Fierce Showdown: Wildcats Welcome Georgetown Under the Lights This Monday

VILLANOVA, Pa. – For the second occurrence in three seasons, Villanova (12-7 overall, 5-3 BIG EAST) will entertain long-standing opponent Georgetown (12-6 overall, 3-5 BIG EAST) on the yearly holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This matchup is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Finneran Pavilion.
 
Alex Faust and Jim Spanarkel will present the national telecast on FS1. Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby will deliver the audio presentation to the Nova Nation via the Villanova Sports Network on IHeart (Fox Sports Radio Philadelphia and Sirius XM channel 383).
 
Both squads last competed on Friday night. The Hoyas – competing without key freshman center Thomas Sorber and starting guard Jayden Epps – fell to DePaul at home with a score of 73-68. Villanova, however, managed to fend off a determined Providence Friars’ team in its initial home contest at the Wells Fargo Center in 2024-25, winning 75-73.
 
“That was,” remarked Providence coach Kim English, “a fiercely contested Big East match against a truly exceptional basketball team. It’s extremely talented, disciplined, and well-trained.”
 
The Wildcats received 23 points from Eric Dixon, who surpassed Josh Hart to claim sole possession of tenth place in the all-time Villanova scoring chart (1,944 points). The fifth-year forward from Willow Grove, Pa., now stands just 22 points behind former Nova All-American Randy Foye, who is in ninth place (1,666).
 
Dixon continues to lead the nation in scoring with an average of 24.7 points per game.
 
One factor that contributed to the Wildcats’ success was their 37-31 advantage in rebounding over the Friars, with Wooga Poplar topping the team with 13 rebounds. Following a two-game stretch against UConn and St. John’s where they were out-rebounded 74-51 collectively, the Wildcats have achieved a +6 rebounding margin in their past two matches. Poplar leads the ‘Cats in rebounding with 6.6 rpg and ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in this category, the highest among guards.
 
“They were the No. 3 rebounding team in our league coming in,” stated Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. “We were aware that they would be aggressive on the boards with multiple players coming from different angles. I give our players considerable credit. They ensured they were physical around the rim and secured the rebounds.”
 
The Wildcats also gained a notable contribution from sophomore guard Tyler Perkins, who scored four points and made numerous other intangible impacts that might not be reflected in the box score.
 
“Tyler’s an excellent shooter and a fantastic scorer,” remarked Neptune. “That has been his identity prior to joining us, similar to many of our players. For our program, however, he encompasses so much more. He consistently brings enthusiasm in the locker room, during practices, games, and on the bench. All of his offensive capabilities pale in comparison to who he is – a remarkable person and a fantastic teammate.”
 
Villanova triumphed in both encounters against the Hoyas last season. They also secured victory in the prior clash on this national holiday, on Jan. 16, 2023, when they narrowly defeated Georgetown 77-73 at the Finn.