Villanova's Justin Moore Suffers Torn Achilles Injury During Elite 8 Win vs. Houston

The Villanova Wildcats announced on Sunday that junior guard Justin Moore tore his right Achilles tendon during Saturday's Elite 8 win over Houston. 

Head coach Jay Wright released the following statement:

"This is a tough blow for all of us, not just because of the great player Justin is, but because of what he means to us as teammates and coaches. As one of our captains, Justin has been an integral part of our success. He helps our team in so many ways. Every game, he guards the opponent's best scorer and is one of the toughest rebounding guards we have had in our time at Villanova. Justin's work ethic and dedication will help bring him through this recovery and we look forward to the day where we see him back on the court fully healthy."

Moore was a second-team All-Big East selection this past season, averaging 14.8 points and 4.8 rebounds 34.6 minutes per game across 36 contests.

In four tournament games, he averaged 13 points, 2.5 rebounds and three assists.

Villanova, which faces one-seed Kansas next Saturday in the Final Four, now has major depth issues. Six Wildcats (Moore, Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, Caleb Daniels, Eric Dixon and Brandon Slater) have averaged 25 or more minutes per game this season.

While no other players on Villanova are averaging double-digit minutes per game, four players—Jordan Longino, Chris Arcidiacono, Bryan Antoine and Trey Patterson—have at least appeared in 15 or more games.

Of that group, only Arcidiacono has appeared in all four tournament games, playing a grand total of 15 minutes. Antoine has played 19 minutes across three tourney games, while Patterson has played just two minutes.

Furthermore, Longino recently underwent arthroscopic surgery for a meniscus tear, further testing the limits of a shortened rotation. 

The 30-7 Wildcats will still have four seniors playing huge minutes and remain one of the most composed and disciplined teams in college basketball. But depth is a major concern, especially against a Kansas team that will look to push the pace and play fast, hoping to wear out a thin rotation in the process.