Former NFL head doctor gives more bad news on Justin Moore injury

Villanova punched their tickets to the Final Four with a victory over Houston on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Wildcats will have to make a huge adjustment in New Orleans, as star guard Justin Moore fell to the ground with an injury as the final minutes ticked away.

Afterwards, Villanova coach Jay Wright weighed-in on the ramifications of Moore’s injury.

“The X-ray was fine. No broken bones. But it’s probably not good for Justin. We’re going to get an MRI when we get back. But it’s probably not good,” said Wright, according to ESPN College Basketball Insider Jeff Borzello.

Woefully, former NFL head doctor — David J. Chao of Pro Football Doc — didn’t raise any belief in miracles regarding Moore’s availability.

“As Villanova celebrates another trip to the Final Four, they will have to chase a third championship without junior guard Justin Moore, who appeared to suffer a full Achilles tendon rupture in the waning moments of the Wildcats’ Elite Eight win on Saturday,” wrote Chao. “Based on video, Moore tears his Achilles tendon during the mechanism of eccentric load. Meaning the muscle literally overpowers the tendon as he is trying to push off for a drive.

“You can see the upper calf muscle contract, and unfortunately the Achilles tendon snaps closer to the heel as he falls to the ground. Moore will certainly be out for the remainder of the Tournament, and the injury may impact his draft stock, which currently stands as a likely second-round pick this summer.”

Against Houston, Justin Moore played 37 minutes — the most of any Wildcats player — and finished with eight points in an otherwise low-scoring game. Now, Villanova will need to find a way to win without their star guard.

More on Justin Moore, Villanova Wildcats

After Villanova guard Justin Moore suffered an apparent Achilles injury late in the second half of a 50-44 victory against Houston in the Elite Eight, his teammates made sure he wasn’t left out of the victory celebration. A recent tweet showed several Wildcats players surrounding a crying Moore in the moments following the win, patting him on the shoulder and offering words of encouragement.

Moore suffered the injury as he tried to dribble towards the basket late in the second half. He collapsed to the ground in pain and turned it over after suffering an injury, and the replay shows a clear view of Moore’s right calf/Achilles appearing to pop as he plants his foot.

While Moore was effective during his time on the floor, the Wildcats will need to shoot better in New Orleans. Villanova shot a less-than-ideal 28.8% from the floor, but did manage to go a perfect 15-for-15 from the free throw line in the win.

With the win, Villanova has won the South Region and will head to New Orleans for the Final Four. Next on their plate is the winner between Kansas and Miami. The Jayhawks and Hurricanes will tip-off at 2:20 p.m. ET Sunday. There has been no official word on Justin Moore’s status for that game. However, it seems unlikely that he will be in a position to play based on how severe the injury looked.