Villanova’s Eric Dixon is Big 5 player of the year; Drexel’s Zach Spiker is top coach

Eight of the 13 players recognized on the All-Big 5 teams went into the transfer portal.

Villanova forward Eric Dixon shoots a foul shot against Butler at the Finneran Pavilion on Feb. 20.Read moreSteven M. Falk / Staff Photographer

Published Apr. 29, 2024, 3:32 p.m. ET

Eric Dixon of Villanova was named Big 5 men’s basketball player of the year in voting by coaches and the media, the City Series announced Monday afternoon.

Dixon, an Abington High grad, scored 16.6 points and added 6.5 rebounds per game in his fourth season at Villanova.

St. Joseph’s guard Xzavyier Brown picked up right where he left off at Roman Catholic and was named the Big 5′s top rookie for the 2023-24 season. Brown shot 40.4% from three-point range and tallied per-game averages of 12.7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He was also named Atlantic 10 freshman of the year.

Drexel’s Zach Spiker earned the Big 5 coach of the year award. Spiker led the Dragons to a 20-win season for the first time since he took over the program in 2017. Drexel finished second in the Coastal Athletic Association.

Other top award winners on the men’s side were Temple’s Hysier Miller (most improved player) and Drexel’s Mate Okros (scholar-athlete of the year).

Dixon was joined on the Big 5 first-team by Erik Reynolds II (St. Joe’s), Amari Williams (Drexel), Clark Slajchert (Penn), and Jhamir Brickus (La Salle).

The second-team was made up of Justin Moore (Villanova), Khalil Brantley (La Salle), TJ Bamba (Villanova), Miller, and Brown.

Drexel’s Justin Moore, Temple’s Jordan Riley, and Rasheer Fleming of St. Joe’s were honorable mention selections.

In what is a sign of the current times in college basketball, eight of those 13 players will play at new schools in 2024-25.

The Big 5 women’s basketball awards will be announced Tuesday.