The Villanova Wildcats punched their ticket to the Final Four with a win over the Houston Cougars on Saturday, but it came at a cost. Guard Justin Moore suffered a right lower-leg injury in the final minute while slipping on a drive and had to be helped off the court.
After the Elite Eight victory, Villanova coach Jay Wright provided an update on the injury. While there are no broken bones, it sure seems as if Moore suffered a major injury.
“It's probably not good for Justin,” Wright said. “We're going to get an MRI when we get back. But it's probably not good.”
There's speculation that this could be an Achilles injury for the Villanova guard, but further testing will confirm the severity. Moore went to the locker room on crutches during the trophy ceremony after his teammates went over to celebrate with him on the end of the bench once the final buzzer sounded.
Given the way Wright was talking, it sure seems as if Villanova will unfortunately be without a key starter in the Final Four. If Moore is indeed out, Wright will likely turn to senior guard Caleb Daniels in the starting lineup. Daniels is the Wildcats' sixth man, and he's averaging 10.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 37.7% from 3-point range in 27.3 minutes per game this season.
Moore is Villanova's second-leading scorer behind Collin Gillespie, averaging 14.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a steal in 34.6 minutes per game. This is looking like a brutal blow as the Wildcats try to win a third national title in the last seven seasons.
Villanova will face either Kansas or Miami in the Final Four on Saturday.
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