Villanova signee Matthew Hodge will try to finish his high school career with a championship
While St. Rose makes its run, the Villanova commit has his eye on the Wildcats.
The result was never in doubt, from the middle of the first quarter onward. But Monday night’s South Jersey Non-Public B championship game was missing something, and Matthew Hodge knew it.
How could this blowout St. Rose High School victory over Bishop Eustace come and go without the 6-foot-8 Villanova signee getting above the rim?
“I felt that way, I think our fans felt that way, too,” Hodge said.
In the fourth quarter, Hodge put his stamp on the game. He got out in transition for a windmill dunk, and then after a Eustace turnover, teammate Evan Romano tossed the ball off the backboard for another Hodge slam.
Belmar’s St. Rose romped to an 82-40 win, with Hodge, the 68th-ranked class of 2024 recruit according to 247 sports, leading the way with 26 points.
Hodge, one of two top-70 Villanova signees, barely had to show off his full skill set during the easy victory. His team led 8-0 before Hodge and his younger brother, sophomore Jayden, got on the board.
» READ MORE: Villanova’s offense goes silent in key loss to Seton Hall: ‘They kind of just outlasted us’
Hodge scored on his first attempt, a smooth drive into the lane and finish near the rim, to give St. Rose a 15-6 lead. The next possession, he drove again, then spotted Jayden in the corner, and his younger brother hit a three-pointer, three of his 12 points on the night.
There was more from Hodge, including a tough basket through contact early in the second half and later a step-back three-pointer to bump St. Rose’s lead to 49-26.
But it was the dunks that really left their mark.
“It kind of sealed the deal,” Hodge said.
The deal isn’t sealed on St. Rose’s season, though. Hodge and the rest of the Purple Roses will try to finish what they couldn’t last season and win the Non-Public B final Friday at Rutgers, where they play Montclair Immaculate.
“We were trying to set the tone for Friday to win a state championship,” Hodge said of Monday’s win.
Win or lose, it’s the last big game separating Hodge from the Main Line, a journey that started in Belgium, where the Hodge brothers were born and raised because their father, Odell, played professionally, later becoming a general manager.
When Brian Lynch, who played at Villanova from 1996 to 2006 and worked with Odell Hodge in Belgium, got the head coaching job at St. Rose, the Hodge brothers moved to America to live with and play for Odell’s friend and their godfather.
» READ MORE: Villanova’s first 2024 recruit brings a taste of Europe
The elder Hodge was in the crowd Monday night at Lenape High School, sitting with another longtime friend in basketball and life, Mike Jones, the new head coach at Old Dominion, where the two friends played and lived together as roommates. Old Dominion has already offered a scholarship to Jayden, 247′s 33rd-ranked recruit in the 2026 class.
Matthew Hodge, who committed to Villanova in September, has been focused on finishing off a championship run, which would be St. Rose’s first since 1977, but said he’s been tracking Villanova’s push for a NCAA tournament berth. The Hodge brothers attended Villanova’s Feb. 11 win over Seton Hall and sat behind the Wildcats’ bench with Lynch.
“It’s pretty exciting, being able to go into March watching college basketball, seeing ‘Nova play their ass off and we’re right there in the playoffs,” Hodge said. “It’s pretty cool to get both of those experiences.”
» READ MORE: NJSIAA admits referees’ error in a call that gave Camden a win over Manasquan. But the call will stand.
Hodge said he’s looking forward to bringing a “winning mentality” to Villanova.
The Wildcats’ recruiting class, Kyle Neptune’s second since taking over following Jay Wright’s retirement two Aprils ago, is ranked 23rd by 247sports. Along with Hodge, Villanova has 6-6 forward Josiah Moseley from Texas (ranked 62nd by 247) and Malcolm Thomas from Maryland (149th).
Hodge said he liked watching how Villanova responded after a losing streak and turned its season around to get back in the NCAA tournament discussion.
“That’s the first thing I found out about Villanova, that family culture, that ‘attitude’ mindset,” he said. “That’s what I want to have, too, and I feel like it’s just a perfect fit for both of us.”
First, though, a championship game. St. Rose, the top-ranked team in New Jersey, is expected to win thanks in large part to Hodge.
“They’ve been calling us the heavy favorite for the whole season, but we don’t think that way,” he said. “Every game has to be played, no matter what. Anything can happen, so we’re just going to be ready to play.”