Report: Villanova Warding Off Big 12 Foe for Luigi Suigo’s Talents

Should Villanova Men’s Basketball center target Luigi Suigo decide to enroll in college instead of heading directly to the NBA, the Wildcats will need to compete with the BYU Cougars to secure Suigo’s talents, per a report from Kevin Connelly of On SI.

Per Connelly, Suigo plans to make his potential college decision based on what program recruits him the hardest. Other schools like UNC, St. John’s, Duke and Kentucky fell out of his favor after they looked for other center contingencies instead of waiting for him to make his choice.

The Wildcats have four of five starting spots (and nine of a potential 15 roster spots) filled heading into next season, but they still need a starting center. Suigo, who checked in at nearly 7-foot-3 and 289 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, would immediately fill that need. Even more intriguing, he also holds upside as a shooter; he could give Villanova a legitimate floor-stretcher at the five.

Suigo played in the Serbian League last season and currently has his name in the NBA Draft; he has until June 13 to withdraw and commit to a college program, which he reportedly plans to do if he isn’t expected to land in the top 20. Current mock drafts vary on his current draft stock, but they all expect him to fall outside that threshold.