Between being ruled academically ineligible in his freshman season and tearing his ACL this past February, Matt Hodge has been through a lot in a short amount of time. That resilience and commitment to Villanova basketball is going to be key, as his recovery and role for the upcoming season is crucial to the Wildcats’ success.
Hodge suffered his season-ending injury on Feb. 28 at St. John’s, and Kevin Willard has implied on a number of occasions that that injury essentially ended Villanova’s hopes of an NCAA-Tournament run. Since that time, Willard has said that Hodge is progressing well in his recovery. Though, in recent interviews, Willard has insinuated that he could potentially be out until December or later. One thing is for certain: Hodge will not be rushed back from his injury. Even a return by the New Year would be less than nine months since his surgery.
The absence of Hodge, against Michigan especially, would put more pressure on both Kwame Evans Jr. and Luigi Suigo to start the year, as the only remaining players above 6’6” on the roster would be redshirt freshman Nico Onyekwere and Towson transfer Abdou Samb. Neither of those players are sure to be part of the rotation, better yet able to give legitimate minutes against a frontcourt like the Wolverines have.
But as much as those early games are important, getting Hodge back healthy is more so. In his first official collegiate campaign, Hodge showed his ability to defend and hit the three from the power forward spot. Playing alongside Duke Brennan hurt his rebounding stats, but he’s likely better on the glass than the raw numbers depict. The good news is that with this roster, Hodge will be able to play more of his natural role on both offense and defense.
Offensively, Hodge’s versatility will allow Willard to use him in bigger lineups with both Devin Royal and one of Evans Jr. or Suigo, as well as in smaller lineups featuring three guards (with Tyler Perkins back at small forward like he was a year ago). Hodge can also replace Royal and play with the double-bigs. In the 2025-26 season, Willard didn’t have much choice with regards to Hodge and Perkins, but that won’t be the case this year. I am particularly excited about the Royal-Hodge-Evans Jr. frontcourt, as all three can drive and shoot while being able to switch every screen.
Defensively, Hodge can now be more of a free safety, showing his ability to block shots from the weak side. That skill was especially apparent in the overtime win against Wisconsin, where he registered a season-high three blocks. Hodge also won’t be required to bang as much down low, as Royal has the strength to do that and Evans Jr. will be playing much of his time at the four. And if the rebounding is more of a concern than anticipated, Royal, Evans Jr., Suigo and Perkins will help with that.
Ultimately, Hodge will not be returning to his starting spot that he had a season ago. He likely will not be able to replicate his 9.2 points per game that he averaged last season. But that does not mean that he’s less vital to the team’s success. Being the only reserve big man that can confidently be relied upon, as well having the skillset that can fit into any lineup configuration, Hodge’s health and productivity will go a long way in determining how successful Villanova is in 2026-27.