View source for Walter Hodge

{{for|the judge|Walter Hartman Hodge}}
{{Short description|Puerto Rican-Virgin Islander basketball player (born 1986))}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Walter Hodge
| image = Hodge Walter - Mecz Gwiazd PLK 2012.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Hodge with [[Basket Zielona Góra|Zielona Góra]], in 2012.
| position = [[Point guard]]
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lb = 170
| league = [[Baloncesto Superior Nacional|BSN]]
| team = Cangrejeros de Santurce
| number = 15
| nationality = Puerto Rican / U.S. Virgin Islander
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|9|21|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Guaynabo, Puerto Rico]]
| high_school = [[Florida Air Academy]]<br />([[Melbourne, Florida]])
| college = [[Florida Gators men's basketball|Florida]] (2005–2009)
| draft_year = 2009
| career_start = 2009
| career_end = 
| years1 = 2009
| team1 = [[Capitanes de Arecibo]]
| years2 = 2010–2011
| team2 = [[Cangrejeros de Santurce (basketball)|Cangrejeros de Santurce]]
| years3 = 2010–2013
| team3 = [[Basket Zielona Góra|Zielona Góra]]
| years4 = 2013–2014
| team4 = [[Saski Baskonia]]
| years5 = 2014
| team5 = →Capitanes de Arecibo
| years6 = 2014–2015
| team6 = [[B.C. Zenit Saint Petersburg|Zenit Saint Petersburg]]
| years7 = 2015–2024
| team7 = Capitanes de Arecibo
| years8 = 2015–2016
| team8 = [[Pallacanestro Cantù|Cantù]]
| years9 = 2016–2017
| team9 = [[ASVEL Basket|ASVEL]]
| years10 = 2017–2019
| team10 = [[Homenetmen Beirut B.C.|Homenetmen Beirut]]
| years11 = 2019–2020
| team11 = [[Hekmeh BC|Sagesse Club]]
| years12 = 2020
| team12 = Al-Wahda
| years13 = 2020
| team13 = [[US Monastir (basketball)|US Monastir]]
| years14 = 2021–2022
| team14 = [[Zamalek SC (basketball)|Zamalek]]
| years15 = 2022
| team15 = [[Kuwait SC (basketball)|Kuwait]]
| years16 = 2022–2023
| team16 = [[Al Ahly (basketball)|Al Ahly]]
| years17 = 2023–2024
| team17 = [[Homenetmen Beirut B.C.|Homenetmen Beirut]]
| years18 = 2024
| team18 = [[Al Ahli Tripoli (basketball)|Al Ahli Tripoli]]
| years19 = 2024–2025
| team19 = Zastal Zielona Góra
| years20 = 2025–present
| team20 = [[Cangrejeros de Santurce (basketball)|Cangrejeros de Santurce]]
| highlights = * [[Kuwaiti Division I Basketball League|Kuwaiti League]] champion (2022)
* [[Kuwaiti Division I Basketball League]] [[Most valuable player|MVP]] (2021)
* [[BAL Most Valuable Player]] ([[2021 BAL season|2021]])
* [[BAL champion]] ([[2021 BAL season|2021]])
* [[All-BAL First Team]] ([[2021 BAL season|2021]])
* [[Egyptian Basketball Super League|Egyptian League]] champion ([[2020–21 Egyptian Basketball Super League|2021]])
* [[EuroCup Basketball Top Scorer|EuroCup Top Scorer]] ([[2012–13 Eurocup Basketball|2013]])
* [[EuroCup Basketball All-EuroCup Team|All-EuroCup Second Team]] ([[2012–13 Eurocup Basketball|2013]])
* [[LNB All-Star Game|French LNB All-Star]] ([[2016–17 Pro A season|2017]])
* [[Polish Basketball League|Polish League]] champion ([[2012–13 PLK season|2013]])
* 2× [[PLK Most Valuable Player|Polish League MVP]] ([[2011–12 PLK season|2012]], [[2012–13 PLK season|2013]])
* [[Polish Basketball League Top Scorer|Polish League Top Scorer]] (2012)
* 3× [[Baloncesto Superior Nacional|BSN]] champion ([[2016 BSN season|2016]], [[2018 BSN season|2018]], [[2021 BSN season|2021]])
* 2× BSN Finals MVP (2018, 2021)
* 2× [[BSN Most Valuable Player Award|BSN Most Valuable Player]] (2014, 2022)
* [[Arab Club Basketball Championship|Arab Club Championship]] champion (2017)
* [[Lebanese Basketball League|Lebanese League]] champion (2018)
* Lebanese Basketball League Cup winner (2018)
* No. 15 jersey [[Basket Zielona Góra#Retired numbers|retired by Zielona Góra]]
* 2× [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball champions|NCAA champion]] ([[2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2006]], [[2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2007]])
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{bk|U.S. Virgin Islands}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA CBC Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[FIBA CBC Championship|2011 The Bahamas]]|}}
}}

