stand out as a clear negative.

Kris Parker C

Same story as Moseley here. Parker did score his first points in a Villanova uniform, going 1-3 from the field and 2-2 from the line for four points. He played just under nine minutes, and was the only Wildcat to record a positive +/- (+3).