Four-star hoops recruit Matthew Hodge announces commitment to Villanova

Villanova picked up its first commitment of the 2024 recruiting cycle on Friday, as power forward Matthew Hodge announced he’ll be headed to the Main Line.

Hodge chose the Wildcats over offers from Maryland, Marquette, Seton Hall, Xavier, and Penn State, among others. Hodge attends St. Rose High in Belmar, N.J., but the 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward is not a typical New Jersey-to-Villanova recruit.

Originally from Belgium, Hodge moved to the United States last year. He is considered a four-star recruit by 24/7 Sports and a three-star by Rivals and On3. He’s viewed as difficult to evaluate because he’s been in the U.S. for just over a year.

”I chose Villanova because I felt like their vision for me and the way they see me coming in next year was pretty exciting,” Hodge told On3. “The connection I had with the staff was great.”

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Despite his Belgian roots, Hodge has Villanova ties. His high school coach, Brian Lynch, played for the Wildcats from 1996-2000. Hodge and his younger brother, Jayden, a four-star sophomore guard, live with Lynch and his wife, former tennis world No. 1 Kim Clijsters. The forward becomes Villanova’s second high school commitment under head coach Kyle Neptune.

Neptune’s only 2023 commit was Jordann Dumont, an unranked recruit originally from Canada.

Neptune cannot publicly comment on the commitment until Hodge officially signs a letter of intent. However, he posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, shortly after Hodge’s decision, tweeting “It’s a GREAT day to be a Wildcat!”

With Hodge’s commitment, Villanova will now turn its attention to several other 2024 targets. The Wildcats are finalists for forward Tyler Betsey and guard Isaiah Elohim, the latter a teammate of Bronny James at Sierra Canyon. Both are expected to announce their decisions next week.