Soccer — erm, football — might be the world’s game, but Belgium native Matt Hodge had no dreams of playing on the pitch, but rather the hardwood.
The love for soccer might be contagious in his home country, but his heart was always elsewhere. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, Odell, who played professionally overseas and was a Division I basketball player at Old Dominion. There was no clear-cut path for him in Belgium, but Hodge was prepared to do anything.
“My dad really helped me staying humble and having the right attitude with everything in basketball,” Hodge said.