Luigi Suigo stood 7-foot-3 without shoes at the NBA Combine, weighing 289 pounds. Scouts circled him as a potential late-first or early-second-round pick. ESPN ranked him No. 32 on its draft board. And then, on Saturday afternoon, the 19-year-old Italian center made a decision that stunned plenty of league observers: He pulled his name from the 2026 NBA Draft and committed to playing college basketball at Villanova.
The move rewrites the usual script for a prospect of Suigo’s size and draft stock. Instead of chasing a guaranteed contract, Suigo chose to suit up for Kevin Willard’s Wildcats for the 2026-27 season. The team confirmed the news shortly after the withdrawal deadline on June 13.
A Combine That Changed the Calculus
Suigo spent the 2025-26 season with BC Mega Basket in the Adriatic Basketball Association League, averaging 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 18.1 minutes per game. His measurements in Chicago — 7-foot-3 without shoes, a 7-foot-5 wingspan — generated buzz among NBA front offices. Some analysts projected him as a first-round talent. But Suigo and his camp reportedly prioritized developmental runway over immediate payday.
“Playing in college gives him a chance to refine his game against high-level competition every night,” one draft analyst told our site. “He’s not raw, but he’s still learning how to use his frame consistently. Villanova offers structure and exposure.”
What Suigo Brings to Villanova
The Wildcats’ frontcourt suddenly looks deeper than it did a week ago. Before Suigo’s commitment, redshirt freshman Nico Onyekwere was the primary returning center. Suigo adds a proven professional big with shot-blocking instincts, interior presence and the kind of size that changes how opponents attack the paint.
Willard also bolstered the roster through the transfer portal with forwards Kwame Evans Jr. from Oregon and Devin Royal from Ohio State, plus guards Elijah Crawford (UIC), Jake Fiegen (Cornell) and Darryl “Buddy” Simmons II (St. Bonaventure). Freshman guard Adam Oumiddoch rounds out the incoming class.
A Homecoming Before the Season Starts
In a fitting twist, Suigo’s first season with Villanova will tip off in his home country. The Wildcats are scheduled to open the 2026-27 campaign against Notre Dame on Nov. 1 at the Eternal City Tip-Off in Rome. Suigo, born in Tradate, Varese, will return to Italy — this time in a college uniform.
For Villanova, the commitment signals a program willing to bet on international talent over the traditional high school pipeline. For Suigo, it’s a bet on himself: that one year of college basketball will boost his draft stock higher than a second-round slot ever could.
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