Villanova Forward Matt Hodge Shows Rare Loyalty | Meet the Wildcats

This is one in a series of stories previewing each member of the 2026-27 Villanova Men’s Basketball roster.

Villanova forward Matt Hodge broke into the Wildcats’ starting lineup as a redshirt freshman after an eligibility dispute with the NCAA kept him off the court for the duration of the 2024-25 season. He gives Villanova a rare combination of size (6-foot-8) and shooting, cashing in on 36.8 percent of his three-point attempts last season… and after a shaky first two months, finished on a 28-of-65 (43.1 percent) heater through the heart of Big East play.

Hodge wasn’t able to put the finishing touches on that turnaround, however, as he tore the ACL in his right knee on Feb. 28 against St. John’s. Rehabbing that injury will cost Hodge regular season games: he underwent surgery in early March, an operation that has a minimum return time of roughly nine months. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported in early October that Hodge “continues to progress, but has no timetable for a return,” perhaps indicating that his rehab will take even longer.

Finding a Better Fit

When Hodge does make it back on the court, however, he’ll join a Wildcats’ lineup far better suited to fit his talents. The addition of 7-foot-3 center Luigi Suigo and 6-foot-10 power forward Kwame Evans Jr. will improve Villanova’s spacing. Instead of sticking to the wing last season, Hodge had to play the four and try to help Duke Brennan in the paint, caught between two worlds in an undersized lineup instead of doing what he does best.

6-foot-6 Devin Royal is the presumptive starter at the three, likely relegating Hodge to a bench role when he does manage to return… but that might end up just what he needs as he reacclimates to the pace of Division I basketball.

Film of Hodge’s redshirt freshman season showed a hardworking sharpshooter willing to put the team first as he helped out on the glass and did what the Wildcats needed him to do. The fact he stayed at Villanova despite likely falling out of the starting lineup speaks volumes to his outlook in a me-first era of college basketball, and another year of experience in a system better tailored for his strengths should help Hodge make a leap once he returns to health.