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Justin Moore announces his intent to return for a fifth and final season at Villanova

Moore’s return was the biggest question mark of Villanova’s offseason, and with him, the Wildcats are expected to be contenders in an improved Big East next season.

Villanova's Justin Moore is introduced as part of the starting lineup against Georgetown in the Big East Tournament first round game at Madison Square Garden on March 8.
Villanova's Justin Moore is introduced as part of the starting lineup against Georgetown in the Big East Tournament first round game at Madison Square Garden on March 8.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff Photographer
    by Colin Beazley
    Published 

Senior guard Justin Moore announced on Twitter on Friday night that will use his additional year of eligibility and return to Villanova for a fifth season.

Moore’s return was the biggest question mark of Villanova’s offseason, and with him, the Wildcats are expected to be contenders in an improved Big East next season.

Moore spent most of this season sidelined after suffering an Achilles tear during Villanova’s run to the Final Four during the 2021-22 season. When he returned for Villanova’s final 13 games in late January, he averaged 13.5 points and 3.2 assists. He was a spark on a sub-.500 team, as Villanova went 7-3 in the final 10 games he played, including wins over Xavier and Creighton.

Moore has been a four-year starter at Villanova. As a junior, he averaged 14.8 points and emerged as one of the nation’s best defenders.

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While Moore never entered the transfer portal, fans of programs like Maryland, North Carolina, and Syracuse actively recruited the guard in Twitter comments. Moore saw the attention, tweeting, “sheesh everyone wanna know what i’m doing i see lol.”

Moore also had professional options.

While he was not expected to be drafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, he would have been able to play in the G League or overseas. In the end, he decided that returning to Villanova would be his best option. If the rest of Villanova’s roster decides to stay on the Main Line, the Wildcats will have one of the top backcourts in the league (Moore and Mark Armstrong) alongside several key role players.

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The Wildcats have other holes to fill after Brandon Slater and Caleb Daniels exhausted their eligibility, but with this news, Moore could have placed himself firmly as a candidate for Big East Preseason Player of the Year.

Regardless of any other transfer portal decision Villanova makes, for now, the Wildcats will have one of the nation’s top guards returning to its backcourt.

In the end, Moore’s tweet said it simplest: “5. I’m Back.”