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 are 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 NBA 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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| Date | Time/ scores | Month/day | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |||
| 9 | W, 88–70 | Friday | vs. No. 21 USC in Greensboro | |
| 18 | L, 76–58 | Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis | |
| 27 | W, 89–82, OT | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte | |
| November | Regular season | |||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Western Carolina | ACCN |
| 6 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Wofford | ACCN |
| 10 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming | ACCN |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Georgia | ESPN2 |
| 20 | 9 p.m. | Friday | vs. Marshall | ACCN |
| 23 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Monmouth | ACCN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte | ESPN |
| December | ||||
| 1 | 7:30 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 12 Arkansas | ESPN |
| 6 | 3 p.m. | Sunday | vs. Butler | ESPN2 |
| 12 | Noon | Saturday | at Georgetown | Peacock |
| 15 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro | ESPN2 |
| 19 | 2:30 | Saturday | CBS Sports Classic vs. No. 23 Kentucky in New York | CBS |
| 21 | 8 p.m. | Monday | vs. The Citadel | The CW |
| 30 | 4 p.m. | Wednesday | vs. California | ACCN |
| January | ||||
| 2 | 4 p.m. | Saturday | at Boston College | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 5 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at No. 11 Louisville | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 9 | Noon | Saturday | vs. N.C. State | ESPN2 |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Wednesday | at Florida State | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| 16 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Stanford | The CW |
| 19 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. No. 9 Virginia | ESPN |
| 23 | Noon | Saturday | at Syracuse | ESPN or 2 or U |
| 26 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. SMU | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 30 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 3 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. | ESPN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | at Notre Dame | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech | The CW |
| 8 | 6 p.m. | Monday | vs. No. 11 Louisville | ESPN |
| 13 | 5:30 | Saturday | at No. 2 Duke | ABC |
| 20 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 22 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. No. 14 Miami | ESPN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Virginia Tech | ESPN |
| March | ||||
| 2 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | vs. No. 2 Duke | ESPN |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maxi Adams | F | 6–7 | 220 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | G | 6–5 | 180 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita (SIGH-on KAY-tuh) | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–6 | 205 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neo Avdalas — W (NEE-oh ahv-DOLL-lus) | G | 6–9 | 220 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 185 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| 22 | Junior | Alex Samodurov (SAH-muh-DUHR-off) | C | 6–11 | 225 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 180 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young (JAY-din) | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson (JARE-in) | F | 6–10 | 220 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z (BRIZZ-ee) | G | 6–3 | 200 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V (Fenz) | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 200 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Coach Michael Malone’s coaching staff — Associate head coach Chuck Martin; assistant coaches Bryan Tibaldi (tih-BALL-dee), Sean May, Jorge Sanz (HOR-hey sahnth), Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson; Director of player development Deon Thompson.
Former players at other schools
| Player | Class | 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 | Pacific |
Photos courtesy of FIBA
