2024-2025 College Basketball Preview: Villanova Wildcats

Check out our entire college basketball season preview!

The college basketball season is less than three weeks away, and here at FTN Fantasy we have you covered for what promises to be another thrilling year of upsets and incredible finishes. I will be taking you around the country with a betting preview of the major conferences. I recap the betting trends from last season, list projected starters, preview the season, identify a key player, and reveal how I’m backing or fading each team.

Let’s continue with the Big East, home of the two-time defending national champion Connecticut Huskies. This 11-team conference plays its conference tournament in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden in New York City. While UConn has won two straight NCAA Championships, there has been a new regular-season conference champion in each of the past four seasons. The Big East is one of the few conferences that did not expand or contract, relying on its rich history and elite level of basketball that started 45 years ago.

Let’s start with our betting preview for the Villanova Wildcats.

2024-2025 College Basketball Season Preview: Villanova Wildcats

Conference: Big East
Head Coach: Kyle Neptune (3rd season)
2021-2022 Record: 18-16 (10-10)
ATS: 17-17
O/U: 11-23
Projected Starters: G Jhamir Brickus; G Tyler Perkins; G Wooga Poplar; F Josiah Moseley; F Eric Dixon

It’s been a rough two years for head coach Kyle Neptune. The longtime Villanova assistant left for the head job at Fordham before the 2021-2022 season and provided a 14-win improvement for the Rams from their miserable 2-12 prior campaign. Then Jay Wright retired, and Neptune felt compelled to return to the school where he was an assistant coach 2013-2021.

Since his return, the Wildcats have compiled a 35-33 overall record, including an uninspiring 20-20 in conference play. Villanova finished tied for sixth with Providence and fell to a Tyler Kolek-less Marquette team in the Big East quarterfinals. They do return one of the most consistent interior players in the county in Eric Dixon (16.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 86.2% FT) and reserve Jordan Longino (6.6 PPG). But Neptune has clearly tied his job security to new arrivals via the transfer portal and recruiting trail. Wooga Poplar (13.1 PPG, 38.5 3P) comes in from Miami with a history of production, but more importantly, a winning pedigree. Freshman Josiah Moseley is 6-foot-6 and was one of the fastest risers through the prior season. The Texas Gatorade Player of the Year chose Villanova over Texas and USC. Pennsylvania product Jhamir Brickus (13.9 PPG, 4.9 APG, 1.2 SPG) joins the Wildcats from crosstown LaSalle.

Key Player: Josiah Moseley

The seat cannot be any hotter for Kyle Neptune, so it’s up to the highly touted freshman to save him. Two years ago, Neptune struggled with future NBA first-round pick Cam Whitmore, and last year he chose to battle with all transfers. This year, he doesn’t have the returning talent to win without a huge effort from Moseley. He needs to start, score and defend. With a superb veteran in Eric Dixon on the floor, Moseley will be set on the right path, but will he be able to save Neptune?

Projection