Villanova University announced Saturday that it will sign 7-foot-3 Italian center Luigi Suigo, who withdrew from the NBA draft to preserve his NCAA eligibility and is expected to join the Wildcats for the 2026–27 season.
Suigo, 19, arrives from Tradate in Lombardy after a season with Serbia’s Mega Basket in which he averaged 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 block in 18.8 minutes across 26 games. He shot 64.9 percent on 111 two-point attempts, 27.1 percent on 48 three-pointers and 64.7 percent on 34 free throws. Villanova said Suigo will slot in as the team’s starting center and fills a major need on coach Kevin Willard’s roster.
The move ends a short but public run through the NBA process for Suigo. He attended the NBA Combine but said a sprained ankle two or three days before the event cost him some of the drills that could have improved his standing. He described additional work stateside, saying, “I came back from Boston this morning. I was in Los Angeles, where my agency’s facility is. I did some workouts. I trained with the Wizards, Spurs and Celtics.”
Mock drafts had placed Suigo in the late first to second round range; one projection from The Ringer put him at 27th overall to the Boston Celtics, while ’s mock listed him at No. 39. Suigo told interviewers he believed he could have remained a first-round pick even if taken at 27, but made his decision about college and the draft based on a specific threshold: “My choice was to stay in the Draft if I had a guarantee of being selected in the first 20 picks,” he said, adding that development and experience mattered more than the money.
That comment is the clearest signal that Suigo’s withdrawal hinged on projected draft position as much as on the chance to play college basketball. Villanova was among several high-profile programs pursuing him — others included BYU, Illinois, Indiana and Purdue — and Suigo reportedly considered BYU before committing to the Wildcats. His path from professional minutes in Europe to a major NCAA program is part of a growing flow of European pros choosing the college route.
For Villanova, the signing is immediate roster relief. The Wildcats identified center as a pressing need during a wider roster overhaul; adding a 7-foot-3 presence with professional experience gives Kevin Willard a starter-size pivot who has already faced grown men in a pro league. The statistical profile — efficient two-point finishing and some three-point attempts — suggests Villanova is betting on Suigo’s ability to translate paint presence and floor spacing to the college game.
Questions remain. Villanova did not disclose any financial or eligibility arrangements tied to the signing, and the school has not released enrollment details beyond saying Suigo will play in 2026–27. That gap matters because transfers from professional leagues to the NCAA sometimes involve NIL, summer development plans or other supports that affect when and how a player contributes.
Suigo is expected to arrive at Villanova for the 2026–27 season and begin integrating into Willard’s program; the immediate fact is settled, but the single consequential open item is straightforward: what, if any, off-court terms accompanied this signing. Villanova’s announcement changes the Wildcats’ roster now; the undisclosed financial and administrative details will determine how quickly Suigo becomes the developmental prospect he and the program describe.
