Eric Dixon After closing one of Villanova’s most renowned careers in history, he heads to the 2025 NBA Draft. A 6-7.5 (without shoes), almost 7 feet of wingspan and 258 pounds measured, Dixon combines classic big physicality with modern four floor spacing skills. Perhaps five of the small balls, or the next level, score forward, he can place a rock on the floor, attack from a dribbling, and start a break after grabbing the board.
Dixon’s steady rise over five seasons was built on relentless work and adaptability. He went from the Reserve to Villanova’s all-time best scorer, averaging a nationally-high 23.3 points as a senior, scoring 2,314 points in 162 games.
On the floor, Dixon is a pick-and-pop threat and interior bruiser, using his footwork and strength to punish mismatches. He kept his defense in integrity by firing more than 3 of 7 per game, achieving deep 40.7% in his final year, showing a high IQ as a screener and playmaker. Defensively, he brings a strong base – perhaps the most muscular thighs known to humans since Hercules – bringing boxing outs, conflict shots, and paint sculpture space.
Dixon is praised by the court for his humility and leadership. This is a quality that matches Villanova’s reputation in developing professionals with a locker room presence that is NBA-compatible.
Dixon sits with hoopshype and discusses his journey like Villanova culture, his family and mentor Jalen Branson and Mikal Bridge To shape his professionally prepared approach and unlock his flipped skill set.
Eric Dixon: For me, it’s just one of the things that brought together effort and opportunity. I didn’t just start shooting 3s this summer and dealing with the ball. I’ve always been working on that. My accomplishments are to my trainer and my family for always pushing me and getting ready. When this last summer came, I spoke to many coaches about the people we could bring in and who we could have. He told me, “If you bring someone, make sure it’s off the goal board, don’t turn the ball over, be consistent and guard at the first level.” I said, “We give it a chance.” He gave it a chance and then I had to see what was going on. We made some shots and had some good games and thought, “Okay, this actually works.” You can take the guys to the next level and play from there. But I’ve always worked on my game. We’re always building.
ed: I’m always confident and always hardworking. I was confident what would be shown and everything would pass. It was just a matter of luck.
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ed: It’s crazy and hard to believe. When I came in, I wouldn’t have thought I was in the record book of the spot I was in, but that’s a good thing. Given those records, I think of the people there, those who helped me get there. It wasn’t smooth all the time. When I was 19, when I came out of my freshman year, I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me where I was going. For me, it is a testament to the program and our family.
ed: It was amazing. I have a great support system and circle. My family – my mother and father – have come to LA again for the past two or three years. My best friends, my high school close friends, my principal, counselors and teachers all supported me. That was everything I could ask for. The first two years began with small rocky ones near the house. When my family came, I wanted them to watch me grow up and play, but instead they saw me struggle a little with trying new things. Still, I’ve grown. My past four years have been great. They came out, supported me and showed me love. I appreciate it
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ed: For me, it still feels early. After getting a lot of feedback, I just say it feels completely different. First of all, I’m here. I’m at the combine. Some of that comes down to the fact that not everyone saw it as a prospect in me. I was often considered small or not athletic. Coming out this year, being close to the coaching staff gave me the opportunity to change the game and show another aspect of what I can do and what I can do. The level of severity around me as a player is definitely different this year, and the opportunity I’m becoming feels much greater. I am truly optimistic about being here and this opportunity.
ed: I’m not saying there’s anything wrong. That wasn’t really important. [laughter] I’ve never been to a game, I’m too small. [laughter] I just went with it.
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ed: I’m moving forward forever. My dad trusted my skills and trusted my filming, but also trusted my postgame and footwork. Just the basics – start with a head fake and drop steps – and you’ll be built on it. It all stacks together over time. I’ve always worked with a coach. I was 8 or 9 years old so this was normal for me. Especially when I played in sixth and seventh graders, that elbow spot was in my area. Learning how to score in these tight spaces made me really effective there. I had great trainers in high school and I was seeing my potential, but now that I’m big and strong, people want to help me grow. Almost every day, I work on it on a daily basis, focusing on fitness, tough shots, and skills like that.
ed: It’s definitely a matchup against a matchup and I play based on the feel. There are movements that I like to use from certain spots on the floor, and usually there is a plan when I get the ball.
