PROVO – BYU basketball continues its pursuit of a center for the 2026-27 season.
A player who would fill that glaring void in the frontcourt is Luigi Suigo.
The 19-year-old from KK Mega Basket in the Serbian League, and previously Olimpia Milano, is at the NBA draft combine this week in Chicago.
Suigo is the second-tallest player at the combine, measuring in at 7-foot-2 3/4 inches without shoes. He’s a quarter-inch shorter than the tallest NBA draft prospect in this cycle, Michigan’s Aday Mara.
BYU has been linked to Suigo since head coach Kevin Young’s first year in 2024.
Suigo is one of the 71 players who are currently early entrants in the NBA draft process. That creates questions about whether Suigo will stay in the draft, return to college, or explore possibilities in Europe.
Luigi Suigo mentions BYU as a possibility during the NBA draft combine
On Wednesday, he spoke with members of the media at the NBA draft combine for an availability session.
Suigo was asked if he had a college in mind.
Italian big man Luigi Suigo has been a long-time college target. He told me that while the NBA is his top priority, he’d need to be “probably top 20” in this draft to not go to college next year.
Villanova is the expected destination per sources, though Suigo also mentioned BYU. pic.twitter.com/IbPlcwGcTn
— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) May 13, 2026
“Not necessarily. But like, there are some big names. Like, lately, BYU and Villanova. Probably one of those two,” Suigo said in his media availability captured by The Cyro Asseo podcast.
Along with discussing potential college options, Suigo discussed where he is in this NBA draft process.
“So, right now, I’m focusing on the NBA. College is like the second option because I want to get out of Europe to start like playing USA basketball, you know? It’s a little different from European [basketball],” Suigo said.
“I focus more on learning the NBA, of course. In a range of picks that is useful for me. If I cannot achieve it this year, I want to go to college and play one year, have a great season, hopefully, and prepare for the next draft.”
The range of picks Suigo cited as where he would need to stay in the draft is “probably top-20.”
Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor has Suigo at No. 24 to the New York Knicks in the first round. The aforementioned Cyro Asseo from HoopsHype has Suigo going to the Clippers in the second round at pick 36. That’s the same spot ESPN’s Jeremy Woo has Suigo as well.
But it only takes one guarantee from a team. Still, those projections would put Suigo outside the territory he wants to remain in for the NBA draft process.
Is Villanova the favorite for Luigi Suigo?
Jonathan Givony from DraftExpress noted that Suigo “appears to be Villanova-bound” when posting Suigo’s Anthrometic results from the combine that included a 7-foot-5-1/2-inch wingspan.
Mega's Luigi Suigo measured 7'2.75 barefoot and 289 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, with a 7'5.5 wingspan and 9'6 standing reach.
Absurd measurements for the 19-year old Italian projected first-rounder, who appears to be Villanova-bound. pic.twitter.com/CBzhS94rwe
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 12, 2026
Suigo averaged 8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks for KK Mega Basketball during the 2025-26 season.
The NBA early entry withdrawal date is June 13 at 3 p.m. (MDT)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
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