Coming into the 2025-26 season, it felt like the Wildcats were stronger in the backcourt than in the frontcourt. There were two “reliable” projections in Tyler Perkins and Matt Hodge, but after that it was questions with a number of transfers coming in. As we now know, two of those transfers left the program during the season. As a result of that, the depth left Villanova with no margin for error when it comes to injury. Unfortunately, Hodge tore his ACL in a February game against St. John’s, and the Villanova frontcourt became
a problem for the rest of the season.
This year, the situation seems significantly more solidified with the additions of Kwame Evans Jr. and Devin Royal (coupled with the returns of both Perkins and Hodge). The recovery timeline for Hodge is the key here. Kevin Willard had stated at the time of the injury that he was expecting Hodge back in October. That would be roughly eight months post-surgery, which even today would be on the quicker side.
How reliant Willard is upon Hodge being available in November will go a long way in answering the question: Does Villanova need to add more forwards? Perkins primarily played the small forward last season, so we know he can do that once again. Ideally, he’s spending more of his time as a shooting guard this year. Royal can play both the three and the four, depending on matchups. Evans Jr. can play both the four and five, similarly matchup-based like Royal. With the four guards currently on the roster (Elijah Crawford, Buddy Simmons II, Jake Fiegen and Adam Oumiddoch), Villanova can theoretically run a tight, eight-man rotation until Hodge is back and up to speed. But as we saw a year ago, injuries can (and likely will) happen, so relying on just those eight for however long it will take is a risky maneuver.
That said, one thing you don’t want to do is overrecruit. Willard will have to find someone who is willing to potentially not be in the rotation once Hodge is back, which is hard to find in the current landscape of college basketball. Perhaps with the “5 in 5” ruling presumed to be implemented for the 2027-28 season, players are more agreeable to a situation like this (since it won’t require a redshirt).
Of course, we can’t know the full picture until the looming center situation is solidified. Only Nico Onyekwere is currently on the roster, and we do not know how ready he is to join the rotation next year, better yet be the starter. Adding a legitimate starting five will bring the healthy rotation to nine guys, which is typically the max for college teams to consistently play.
The best situation would likely be to find a rotation piece from a lower-level team that’s willing to take the role. Other Big East teams have done something similarly. Connecticut took on Jaye Nash from Jacksonville State, who averaged 5.1 points and 4 assists per game as a sophomore. St. John’s got a commitment from Mercer’s Kyle Cuffe Jr. recently, who averaged 7.3 points per game as a senior. That’s the kind of depth that Villanova should be able to lure in (and perhaps better given Hodge’s uncertainty).
Regardless, much like the guard situation, Villanova has to bring in more bodies simply for practice purposes. That said, there is a potential opportunity, albeit short-lived, to bring in a forward who can more likely contribute in a pinch.
