For the first time since the Jameer Nelson-era on Hawk Hill, St. Joe’s has won in back-to-back seasons over local rival Villanova with an 83-76 upset Tuesday night.
In what was a must win for both sides amidst a tough start to the 2024-25 campaign, it was a back-and-forth contest that provided the physicality which Philadelphia’s Big 5 has long been known for.
“I grew up in this area and on Big 5 basketball,” said St. Joe’s head coach Billy Lange. “[Coached] at Villanova and I’m here now at St. Joe’s. I say all that because I understand how much a game like this elevates the Hawk Hill community. I’m thrilled for Saint Joseph’s and the direction of our University and I understand what a win like this means for everyone.”
While Villanova’s Eric Dixon led all scorers with 24 points and St. Joe’s Xzayvier Brown managed a double-double of 18 points and 13 assists, it was the transfers doing the underlying work.
Keeping pace with Dixon from the Wildcat backcourt, La Salle transfer Jhamir Brickus made his Big 5 debut in the Villanova blue with 22 points, five boards and three assists on 9-for-15 shooting.
Beside him, Miami (FL) transfer Wooga Poplar added 13 points, eight rebounds and an assist despite a poor offensive night from the floor shooting just 27% while playing almost 38 minutes.
However, after a loss to Columbia just last week and now a second at St. Joe’s, Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune is left reeling for answers with a neutral court matchup against Virginia on the horizon.
“I thought [St. Joe’s] got to us and their pressure affected us,” Neptune said. “They got us a little out of sync defensively so we’ve got to sure that up, we’ve got to get the ball moving a little more, we’ve got to share the ball a little bit more.”
Though it’s been a difficult transition for St. Joe’s guard Derek Simpson – a Rutgers transfer who started 31 games in the Big Ten – he finished with a season-high statline of 16 points, six boards and four assists.
Opening the night with the Hawks first six points and before going 4-for-4 from the free throw line late into the second half to help see out the win, Simpson’s improvement was evident for Lange and Co.
“[Simpson’s] had good moments and pockets because he’s a good player,” Lange said. “I told him before the game, ‘I love you, I believe in you and just be present now.’ Maybe I’ve got to that before every game and have him take two three’s because he started off, took two three’s and I just thought he looked confident.”
Similarly to Simpson, Harvard transfer Justice Ajogbor has had a tough beginning to his career on Hawk Hill. Though he didn’t fill up the statsheet tonight with just four points and three rebounds, Ajogbor was tremendous on the defensive end, tracking down three blocked shots.
It certainly wasn’t a historic effort from one of the nation’s leading shot blockers a season ago, but a step in the right direction as he looks to find his footing amongst a talented Hawkes lineup.
“This group is still forming with two new guys in the starting five,” Lange said. “I’m just going to enjoy these guys getting better and it helps a lot when Derek [Simpson] and Justice [Ajogbor] have moments like this. The team will form and we’ll be what we’ll be by the end of the year.”
As struggles continue for the Wildcats though, Neptune knows he’ll need to see more from the depth of this roster if Villanova is to bounce back and compete in the Big East.
Fresno State transfer Enoch Boakye, who’s started all four games so far and had a double-double in the Villanova’s opener added just a pair of rebounds in his limited minutes.
Penn transfer Tyler Perkins, who was one of the Ivy League top freshmen in 2023-24, went 0-for-2 from the floor despite double-digit scoring efforts earlier this season against Lafayette and NJIT.
“We’ve got confidence in [our starters and] went with the guys that were out there just based off lineups and what they were doing in the time and space within the game,” Neptune said. “We chose to leave those guys there but I do look at our depth as a positive moving forward.”
As both Lange and Neptune are keen to point out, it’s very early into the 2024-25 season. However, the upset gives St. Joe’s an opportunity for back-to-back Big 5 Championships after winning the inaugural crown in last season’s renovated series format.
With the Hawks scheduled to face Pennsylvania this Friday, it’s a chance for St. Joe’s to book its ticket to the 2024 Big 5 Championship title bout against either Temple or La Salle on Dec. 7.
