Villanova began to pull away from Lafayette midway through the second half of Monday night’s season opener, but a quick 6-0 spurt by the Leopards cut Nova’s lead to seven, 52-45, with 9 minutes, 13 seconds remaining. , and Kyle Neptune called a timeout.

It was a nerve-wracking night at times for the rookie Wildcats, and they turned the ball over during the timeout, one of their 17 giveaways. But on the ensuing impact, Wooga Poplar stole the ball, dove over a Lafayette defender and cut Villanova’s lead to nine. Exhale.

Villanova played without its best player, Eric Dixon, who was serving a one-game suspension, and sometimes needed an adult in the room, and Poplar, a senior transfer from Miami who played high school basketball at the former math, social studies and sciences. Charter School, played that role well in his Wildcats debut. He finished with a game-high 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds and a plus-16 rating. Villanova won 75-63, and Poplar was a big reason why.

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The Wildcats won’t want to play many games without Dixon, an obvious observation that anyone could have predicted before the ball tipped on a crucial 2024-25 Villanova season. But if there was one game Dixon had to miss, it might have been this one. Villanova knows what it has moving forward in its fifth year. He will compete for Big East Player of the Year. He’ll probably be the only reason they win a game or two or six along the way. What Neptunus may not have known before Monday was who would be Dixon’s most reliable sidekick.

A one-game example proves nothing, a theme that applies to much of Monday’s victory, but Poplar at least looked to fill the role of a versatile scoring wing that Villanova hasn’t had during Neptunus’ first two seasons as head coach.

“Wooga Poplar might be one of the best shooters we’ve had here,” Neptune said. “Undoubtedly one of the best athletes.”

Poplar made eight of his 13 shot attempts, including two 3-pointers on three attempts. He shot 38.5% from three-point range last season in Miami. Poplar’s 10 rebounds marked just the fourth time he hit double figures on the glass. He turned it over four times, but almost tied it with three steals.

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It was a homecoming for Poplar, who spent his early years playing on outdoor courts on Philadelphia’s north side. He had about 15 people at the game Monday, he said, and forgot to add some of the people he should have added to his ticket list.

“I’m just happy to be here,” he said.

Dixon will make his debut when Villanova continues its three-game-in-five-day start at home against Columbia on Wednesday, but his absence Monday meant Villanova embarked on four transfers and one returning player, Jordan Longino. No one who started for the Wildcats on Monday had played a single collegiate minute with any of his fellow starters, aside from a few scrimmages and an exhibition. It showed. The Wildcats were periodically accelerated by Lafayette’s pressure. They seemed disjointed on some offensive possessions. They missed assignments on defense.

Some of that was to be expected. Take a look around the Big East on opening night. Providence defeated Central Connecticut State by four. Xavier wrestled Texas Southern. DePaul needed overtime to beat Southern Indiana. Seton Hall squeaked at St. Peter’s. Butler narrowly defeated Missouri State. Of the eight Big East teams that opened their seasons on Monday, three won by double figures, and Villanova was one of them.

That’s all anecdotal, which is to say that if you’re feeling discouraged by a 12-point win as a 20-point favorite, it probably means you’re looking for reasons to be negative, a mentality Neptunus has probably earned by Villanova to two points. NIT first round exit in two seasons.

But there was more good than bad for Villanova on Monday, especially from Poplar and Enoch Boakye, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds and is easily the most athletic center Villanova has had in years. Boakye was brought in from Fresno State to allow Dixon to play his more natural power forward position, and we’ll get a first look at what that looks like Wednesday against Columbia (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network).

However, Poplar provided the dangerous weapon on the wing that Villanova so desperately needed as it teetered on the tournament bubble. Of all the possible X-factors, he’s the one with the most upside, the one who has the eyes of NBA scouts.

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Dixon and Longino are the last vestiges of Villanova’s Final Four past, but Poplar also has Final Four experience.

“I just try to win and compete and be the best teammate I can,” Poplar said. “I try to do everything across the board.”

Monday was the kind of game where the announcer said his name a lot. Which brings us to that name. Wooga, the nickname given to him by his grandmother (his first name is Nisine), is not pronounced woo-ga. It’s wu-ga. The PA announcer may have to get used to that.

So does every Villanova fan.