When BYU basketball knew they wouldn't be locking down UConn transfer Eric Reibe, their hunt for a starting center turned international, as 7'3" Italian big man Luigi Suigo began exploring his options between taking the leap to the NBA (where he's currently projected as a mid-second-round pick), and going the increasingly-popular college route.
The latter option is where Kevin Young and his program at BYU comes in, already having proved capable of taking an international prospect through a college basketball season and boosting that player's NBA Draft stock with Egor Demin, who went 8th overall in last year's draft.
Suigo's submission into the NBA Draft process is not unexpected, nor is it cause for panic for BYU, still hunting down a 7'0"+ starting center. Young and his staff will remain in play for Suigo up until the deadline for international players to withdraw from the draft on June 13. Up until that point, the college route is still a possibility for the Italian.
Per Jonathan Givony, Suigo is being heavily pursued by many college coaches, and largely considered to be available in the 2026 recruiting class.
Suigo is also being heavily pursued by college coaches as one of the most talented bigs still available in the 2026 recruiting class.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 22, 2026
The deadline for international players to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft is June 13. https://t.co/0A51xQ7sEA
With four roster spots left to fill and no starting center, filling the 5 slot on the depth chart has become BYU's top priority. It would be foolish to place all of their focus on a singular player -- especially if his decision might wait until the summer, burning valuable time for KY and crew should they miss out on his talents. The team is still exploring options through the portal and across the world, with Robby McCombs highlighting Georgetown's Julius Halaifonua, who BYU has been in contact with since his late entry into the portal.
Suigo is a legit floor-spacer at his NBA-ready size. Standing at 7'3" and averaging 8.3 points and a block in 19 minutes per night, he is the exact type of player that BYU missed desperately last season: a dominant big who controls both ends of the floor.
BYU wants him badly, but no matter who they end up with starting at the 5, the market for legitimate 7-footers is incredibly expensive at the moment. Expect Kevin Young to dig deep into the team's NIL pockets to round out the roster.
If BYU hopes to compete for the first Final Four berth in the program's history (most NCAA Tournament appearances without a Final Four appearance in the nation), they need a Big 12-caliber center to hold the line down low. Though Suigo is still the top choice, BYU can't afford to whiff at the 5.
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