'''Walter Wallace Hodge Muñoz''' (born September 21, 1986) is a [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]]-[[U.S. Virgin Islander]] professional [[basketball]] player for the [[Cangrejeros de Santurce (basketball)|Cangrejeros de Santurce]] of the [[Baloncesto Superior Nacional]] (BSN). Internationally, Hodge plays with the senior [[U.S. Virgin Islands national basketball team]], due to eligibility arising from his [[US Virgin Islands|Virgin Islander]] grandfather. After being a reserve [[point guard]] in his first two seasons with the [[Florida Gators men's basketball|Florida Gators]], he became the starting point guard for the [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball champions|two-time defending national champions]] in the [[2007–08 Florida Gators men's basketball team|2007–08 season]]. On June 5, 2013, in appreciation for his contribution to [[Basket Zielona Góra|Zielona Góra]], his jersey number was retired.

==Early years==
Hodge was born in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} He attended [[Florida Air Academy]] in [[Melbourne, Florida]], a private military academy, and played high school basketball for the Florida Air Falcons. The Falcons won the state championships, with undefeated teams, during his sophomore and senior seasons.

==College career==
[[File:Donovan white house.jpg|180px|left|thumb|Hodge, center, between coach [[Billy Donovan]] and [[George W. Bush]].]]

Hodge accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the [[University of Florida]], where he played for head coach [[Billy Donovan]]'s [[Florida Gators men's basketball]], team from 2005 to 2009. Playing a reserve role in the 2005–06 season, Hodge averaged 3.9 points and 1.2 assists per game, as a freshman. He started 8 games in [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) play, and averaged 19 minutes per contest, during the Gators' first national title run.

Hodge had a decreased number of starts and minutes during the 2006–07 season, starting just three games, but increasing his scoring average to 5.7 points per game, as the Gators repeated as national champions. He had a career high of 17 points against [[Florida State Seminoles men's basketball|Florida State]], and finished the season hitting exactly 50% of three-point shot attempts. With the departure of [[Taurean Green]] to the [[NBA]], and [[Lee Humphrey]] to graduation/playing overseas, Hodge became the starting point guard for the Gators, during the 2007–08 season.

==Professional career==
In August 2010 Hodge signed with the [[Polish Basketball League|Polish League]] team [[Basket Zielona Góra|Zielona Góra]]. In April 2012, Hodge was named [[PLK MVP|the Most Valuable Player]] of the [[Polish Basketball League]]. As the Zastal Zielona Góra's top player, he won with his team the 2011–12 Polish League Bronze Medal (3rd place).

In the 2012–13 season, Zielona Góra's team debuted in the [[European professional club basketball system|European-wide 2nd-tier]] level [[EuroCup Basketball|EuroCup]], and advanced to the Last 16. Hodge was the team's leader, with averages of 21.2 points and 5.4 assists per game, while shooting 51.7% overall from the field (52.4% on 2 point field goals) and 50% on 3 point field goals (making 25 out of 50 attempts). In week 6, he took the [[EuroCup Basketball Player of the Round]] honors. On February 25, 2013, Hodge was awarded the Polish-Czech All Star Game MVP (he scored 22 points in the game). He was named to the [[EuroCup Basketball All-EuroCup Team|All-EuroCup Second Team]] in 2013.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130413212136/http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/eurocup/news/i/111934/3735 Eurocupbasketball.com Star power fills 2012-13 All-Eurocup teams!]</ref> In June 2013 he won the Polish League championship. It was the first Polish national championship in [[Basket Zielona Góra|Zielona Góra]]'s history. On June 5, 2013, Basket Zielona Góra retired Hodge's jersey number 15. He became the first player in the club's history to be honored with a jersey retirement.