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ed: On the first day I bring intelligence, toughness and the ability to connect to both sides of the floor. One thing that stands out is my screening ability and my tricks to help my teammates get open. I played with lots of great security guards in college last season. Justin [Moore] others. I was pride in taking shots of those guys, and once they got hot you couldn’t stop them. The defenders also had to respect my ability to film. In my third grade, I didn’t shoot much, but when I did, I was open – a defense focused on everyone else, but I made the shot. That’s what I bring – connecting teams and creating smart plays.
ed: This year, we had more structures on our set, but for most of my career I played more games that flow more freely. I think it’ll come quite naturally. Most of my movements are go-to and counters. If defense takes away my first option, I’m ready for the counter. I think that explains my game very well.
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ed: That’s what I’ll bring to the table. We switched a lot to Nova, but that’s something we constantly worked on. It provides comfortable protection for every position, from point guard to center. My figure and the way I think about my game makes it possible for me to do it. Protecting three, four or five people is nothing new to me. I’m excited about this challenge and to stand up to the best in the world. You’re ready to step up.
ed: I think that’s culture. That’s why I went there. After graduating from high school I knew I needed to learn a lot about being an expert – on time, I had to learn how to eat, live, and work. You will learn all of them there. We learn a lot about how to treat people, how to talk to people, and how to masculinity. That’s what they’re focusing on. Basketball is great, but it’s pretty much secondary. The kind of men they create and produce makes it special, and that’s why so many of those people succeed.
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ed: For me, that’s great for the brand. The best part is seeing those guys come back. I had a pretty good relationship with Mikal and JB. It’s nice to see them succeed. They come back, they are part of the brotherhood and you want to see your brother do well. Seeing them succeed is a huge boost for the brand and the program. Something like that is great, but it’s even better to see people I’ve seen succeeding hard. I remember being around Mikal last summer and seeing how much he worked in his game and seeing him hit those shots in the game. It’s fun to see that hard work pay off. I remember being around JB after he signed with the Knicks. It was great to see him do it.
ed: I’m not saying it had a major impact on the game. It influenced me as a person and as a person. Such a person will come back to your school and spend time talking to you. Basketball is something everyone thinks, but it’s secondary. It’s really about the people they’re like. One thing I always notice is that bad people don’t usually make it, and that all of them are good people. Their intentions are always authentic. Conversations allow you to see how well they connect and how they treat others. That’s part of the foundation there.
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ed: Not all good people will succeed at the highest level, but there are not many bad people at the top. Being a good person is really important. It is important that you have the right intentions for anything you do. Show up, on time, respectful, shaking hands, looking at the part, looking at the people in your eyes when you are talking to you, giving someone a t-shirt or welcoming them. When I came to high school, I needed all those lessons and that discipline. Time is important and it’s about small things. There’s nothing crazy, but those little things make a difference. At this level, everyone is talented. It’s a small thing that separates you.
ed: I don’t know where he got it or who called it. When I was there, I was focused on doing the right thing. I really don’t know what’s off. It’s kind of cool to see his role in terms of his leadership and his ability to communicate what he was seeing and going on. He has made some changes, especially over the past three years.
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ed: It was definitely a surprise to see it happening live, but he won it. He deserves it. As a coach, he watched movies and spent time with us on the board. It wasn’t the real thing at first, but I was preparing for that transition for a while. We all knew Kyle Neptune It was a success at Fordham. When he went in he tested us and we really didn’t miss the beat. The program continued to move forward and we adapted to what we were doing. It was a transition and things were different, but not so bad.
