Villanova Center Luigi Suigo Reveals NBA Draft Timeline

Villanova Men’s Basketball picked up one of the biggest wins of the offseason when they secured the talents of Italian center Luigi Suigo, a 7-foot-3, 290 pound giant who was projected to come off the board late in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Instead, Suigo is headed to the Main Line, and he gave an idea of his plans with the Wildcats in an Instagram comment on Monday, July 13. Novaeverything, an Instagram page dedicated to coverage of Villanova athletics, hosted a question-and-answer forum with Suigo over the weekend; one fan asked Suigo how long he plans to spend with the program.

“I think [it’s] gonna be a one and done for me,” Suigo responded, indicating his intentions to re-enter the NBA Draft after having a year to develop his talent at the Division I level. Suigo, already 19, will enroll at Villanova as a freshman with four seasons of eligibility remaining, but an expedited path to the pros makes sense for him.

He already played professionally in Serbia, averaging 18.1 minutes, 8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks off the bench last season. One of the biggest problems for young centers is a lack of physicality — Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs center who Suigo draws comparisons to, weighs just 235 pounds, for example — but Suigo has a stout enough frame to withstand contact despite his high center of gravity.

As Villanova only has one year guaranteed to benefit from Suigo’s talents, expect an added layer of pressure if they make it to the NCAA Tournament: they probably won’t get another chance with him.