In June 2013, Hodge signed a two-year deal with Spanish club [[Saski Baskonia|Laboral Kutxa Vitoria]].<ref>{{cite news|title=LABORAL KUTXA lands playmaker Hodge as first signing of summer|url=http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/transactions/2013-14-signings/i/114207/8177/laboral-kutxa-lands-playmaker-hodge-as-first-signing-of-summer|access-date=August 19, 2014|work=Euroleague.net|date=June 5, 2013}}</ref> In February 2014, he was [[loan (sports)|loaned]] to Puerto Rican club [[Capitanes de Arecibo]], for the rest of the season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Walter Hodge officially loaned from Baskonia to Capitanes de Arecibo|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/world/america/111937/walter-hodge-officially-loaned-from-baskonia-to-capitanes-de-arecibo.html|access-date=August 19, 2014|work=Sportando.com|date=February 23, 2014}}</ref> In August 2014, he parted ways with Laboral Kutxa,<ref>{{cite news|title=Walter Hodge and Baskonia officially part ways|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/spain/131977/walter-hodge-and-baskonia-officially-part-ways.html|access-date=August 19, 2014|work=Sportando.com|date=August 19, 2014}}</ref> and signed with Russian club [[BC Zenit Saint Petersburg|Zenit Saint Petersburg]]. On May 6, Hodge returned to Capitanes de Arecibo.<ref>{{cite web|first=Luis|last=Modestti|url=http://www.bsnpr.com/noticias/detalles.asp?r=10217|title=Hodge listo para debutar con los Capitanes|work=BSNPR.com|date=May 6, 2016|access-date=May 15, 2016|language=es}}</ref>

On July 31, 2017, Hodge signed with [[Homenetmen Beirut B.C.|Homenetmen Beirut]] of the [[Lebanese Basketball League]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Walter Hodge inks in Lebanon with Homenetmen Club|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/world/asia/243010/walter-hodge-inks-in-lebanon-with-homenetmen-club.html|access-date=July 31, 2017|work=Sportando.com|date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> After playing with Capitanes de Arecibo for some time in 2018, Hodge returned to Homenetmen Beirut on September 25, 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Walter Hodge returns to Homenetmen |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/asia/lebanon/289684/walter-hodge-returns-to-homenetmen.html |website=Sportando |access-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref>

Hodge signed with [[Hekmeh BC|Sagesse Club]] in Lebanon in 2019 and averaged 22 points per game. Later he joined Al Wahdi in Saudi Arabia. On September 21, 2020, Hodge signed with [[US Monastir (basketball)|US Monastir]] of the [[Championnat National A]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Madwar |first1=Ahmad |title=US Monastir tabs Walter Hodge |url=https://www.latinbasket.com/US-Virgin-Islands/news/645366/US-Monastir-tabs-Walter-Hodge |website=Latinbasket |access-date=September 22, 2020 |date=September 21, 2020}}</ref>

In September 2020, Hodge signed with [[US Monastir (basketball)|US Monastir]] in Tunisia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketinside.com/europe-basketball/mercato-europe-basketball/ufficiale-walter-hodge-firma-in-tunisia-con-lus-monastir/|title=UFFICIALE - Walter Hodge firma in Tunisia con l'Us Monastir|date=September 23, 2020}}</ref>

