Outperforming Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and more in points, a look into Villanova's Eric Dixon's dominant season so far
Villanova forward Eric Dixon has impressed college basketball fans. He is giving freshmen Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and many potential Naismith Player of the Year candidates a run for their money due to his excellent performance early into the 2024-25 season.
In nine games, the 6-foot-8 Dixon has averaged 25.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He has shot 53.0% from the field and 85.1% from the free-throw line.
The forward's sudden surge could be attributed to his accurate sniping from the 3-point line. He made 3.7 shots out of 6.8 attempts per outing for an out-of-this-world clip of 54.1%.
Dixon has made multiple 3-pointers in eight Villanova matchups, including three games in which he made five 3-pointers, two in which he buried four triples and three games in which he knocked down three 3-pointers.
His Naismith-worthy-like run early in the season has already drawn comparisons with blue-chip freshmen Cooper Flagg of Duke and Dylan Harper of Rutgers.
Flagg, the No. 1-ranked freshman in the Class of 2024, tallied averages of 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks in nine games. Meanwhile, Harper, the No. 3-ranked freshman, has posted more impressive stats of 23.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.0 steals per outing.
Another player who could be in the hunt for the individual awards is Stanford forward Maxime Raynaud. In 10 games, the 7-foot-1 Raynaud has 22.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, leading the Cardinal to an 8-2 record.
Eric Dixon's decision to withdraw from 2024 NBA draft has helped Villanova remain in Big East contention
Eric Dixon withdrew from the 2024 NBA draft in favor of helping Villanova coach Kyle Neptune build on an impressive campaign for the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Fast forward to the new season, and Dixon is on a roll, scoring 20-plus points in eight games. These include a 38-point outburst in the Wildcats' loss against Maryland, a 33-point effort against Columbia and a 31-point night against No. 14 Cincinnati.
The Wildcats are 6-4 in the Big East standings. They are a game behind back-to-back national champions UConn and three games back of 9-1 Marquette.
Eric Dixon hopes to use his dominance this season to lead the Wildcats to an NCAA Tournament berth. He will aim to continue his impressive offensive numbers in the Big East regular season, where Marquette, UConn and Creighton are ready to clamp him down on defense.
Will Eric Dixon maintain his impressive showing in the remainder of the 2024-25 college basketball season? Let us know your views in the comments section.