LEWISTON — For the first time since he was nine years old, winter won’t be basketball season for Stanley Hodge. Having undergone knee surgery in the spring, the former Niagara University captain is back on Monteagle Ridge, taking a full semester of graduate classes and rehabilitating.

Watching the current crop of Purple Eagles — which includes a few of his former teammates — start preparing for the season has been tough for Hodge.

“My competitive nature makes me want to get on the court,” he said this week. “It’s really tough. It can be depressing. But the main thing is: I have to try and stay positive about the situation and try to make the best of what I have right now.”

Hodge is excited about the prospect of earning a master’s degree in business by May, while helping younger players develop their skills.

NCAA rules limit Hodge to occasional participation in practice, but he’s allowed to help the Niagara players work out on their own time. And there’s no restrictions on sharing wisdom.

“Since Stan’s been here, he’s been on me. He won’t let me relax,” said Niagara star Tyrone Lewis. “He’s getting on my nerves. But in a good way. It feels like old times.”

In his five years at Niagara, Hodge went from a little-used underclassmen to a key reserve on the 2007 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship team and a senior leader on the 2008 team that won 19 games.

Hodge attributes much of his development to a series of individual drills he learned in Washington, D.C., from a cousin of Niagara assistant coach Akbar Waheed.

“The stuff he had me do took my game to the next level,” he said. “Once I started doing it, it became my passion. And I’d love to help other kids discover that.”

For the past month, Hodge has been working out once a week at Niagara’s Kiernan Center with Lewiston-Porter sophomore Marc Morreale. He’s looking to work with more players, and encourages anyone interested to e-mail him at stanleyhodgejr@aol.com.

“I’ll prepare them the way I did for my senior year, as far as ball-handling, shooting and different moves,” he said. “And I’ll try to teach them the intellectual aspect. A lot of kids know how to play based on their ability, but sometimes they need a better understanding of the game.”

Meanwhile, Hodge hopes to build the strength back up in his knee so he can resume a professional career that got off to a promising start. After leading his German league team to a 19-0 start that clinched a championship, Hodge hurt his knee in the next game. He still managed to be named player of the year, but cartilage damage, a torn meniscus and a strained anterior cruciate ligament prevented him from returning to Europe this season.

“If I can get healthy, I’d love to play again,” Hodge said. “If not, I’ll have my master’s degree and be ready for the business world.”

Contact reporter Jonah Bronstein at 282-2311, ext. 2258.