Villanova Guard Zion Stanford Suffers Ankle Injury

UPDATE: Per Villanova head coach Kevin Willard following the team’s preseason win over VCU, Zion Stanford could be out as late as December, missing much of the team’s out-of-conference slate; Tafara Gapare will return within a week, while Devin Askew will return to practice after the season opener against BYU.

Villanova Men’s Basketball guard Zion Stanford will miss two to three weeks with a sprained ankle, Wildcats head coach Kevin Willard announced in a radio interview with David Szczepanski on Thursday, Oct. 16. The Wildcats will play in their season opener against BYU on Monday, Nov. 3, right in the middle of that two to three week timeline, putting Stanford’s availability in jeopardy for the start of the season.

Stanford, a junior with two seasons of eligibility remaining, spent the first two years of his college career at another Big 5 school, Temple. He grew up in the Philadelphia area, attending West Catholic High School, and put up 13.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season despite starting just 14 of the 31 games he played.

A 6-foot-6, 205 pound shooting guard who the Owls listed at forward, Willard talked about Stanford’s ability to play almost any spot in the lineup because of his combination of size and athleticism during the Wildcats’ Media Day.

Stanford is the second Villanova guard to go down with a preseason injury, joining graduate transfer Devin Askew.