Villanova Recruiting: Wildcats Targeting European Prospects

Villanova Men’s Basketball needs to fill at least six open spots on their roster ahead of the 2025-26 season, and overseas recruiting could provide them with one method of doing so.

The Wildcats will host 6-foot-7 Bosnian wing Harun Zrno for an official visit on April 21; during his trip across the pond, he also has a visit scheduled with Miami on April 18.

21 years old, Zrno averaged 17.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Division I league, the top tier of professional basketball in the Balkan nation. He did so while shooting 50 percent from the floor, 44 percent from three — taking half his shots from beyond the arc, an average of five attempts per game — and 77 percent on free throws, showing a knack for drawing fouls.

Zrno initially committed to Indiana, but reopened his recruiting after Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson stepped down.

The Wildcats also communicated with 7-foot-1, 250 pound prospect Malick Kordel, a 21-year-old averaging 11.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in the third flight of German basketball. Admittedly, there haven’t been any updates on Kordel’s Villanova ties since February, so it appears that programs where he’s already made official visits like Iowa, Xavier and Michigan would have a leg up on him. Additionally, coaching changes for the Wildcats and Musketeers could push Kordel elsewhere, breaking up the ties he already established with Kyle Neptune’s staff.

The European leagues have helped Villanova fill out their recruiting classes in recent years, with rising sophomore Aleksandar “Sash” Gavalyugov a late addition out of Bulgaria in 2024.

For more Villanova recruiting news, click here for an update on who the Wildcats are targeting through the transfer portal.