The Villanova Wildcats will host the Columbia Lions for a game on Wednesday night at Finneran Pavilion.

Both teams achieved a victory.

Villanova pulled ahead late and beat Lafayette 75-63 on Monday.

Meanwhile, Columbia came back to hold off Loyola (Md.) in a thriller, 81-78. The Lions trailed by as many as 12 points with less than seven minutes to play before making a late-game push to tie the game with 1:30 left.

Villanova and Columbia last met in the 2017-18 season opener at Wells Fargo, a game the Wildcats won 75-60.

However, this will be the Lions’ first trip to the Pavilion since the ill-fated Nov. 20, 2012 game in which Columbia defeated Villanova 75-57. It later turned out to be a turning point for then-freshmen Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu, and a spark that ignited them early in their careers.

The meeting point is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will also be available on CBS Sports Network.

Here are three things to keep in mind:

Geronimo!

Columbia senior Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa has been an impact player for the Lions since arriving as a freshman in the 2021-22 season.

He led the Lions in scoring the last two seasons and appears to be on track for another high-scoring year.

The 6-foot-10 guard scored 24 points on 7 of 13 shooting, with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in Columbia’s win Monday night.

Last year he had his best season yet. He posted career highs in scoring (14.4 points per game), shooting percentage (44.3%) and three-point shooting percentage (39.6%). Rubio De La Rosa has developed into a versatile scorer with each passing season. Everything Columbia does offensively starts with him.

Also keep an eye on Avery Brown, Columbia’s second-leading scorer each of the last two years, and junior Kenny Noland, who has a career-best 19 points.

The 6-foot-3 junior came primarily off the bench last season, but he appears to be taking on a much larger role this year. Noland scored 19 points, five assists and two steals in Monday’s game-winning drive.

Eric Dixon’s 2024-25 debut

Matthew Hodge is still going through the initial NCAA eligibility process, but Eric Dixon is expected to make his regular-season debut after serving a one-game suspension for his participation in the Portsmouth Invitational.

Dixon obviously strengthens the Wildcats overall. There were times last season when he carried it, and he will carry a lot on his shoulders again. Ideally, it won’t be a five-point game with just a few minutes left, but a more comfortable win for the Cats.

It will be interesting to see how much his presence enhances the Wildcats, especially when paired with some of the newer players.

We got a glimpse of Robert Morris’ exhibition game, where he led the way with 28 points on 11 of 16 shooting, including 5 of 9 shooting from long range, with six balls and three assists.

He also reportedly had 38 points in a secret scrimmage against Penn State in the preseason.

Now that we’re serious, how will Dixon begin his 2024-25 season?

Reduce these sales

Villanova had five scorers in double figures last time out, including a great debut from Wooga Poplar, who posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Josiah Moseley also showed promise in his collegiate debut, scoring 10 points on 5 of 5 shooting in 17 solid all-around minutes off the bench.

It will be interesting to see how they build on these performances or how Jordan Longino can recover from an ugly 3-of-14 shooting after a promising performance against Robert Morris.

However, the 17 turnovers against Lafayette are truly outstanding. That’s the most turnovers Villanova has recorded since its 78-65 loss to Saint Joseph’s on November 29, 2023.

Poplar and Jhamir Brickus each had four turnovers and three other players had multiple turnovers.

The Wildcats have typically taken care of the ball well, even ranking in the top 40 nationally for lowest turnover rate in Kyle Neptune’s first two years.

In the exhibition against Robert Morris, Villanova had 14 turnovers. That’s 31 turnovers in the Cats’ last two public appearances. Admittedly, there are still a few kinks to work out with a brand new roster, but that’s something to keep an eye on as we move forward.