Villanova Men's Basketball
Aleksandar Gavalyugov, Bulgaria to the Main Line | Meet the Wildcats

This is one in a series of stories introducing the Villanova Wildcats’ 2024-25 roster.
Time and distance mean nothing in the internet age, and Villanova freshman guard Aleksandar Gavalyugov is living proof of that fact.
The final addition to the Wildcats’ 2024 freshman recruiting class, Gavalyugov, nicknamed “Sash,” hails from the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. Despite growing up more than 4,800 miles away from Villanova’s campus, he became a fan of the Wildcats during their 2018 NCAA championship run, then made childhood dreams come true during the adidas Eurocamp in June 2024, where he averaged 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists during the three game tournament.
That performance put the 6-foot-2, 175 pound point guard on Villanova’s radar, and he ended up signing with the Wildcats just ten days after the tournament’s conclusion. As a true freshman, he’ll have four years of eligibility remaining including the ongoing 2024-25 season.
Gavalyugov is the product of a truly international basketball upbringing, one that goes well beyond his obvious Bulgarian roots. He graduated from Australia’s NBA Global Academy, where he got to train with (and play against) some of the best young recruits the world has to offer.
Gavalyugov also suited up for the U18 Bulgarian National Team, including at the FIBA U18 Eurobasket tournament in August 2024. Bulgaria played in the tournament’s Division B, the second tier of European international competition. Powered by 19.4 points per game from Gavalyugov, good for fourth-best in Division B, along with 8.4 assists (second) and six rebounds.
He’s not the most efficient scorer, at least in that contest, making shots from 2-point range just 41.8 percent of the time, although his 40.4 percent clip from three — where he took more than half his shots — is perfectly respectable.
From Bulgaria to the Main Line
The Wildcats have a packed house at guard this year after overhauling the position during the offseason, adding six new players at the position compared to their 2023-24 roster. Aleksandar Gavalyugov possesses plenty of talent, but it’ll take him time to carve out a major role amidst that kind of competition.
He’s a traditional point guard, a capable dribbler and facilitator, but his shooting could use some work. His roughly 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio in international play is solid for a young player but won’t win him any awards for his passing. A preseason bone bruise in his right knee, one that kept him out of the Wildcats’ annual Blue and White scrimmage, did little to help him prepare for his true freshman season… although he’s managed to get on the court in spite of that.
Through the Wildcats’ nonconference schedule, Gavalyugov appeared in four games, mostly blowouts, averaging 4.5 minutes. He’s scored a grand total of eight points, with two of his three made shots from beyond the arc, also getting back on defense with a pair of steals. That Gavalyugov isn’t taking a redshirt year speaks well to his overall talent and polish, but he has plenty of work to do before he’ll be able to take on a major role for the Wildcats.