Villanova has seen plenty of movement already as the transfer portal window has opened.
After losing both Acaden Lewis and Bryce Lindsay in the portal, the Wildcats received good news regarding two important starters.
On Tuesday, Jeff Neiburg of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that both Tyler Perkins and Matt Hodge will return next season. Perkins will have one year of eligibility remaining while Hodge, who redshirted last season, will have three left.
Perkins came into the season as the only player
who previously logged any minutes for Villanova in the prior year. He took on the sixth man role, averaging 6.3 points per game. Perkins took a huge step forward and became the Wildcats leading scorer with 13.7 points per game. He shot 44% from the field and 36.9% from three-point range. Perkins was also one of Villanova’s better free throw shooters at 74.5%.
Perkins quickly became a fan favorite. He drew comparisons to Josh Hart because of his style of play, which included being a good defender and rebounder for his size.
Hodge was his season cut short after suffering a torn ACL on Feb. 28. The 6-foot-8 forward stepped into the starting lineup after not playing in his first season with the team. Hodge averaged 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 36.8% from three-point range.
Villanova will likely prioritize size in the transfer portal with the loss of Duke Brennan and Braden Pierce. Hodge has the ability to man the power forward position but depending how Kevin Willard fills out the roster, there will be chances for Hodge to play the three because of his ability to shoot and this will add more size.
The Wildcats will need to make many moves in the transfer portal but returning both Perkins and Hodge is a big boost heading into next season.