In October, Hodge signed with [[Zamalek SC (basketball)|Zamalek]] in Egypt.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.piodeportes.com/216648/baloncesto-fiba/el-al-zamalek-se-fortalece-con-la-incorporacion-de-walter-hodge/|title=El al Zamalek se fortalece con la incorporación de Walter Hodge|date=October 8, 2020}}</ref> He played with the team in the [[2021 BAL season|2021 season]] of the [[Basketball Africa League]], winning the first-ever championship. Hodge had 12 points and 4 assists in the final and was named the first-ever [[BAL Most Valuable Player]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Zamalek are the champions of the inaugural BAL |url=https://www.thebal.com/news/zamalek-are-the-champions-of-the-inaugural-basketball-league |access-date=31 May 2021 |work=BAL |date=30 May 2021 |archive-date=30 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210530223326/https://www.thebal.com/news/zamalek-are-the-champions-of-the-inaugural-basketball-league |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On July 27, 2022, the Egyptian defending champions [[Al Ahly (basketball)|Al Ahly]] of the [[Egyptian Basketball Super League|Super League]] announced it had signed Hodge for the 2022–23 season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Ahmad Gamal |date=2022-07-27 |title=BASKETBALL: Al Ahly sign ex-Zamalek star Walter Hodge |url=https://www.kingfut.com/2022/07/27/al-ahly-sign-walter-hodge/ |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=KingFut |language=en-GB}}</ref> In March 2023, he returned to the Capitanes de Arecibo after using an opt-out clause in his contract with Al Ahly.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vocero |first=Joseph Reboyras, EL |title=Walter Hodge se reporta por sorpresa a los Capitanes de Arecibo |url=https://www.elvocero.com/deportes/baloncesto/walter-hodge-se-reporta-por-sorpresa-a-los-capitanes-de-arecibo/article_be605d4e-c814-11ed-8f48-df4d69625156.html |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=El Vocero de Puerto Rico |date=21 March 2023 |language=es}}</ref>

In January 2024, Hodge received an offer from his former club [[Zastal Zielona Góra]], but he decided to sign a 10-day contract with [[Al Ahli Tripoli (basketball)|Al Ahli Tripoli]] from Libya for the Dubai Tournament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ahly Tripoli signs Walter Hodge for Dubai Tournament |url=https://www.afrobasket.com/Libya/news/847743/Ahly-Tripoli-signs---Walter-Hodge-for-Dubai-Tournament |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=www.afrobasket.com}}</ref>

On October 2, 2024, Hodge returned to Al Ahli Tripoli for a second stint.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hodge is back at Ahly Tripoli |url=https://www.afrobasket.com/Libya/news/893901/Hodge-is-back-at-Ahly-Tripoli |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=www.afrobasket.com}}</ref>

On October 26, 2024, he signed with [[Zastal Zielona Góra]] of the [[Polish Basketball League]] (PLK).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://plk.pl/aktualnosci/25034/walter-hodge-wraca-do-zielonej-gory|title=Walter Hodge wraca do Zielonej Góry!|last=|first=|date=October 26, 2024|website=plk.pl|publisher=|language=pl|access-date=October 27, 2024}}</ref>

==National team career==
Hodge is a member of the senior [[U.S. Virgin Islands national basketball team]]. With the U.S. Virgin Islands, he played at the [[2009 FIBA Americas Championship]], the [[2010 Centrobasket]], the 2011 [[FIBA CBC Championship]], where he won a gold medal, the [[2012 Centrobasket]], the [[2014 Centrobasket]], the [[2016 Centrobasket]], and the [[2017 FIBA AmeriCup]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170328195137/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/walter%20hodge/pid//_//players.html Walter Wallace HODGE (ISV).]</ref>

On February 21, 2021, Hodge scored a national team career-high 44 points in a 95–90 loss to [[Canada men's national basketball team|Canada]].<ref>{{cite web |title=USVI Mounts Big Comeback But It Wasn't Enough: Canada Clinches Americup 2022 Qualifier |url=https://viconsortium.com/caribbean-sports/virgin-islands-hodges-44-not-enough-as-another-virgin-islands-comeback-effort-falls-short- |website=viconsortium.com |access-date=21 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

==Awards and accomplishments==

===College===
*2× [[SEC men's basketball tournament|SEC men's tournament]] champion: ([[2006 SEC men's basketball tournament|2006]], [[2006 SEC men's basketball tournament|2007]])
*2× [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA men's Division I tournament]] champion: ([[2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2006]], [[2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2007]])

