UNC pursuing 7-3 Italian big man to bolster frontcourt

Italian center Luigi Suigo, a 7-foot-3 Class of 2026 prospect, has drawn interest from North Carolina as the Tar Heels join a growing list of high-major programs pursuing the 19-year-old European post player.

Arkansas, BYU, St. John’s and Villanova are also actively recruiting Suigo. He is no stranger to the college process, having visited Illinois, Indiana and Purdue last year.

Suigo also has entered his name in the 2026 NBA Draft. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo currently ranks him No. 36 overall, projecting him as the sixth pick of the second round. CBS Sports slots him at No. 59, at the back end of the second round. Brian Kalbrosky of USA TODAY Sports lists him at No. 37, while Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman gives him his highest projection at No. 33.

Suigo plays professionally for KK Mega Basket in the Adriatic League, where former North Carolina guard Luka Bogavac also played, and has experience in both European club competition and FIBA play.

This past season, he averaged 8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 0.8 assists in a little more than 19 minutes per game. Per 40 minutes, those numbers translate to 16.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

He shot 56.4% from the field, 26.7% from 3-point range (8 of 30) and 76.2% from the free-throw line. He shot 70.3% on 2-point attempts (45 of 64).

On the international stage, Suigo has represented Italy in multiple FIBA events. He averaged 7.0 points and 6.6 rebounds at the 2024 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup and posted 7.0 points and 7.6 rebounds at the 2024 FIBA Under-18 EuroBasket. He also averaged 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in the FIBA 2027 World Cup European Qualifier.

Suigo could project as either a starter or a key reserve playing meaningful minutes for the Tar Heels. North Carolina needs frontcourt depth after it was revealed that Maxim Logue will no longer be transferring to UNC, and Suigo could help fill that void.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Tar Heels pursue European big man Luigi Suigo