Villanova’s Wooga Poplar was ejected following a confrontation with Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber on Monday. Poplar was called for a flagrant 2 foul after throwing a forearm at Sorber early in the game.
The incident happened in the first half, with Wildcats senior guard Poplar getting tangled up with Hoyas junior Jayden Epps as they jockeyed for position near the three-point arc. After some seemingly heated exchange, Hoyas senior Micah Peavy inserted himself into the scene and said something to Poplar, apparently agitating the Wildcats player.
Then Georgetown’s 6-foot-10 forward Thomas Sorber went to the scene, pushing Poplar away from his teammates. The Villanova star, who thought it was the last straw, threw out his arm at Sorber. Fortunately, he was restrained by his teammate Jordan Longino, preventing things from getting completely out of hand.
And extracurriculars between Villanova and Georgetown!
Wooga Poplar was given a Flagrant 2 and an ejected from the game pic.twitter.com/rpJV8pfhBx
— Ryan Cassidy (@ryancassidycbb) January 20, 2025
Officials reviewed the incident caught on video and charged Wooga Poplar with a flagrant 2 foul, ejecting him early in the game. The Villanova guard ended his night early, finishing with only three points in seven minutes of playing time.
Wooga Poplar is ejected after the altercation on the court pic.twitter.com/msbWoxvx6a
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 20, 2025
With Poplar out of the game, the Hoyas defeated the Wildcats 64-63. Villanova’s senior forward Eric Dixon led the team with 29 points, but coach Kyle Neptune’s squad still failed to overcome the Hoyas.
Villanova was leading 63-55 with only a few minutes left to play, until the Hoyas mounted a 9-0 comeback run, with Micah Peavy closing the game and sealing the win with a layup with 0.1 seconds left on the game clock.
Wooga Poplar is enjoying his senior season at Villanova
Despite the ejection early in the game that cost them the win against Georgetown, Villanova senior Wooga Poplar is enjoying a strong senior campaign. He is currently averaging a career-high 14.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game for the Wildcats (12-8, 5-4 Big East).
Poplar played three seasons with the Miami Hurricanes before moving to Wells Fargo ahead of the 2024-25 season. He averaged 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while starting all 29 games in his final year with the Hurricanes.
Alongside Eric Dixon, Poplar has emerged as a leading contributor to Kyle Neptune’s team. He had his best scoring performance in a 68-80 loss against St. John’s on Jan. 11. He finished with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting that night.
Wooga Poplar has recorded five double-doubles this season, including their Friday game against Providence, where he tallied 15 points and 13 rebounds in the 75-73 win. He has scored double figures in 15 of Villanova’s last 20 games.
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