Draft:Matthew Hodge

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Matthew Hodge, born on November 18th, 2004 in Belmar is an American College player for the Villanova Wildcats of the big east conference. A 6'8 forward, he attended St. Rose high school in Belmar, New Jersey. He redshirted the 2024-25 season due to an NCAA eligibility issue, and is expected to play a significant role for the team in the upcoming 2025-26 season.[1]

Early Life

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Matthew Hodge was born in Belmar, New Jersey, but spent much of his early life in Belgium, where his father, Odell Hodge played professional basketball.[2] Matthew and his younger brother, Jayden, moved to the United States in 2022 to attend St. Rose High School in New Jersey.[3] He and his brother lived with his high school coach, Brian Lynch, a former teammate of their father's while in Belgium. While at St. Rose, Matthew helped lead his team to a state championship.[4] He was a highly-touted recruit and ultimately committed to Villanova

High School

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Matthew Hodge spent his entire high school career at St. Rose High in Belmar, New Jersey after moving there from Belgium in 2022. He played for 2 seasons under coach Brian Lynch, a former Villanova alumnus. During his time at St. Rose, he was a standout player. As a senior, he averaged 17.0 points per game and 6.7 rebounds. He was also a key player on the team that won the New Jersey Class B Non-Public state title.[5] Hodge was a consensus four-star recruit and was ranked within the top 100 players of his class by ESPN and 247sports.[6] Before committing to Villanova, he received multiple scholarship offers.

Public Image

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Currently, Matthew Hodges' public image is centered heavily around his status as a promising Villanova basketball player who was expected to make an immediate impact on the court and the unique circumstances surrounding his redshirt freshman year. He was expected to make an immediate impact but wasn't able to due to an NCAA eligibility issue stemming from his high school coursework in Belgium.[7] This situation brought him into national spotlight, with notable sports journalists and commentators publicly supporting him and criticising the NCAA's decision.[8] His image is also mainly centered around his father, Odell Hodge, being a former professional basketball player. The narrative around him currently is one of anticipation, as fans and analysts are eager to see what he will accomplish with the team when he finally gets to play in a Villanova uniform. His decision to remain with Villanova despite his redshirt year has also cemented him as a committed and dedicated player.

Career Statistics

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Statistics
Year Team PPG RPG APG BPG
2022-23 St. Rose 14.8 3.4 1.3
2023-24 St. Rose 17.0 6.7 Not Available Not Available

Awards and Honors

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  • Helped to lead St. Rose to a New Jersey Class B Non-Public state title.
  • Key contributor on the team that won the 2024 Jordan Brand Classic
  • Consensus four-star recruit
  • Top 100 ranking (ESPN, 247sports)

See Also

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References

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  1. ^ "Matthew Hodge, Basketball Player, News, Stats - Eurobasket".
  2. ^ "Matthew Hodge Takes on the NCAA | Meet the Wildcats". 20 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Matt Hodge - Men's Basketball".
  4. ^ "Matt Hodge - Men's Basketball".
  5. ^ "Matt Hodge - Men's Basketball".
  6. ^ "Matthew Hodge Takes on the NCAA | Meet the Wildcats". 20 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Villanova Film Room: Matthew Hodge's Positionless Potential". 10 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Matthew Hodge Denied NCAA Eligibility for 2024-2025 Season".