The State of the Nova Nation podcast
For fans of the Villanova Wildcats' basketball program.
Episodes
Emma Houghton (@emma_houghton9) and Eugene Rapay (@erapay5) recap all of Villanova's non-conference schedule as the first part of the season comes to a close. They discuss most improved player, Kevin Willard's coaching style and expectations for Big East play before finishing it out with mailbag questions. Be sure to subscribe to the pod, leave us a review and follow us on X @SoNNpod.
Emma Houghton (@emma_houghton9) and Eugene Rapay (erapay5) return to the mics to break down Villanova's recent stretch of games. They try not to overreact to the team's 20-point loss to Michigan, but discuss the key takeaways from the game, including Willard's rotation, Matt Hodge's shot selection and rebounding woes. Then, they preview Nova's next game against Pitt before answering questions from a full mailbag...
Emma Houghton (@emma_houghton9) and Eugene Rapay (@erapay5) discuss Villanova's first two wins of the '25-'26 season. They break down the three-point shooting barrage from Lindsay and Askew, the rebounding battles and the offensive balance on the roster. Lastly, the duo answer a full bag of questions from the mailbag! Be sure to subscribe to the show, leave us a rating and follow us on X @SoNNpod.
Emma Houghton (@emma_houghton9) and Eugene Rapay (@erapay5) are back to break down Villanova's 5-point loss to BYU in the season opener. The duo discuss key takeaways from the game, including rotation depth, the team's rebounding effort and individual performances from Acaden Lewis, Duke Brennan and more. Lastly, they preview Nova's next two home games before giving final thoughts on Week 1 of Villanova Basketball. Be s...
It's the 2025-2026 season opening episode! Emma Houghton (@emma_houghton9) and Eugene Rapay (@erapay5) are back to recap the new-look Villanova roster. They discuss the roster turnover, expectations for Kevin Willard in his first year as head coach and the key things to fix after the Kyle Neptune era. Lastly, the duo preview Villanova's season opener vs BYU on Monday night. Be sure to subscribe to the pod, follow us on X @S...
Emma and Pat recap the season by looking back at some of the best/worst moments, the most improved player, most surprising development and some moments to forget. The duo then discuss Villanova's transfer portal progress so far and discuss the state of the team. They then finish by answering your questions with a jam packed edition of the mailbag. During the show, Pat also makes an announcement regarding a change for the show g...
Emma and Pat react to the news that Kevin Willard has been announced as the tenth head coach in Villanova Men’s Basketball history. They discuss the chaotic week that led up to his hire as well as their level of excitement with the selection. Is this an underwhelming selection, or is this exactly what the Cats’ need? They then review his body of work both on the court and in the portal before turning their attention to the upcoming...
Emma and Pat discuss the dismissal of Kyle Neptune and how they will remember his three years as head coach. They discuss the key wins, major failures and what all led to his undoing. The duo then turn their attention to the future scoping out the coaching carousel landscape and tipping which coaches they’d love to see as the next coach, which coaches are more realistic and which ones they’d stay away from. They then finish by answ...
The Big East Tournament is finally here, and Emma and Pat get you ready for the best part of the season! The duo preview Villanova's matchup against Seton Hall on Wednesday night before scaling back and previewing the rest of the Big East Tournament bracket. Then, they discuss their picks for Big East honors before answering questions from the mailbag. Be sure to subscribe to the pod, leave us a rating and follow us on X @SoNNp...
Pat takes you through his reaction to Villanova's loss at the hands of the Georgetown Hoyas. He describes the sequence of events that led to yet another blown lead down the stretch and spotlights the roles that both the coaching staff and players had in the collapse. He then finishes the episode by answering your questions in the mailbag. Be sure to subscribe to the show, leave a rating and follow us on X @SoNNpod.
Pat takes you on a solo show to react to Villanova's crushing loss at the hands of the Uconn Huskies. He takes this loss out to the bigger picture of Nova basketball and illustrates how this past week sums up much of the past three years. He then takes you through some trends on Villanova's 1H vs 2H performances and finishes up with answering your questions in the mailbag. Subscribe to the show, leave a rating and follow us on X @S...
Emma and Pat record an instant reaction episode to Villanova's electric 73-71 win over St. John's on Wednesday night. The duo discuss Wooga Poplar's offensive performance, St. Johns' shooting woes and Eric Dixon's development over Nova's last few games. Lastly, Emma and Pat answer a great round of mailbag questions, including how this win affects Villanova's future. Be sure to subscribe to the pod, leave...
Emma and Pat dish out their midterm grades for all of the players as well as Kyle Neptune and Baker Dunleavy. They conclude with a mailbag and a look towards hosting Creighton on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center. Be sure to subscribe to the show, leave a rating and follow us on X @SonnPod.
Emma and Pat are joined by Tommy Godin (X/@tommygodinjr) to talk all things Villanova basketball! The trio discuss the state of the team after Nova's one point loss to Georgetown at the Finneran Pavilion on Monday. Then, they dive deeper into topics like Eric Dixon's offensive usage, the team's defensive woes and Jordan Longino's developmental leap. Be sure to subscribe to the show, leave us a rating and follow us on X @SoNNpod.
Emma and Pat break down Villanova's losses to Saint John's and Xavier which have halted momentum after the big win against UConn. The team examines what's going wrong and the fundamental flaw of this squad. The duo then set their sights on a matchup with the Friars on Friday night at Wells Fargo before finishing with a big mail bag. Be sure to subscribe to the show, leave a rating and follow us on X @SoNNpod.
Emma and Pat break down Villanova's MASSIVE win over ninth ranked UConn on Wednesday night. The duo discuss the wild ending to this game, Jordan Longino's heroic defensive performance and where this win ranks in the Kyle Neptune era. They also talk about how the season outlook changes with a win like this in the books. Be sure to subscribe to the pod, leave us a rating and follow us on X @SoNNpod.
Emma and Pat are reunited as they react to Villanova's improbable comeback win against Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The duo discuss how the Cats' were able to mount the comeback and spotlight some fantastic performances from Eric Dixon and Wooga Popler. The two also chat about how this win impacts perception of the Cats and what their resolution should be in 2925. Be sure to subscribe to the show, leave a rating and follow us on X ...
Emma breaks down Villanova's 79-67 win over Seton Hall on Tuesday night. She discusses Tyler Perkins' and Josiah Moseley's huge nights, Kyle Neptune's rotation decisions and Nova's ability to win despite a quiet game from Eric Dixon. Lastly, she previews the upcoming matchup against Creighton before answering some mailbag questions. Be sure to subscribe to the pod, leave us a rating and follow us on X @SoNNpod.
Villanova beat Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night for it's fourth straight win of the season, and the team rises to 7-4. That concluded 'Nova's non-conference part of the season, so Emma gives her takeaways from the last 11 games. Then, she preview's Villanova's first conference game against Seton Hall next week before answering some mailbag questions. Be sure to subscribe to the pod, leave us a rating and review and follow us ...
Emma and Pat recap Villanova's big victory over #14 Cincinnati at the Finneran Pavilion. They spotlight the ridiculous tear that Eric Dixon is on, the impact of Jhamir Brickus as well as some adjustments that the team and staff seemed to make on Tuesday night. The duo then finish out with a look at the Big 5 Classic and a mailbag. Be sure to subscribe to the show, leave a rating and follow us on X @SonnPod.
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