By R.L. Bynum
North Carolina’s search for a center continues to include players overseas, and the latest target is a 19-year-old Italian center.
Luigi Suigo (pronounced “SWEE-go”), a 7–3, 241-pound big man from Milan who played this season for Mega Basket in Serbia, entered the NBA Draft and was invited to the NBA Draft Combine, which starts Sunday in Chicago.
As an international early entrant, Suigo, who has a 7–4¾ wingspan, has until June 13 to withdraw and preserve his option of playing in college next season.
Tar Heel 247 reported Monday that UNC had contacted Suigo, a development that puts UNC on a list already crowded with high-major interest. Villanova, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana among the programs tracking the Class of 2026 prospect, according to 247Sports.
Suigo is projected by most as a second-round pick, with Rookie Scale’s consensus big board listing him as the No. 46 pick.
“Suigo is only scratching the surface of what he can become in the NBA,” draft analyst Ersin Demir wrote, “There’s a clear NBA center in him.”
In the Adriatic League last season, he averaged 8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 18.6 minutes over 16 games, numbers that align with the profile of a young center who has flashed production without being featured.
He collected nine points and five rebounds for Italy in a 129–88 loss in the U17 Basketball World Cup on July 7, 2024, to a USA team that included the Boozer twins, AJ Dybantsa and Koa Peat.
In a February interview on his team’s official site, Suigo explained why he chose Serbia as his next step.
“I chose Mega because of its reputation for working with young players and because it gives them great responsibility,” Suigo said. “Mega is known for trusting its players, allowing them to play, to make mistakes, and for focusing on long-term development rather than short-term results. For me, this is the ideal environment to improve my game and mature as a player.”
He described the adjustment as both cultural and competitive.
“The beginning wasn’t easy, especially because everything is very intense and precisely defined,” Suigo said. “The training tempo, physical demands, and tactical discipline were challenging and at a very high level. Still, the coaching staff and my teammates helped me a lot, and after a few weeks, I relaxed and felt freer and more confident within the whole system.”
In a March 2025 interview, he described his game.
“I’m a center. I play also as a four,” he said. “The main thing I can do, for me, is shooting threes. I can play in post-up, catch lobs. On defense, I can switch with everyone, and I block and rebound.”
In that interview, he mentioned NBA players he tries to pattern his game after and has said that he wants “to be the Italian Wemby.”
“[Victor] Wembanyama. I want to be like him one day. I want to play like him,” Suigo said. “I watch Wemby, [Kristaps] Porzingis, [Karl-Anthony Towns], also [Nikola] Jokic, but he’s too slow for me, he’s not my type of player, but I like to watch him.”
Another comment in that interview suggests he’ll likely play in college next season because of where he’s projected.
“My dream is to be a lottery pick in the draft,” he said. “But if I don’t get good enough to go to the draft, I will move up to play in the EuroLeague for my team. First dream is a lottery pick in the draft and then play EuroLeague.”
NBA Draft Room’s scouting report calls Suigo “a big, mobile center with a high skill level and a lot of upside,” adding that he “shoots a really nice looking 3-ball and isn’t afraid to let it fly.”
The Combine sits in the middle of the decision window, giving teams a chance to measure him, interview him and frame his value, while also giving Suigo a clearer sense of whether he is being viewed as a pick this year or a project best served by another season of development.
“This is my first full experience with senior basketball, and the jump to this level is really huge,” he said in Mega’s February interview. “The game is faster, more physical, and mentally much tougher. You have less time to make decisions, and mistakes are punished immediately. I’m adapting slowly, step by step, and this season I’m learning about consistency, professionalism, and mental toughness.”
For North Carolina and other college teams pursuing him, it could be a waiting game.
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Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and the seven players who entered the transfer portal return, which would put UNC three under the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 star | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 3 star | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 | |
| RS freshman | Cade Bennerman — W | C | 7–0 | 205 | |
| Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — X | G | 6–9 | 215 | |
| Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 | |
| Sophomore | Matt Able — Y | G | 6–6 | 205 | |
| Senior | Terrence Brown — Z | G | 6–3 | 174 | |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
W — Northwestern transfer. X — Virginia Tech transfer; Y — N.C. State transfer; Z — Utah transfer
In transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 |
Key offseason dates
May 8–10 — G League Combine in Chicago
May 10 — NBA Draft Lottery
May 10–17 — NBA Draft Combine in Chicago
May 27 (11:59 p.m.) — NCAA early-entry withdrawal deadline
June 13 — Deadline for international players to withdraw from NBA draft and maintain college eligibility
June 23–24 — NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn
Nonconference schedule so far
(Other than the ACC/SEC Challenge, games without links revealed from reporting by Alex Rosinski)
(10 of 14 games)
Nov. 2 — vs. Western Carolina
Nov. 6 — vs. Wofford
Nov. 10 — vs. Wyoming
Nov. 13 — vs. Georgia
Nov. 20 — vs. Marshall
Dec. 1 or 2 — vs. SEC team in ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 12 — at Georgetown
Dec. 19 — vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden
Dec. 21 — vs. The Citadel
November or December — vs. Butler
Photos courtesy of FIBA
