NEW YORK — Villanova starting forward Matt Hodge injured his right leg during Saturday night’s 89-57 loss to No. 15 St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.
With the Wildcats trailing by 24 early in the second half, Hodge lost the ball as he tried to make a move and went down in a heap clutching his right knee near the basket.
After the next whistle, play was stopped and Hodge received attention as he remained on the floor. He didn’t put any pressure on his right leg as he was helped off the court.
Hodge, a 6-foot-8 redshirt freshman from Belgium, began the night averaging 9.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He was shooting 36.4% on 132 attempts from 3-point range.
It could be a costly loss for Villanova, which entered 22-6 and appears headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. In their first season under coach Kevin Willard, the Wildcats sit third in the Big East standings.