===Zielona Góra===
*[[EuroCup Basketball Player of the Week|EuroCup Last 16 Week 6 MVP]]: (2013)
*[[EuroCup Basketball All-EuroCup Team|All-EuroCup Second Team]]: (2013)
*[[Polish Basketball League|Polish League]] Champion: (2013)
*[[Polish Basketball League|Polish League]] 3rd Place: (2012)
*2× [[PLK Most Valuable Player|Polish League Regular Season MVP]]: (2012, 2013)
*[[Polish Basketball League Top Scorer|Polish League Top Scorer]]: (2012)
*2× [[All-PLK Team|All-Polish League First Team]]: (2012, 2013)
*[[Polish Basketball League|Polish League]] 3rd Place Game MVP: (2012)
*[[Polish Basketball League|Polish League]] All-Star Game MVP: (2013)
*[[Polish Basketball League|Polish League]] All-Star Game Starting Lineup Top Vote-Getter: (2013)
*3× [[Polish Basketball League|Polish League]] All-Star Game Participant: (2011, 2012, 2013)
*[[Eurobasket.com]]'s All-Polish League Third Team: (2011)
*First player in [[Basket Zielona Góra|Zielona Góra]]'s basketball history with a [[retired jersey]] ([[Basket Zielona Góra#Retired numbers|#15]]).

===Baloncesto Superior Nacional===
*[[BSN Most Valuable Player Award|Puerto Rican League MVP]]: (2014, 2022)
*[[BSN Finals Most Valuable Player Award|Puerto Rican League Finals MVP]]: (2018, 2020, 2021)

===Homenetmen Beirut===
*[[Arab Club Basketball Championship|Arab Club Championship]] Champion: (2017)
*[[Lebanese Basketball League|Lebanese League]] Champion: (2018)
*[[Lebanese Basketball Cup|Lebanese Cup]] Winner: (2018)
*[[Lebanese Basketball League|Lebanese League]] League MVP: (2018)
*Lebanese League Guard of the Year: (2019)
*Lebanese League Import of the Year: (2019)
*Lebanese League 1st Team: (2019)
*Lebanese League All-Imports Team: (2019)

===Zamalek===
*[[Basketball Africa League]] winner: ([[2021 BAL season|2021]])
*[[BAL Most Valuable Player]]: ([[2021 BAL season|2021]])
*[[Egyptian Basketball Super League]] winner: ([[2020–21 Egyptian Basketball Super League|2021]])

==BAL career statistics==
{{BAL player statistics legend|champion=y}}

{{BAL player statistics start}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|[[2021 BAL season|2021]]†
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Zamalek SC (basketball)|Zamalek]]
| 6 || 6 || 27.6 || .486 || .370 || .882 || 5.0 || 5.8 || .5 || .0 || 15.5
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 6 || 6 || 27.6 || .486 || .370 || .882 || 5.0 || 5.8 || .5 || .0 || 15.5
{{s-end}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 145 games played]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Walter Hodge}}
*[http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=004271#!careerstats Euroleague.net Profile]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170328195137/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/walter%20hodge/pid//_//players.html FIBA Archive Profile]
*[http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Walter_Hodge/Stelmet_Zielona_Gora/71458?PlayerID=71458 Eurobasket.com Profile]
*[http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=H00 Spanish League Profile] {{in lang|es}}
*[http://floridagators.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=496 Florida Gators bio]
* {{TikTok|id=woll152|name=Walter Hodge}}
* {{Facebook|id=woll15|name=Walter Hodge}}
* {{Twitter|id=woll15|name=Walter Hodge}}
* {{Instagram|id=woll15|name=Walter Hodge}}
* {{Telegram|id=hodgejr|name=Walter Hodge}}

{{navboxes|list=
{{Zamalek 2021 BAL Champions}}
{{BAL Season MVP}}
{{2006 Florida Gators men's basketball navbox}}
{{2007 Florida Gators men's basketball navbox}}
{{PLK Season MVP}}
{{PLK Top Scorer}}
{{EuroCup Basketball Top Scorer}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hodge, Walter}}
[[Category:1986 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Al Ahli Tripoli basketball players]]
[[Category:ASVEL Basket players]]
[[Category:Basketball players at the 2019 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:BC Zenit Saint Petersburg players]]
[[Category:Cangrejeros de Santurce basketball players]]
[[Category:Capitanes de Arecibo players]]
[[Category:Florida Gators men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Liga ACB players]]
[[Category:Pallacanestro Cantù players]]
[[Category:Pan American Games competitors for the United States Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Point guards]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican people of British Virgin Islands descent]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican people of United States Virgin Islands descent]]
[[Category:Sagesse SC (basketball) players]]
[[Category:Saski Baskonia players]]
[[Category:United States Virgin Islands men's basketball players]]
[[Category:US Monastir basketball players]]
[[Category:Zamalek SC basketball players]]
[[Category:Zastal Zielona Góra players]]