Villanova survived a scare from Houston to punch their ticket to the Men’s Final Four. But most of the talk following the game surrounded the health of guard Justin Moore who suffered a right leg injury in the final moments of the win.
Moore slipped while driving to the basket with 35 seconds remaining and needed to be helped off the court. As his teammates celebrated the Wildcats 50-44 win, Moore headed back to the locker room on crutches.
Head coach Jay Wright told reporters that X-rays revealed no broken bones, however Moore was in visible pain on the bench and will likely require an MRI when the team returns home.
“It’s probably not good for Justin,” Wright said. The 6’4” junior had 8pts and 2 rebounds before going down with the lower leg injury. He currently ranks second on the team in points and assists while posting a 14.8pts/4.8reb/2.3ast statline for the year.
While Villanova prides itself on its depth, Moore’s contributions will certainly be missed if he’s ultimately ruled out for the Wildcats next game. Senior guard Caleb Daniels figures to slide into the starting lineup if the Washington, DC native is unable to go.
Bench players Chris Arcidiacono and Bryan Antoine are likely to see an increase in minutes as well. The Wildcats last won the Men’s National Championship in 2018.
Villanova is slated to take on the winner of Sunday’s Kansas vs. Miami game on April 2nd.