With a rivalry game on the horizon, Villanova has no time to sulk about the state of the program.
Kyle Neptune and the visiting Wildcats aim to focus on archrival Saint Joseph’s when the teams meet Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Since taking over for two-time national champion coach Jay Wright, Neptune has missed the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons at Villanova. The Wildcats (2-1) then absorbed a 10-point home loss to Columbia last week before recovering with a crisp 91-54 victory over NJIT on Friday.
Still, Neptune knows there will be plenty of eyes on Villanova’s progress as he navigates Year 3 of his tenure.
“For sure, we haven’t performed to the standard of where Villanova basketball has been,” Neptune said. “If that’s the truth, OK. The only thing I can do is worry about what myself and our staff can control, and that’s trying to prepare this team to be the best it can be by the end of the season, and doing that with joy and doing that with a positive attitude.”
Eric Dixon registered 22 points and 10 rebounds in the win over NJIT and is averaging 27.5 points and eight boards in his two games this season.
He’ll certainly be a focus of the defensive game plan for the Hawks, who are looking to rebound from a 73-67 loss to Central Connecticut State. Rasheer Fleming led Saint Joseph’s with 19 points and 16 rebounds.
“We’re not there yet,” said Saint Joseph’s coach Billy Lange, who added that his team is “still working through voice commands” on the defensive end.
The series between Villanova and Saint Joe’s, known as the “Holy War,” dates back to 1921. The Wildcats had won 11 matchups in a row before losing 78-65 last November.
This game is part of the Big 5 Classic series, in which the six Division I programs in the Philadelphia area compete for the city crown. The victory over Villanova last season helped Saint Joe’s win under the new Big 5 format, which also includes Temple, La Salle, Drexel and Penn. Drexel was added to the series last season.
–Field Level Media
