It was a magical Saturday night for Villanova as they punched their ticket to the Final Four in New Orleans for the third time in the past six NCAA Tournaments. But, a lower leg injury to junior guard Justin Moore late in the second half became an immediate cause for concern. Moore is the team’s second-leading scorer with 14.8 points per game and is their top on-ball defender.
Losing a prominent player like Moore becomes an even greater concern when you are unsure who will step into his place. Just six players on Villanova average ten or more minutes per game and with Moore’s 34.6 minutes per outing now missing from the rotation, it’s difficult to see who fills in.
Freshman guard Jordan Longino was likely the next man up based on rotation and fit, but he has been ruled out for the remainder of the NCAA Tournament. It’s likely that Bryan Antoine will be called upon to take on a bigger role, a junior guard who averages 1.5 points per game across 45 games with zero career starts.
Villanova National Championship Odds
The Villanova Wildcats are currently +350 to win the 2022 National Championship, per the FanDuel Sportsbook.