We are less than four and a half months away from Villanova and Notre Dame’s epic season opener in Rome, where Pope Leo XIV has been invited to attend the game. To add to the allure of this game, Nova has added a potential first-round pick from the 2026 NBA Draft, who also happens to be from Italy, to their roster. That international draft prospect is seven-foot-three center Luigi Suigo, who, at just 19 years of age, has played in the Serbian league, the ABA, and has played three games for the Italian National Team.
With The Season Opener In Rome, Villanova Adds Game-Changing Italian Center
The Game
What more could we ask for in a start to the college basketball season? It’s a showdown between current Big East member Villanova and former Big East foe Notre Dame. The two Catholic schools will meet in Rome, with the intriguing possibility that Pope Leo XIV could be in attendance. These two schools are connected in many ways through their Catholic roots, the Big East Conference, and through Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo XIV grew up on the southside of Chicago, around one and a half hours away from Notre Dame’s campus. Pope Leo XIV attended and earned a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University.
This will be a doubleheader between Villanova and Notre Dame’s Men’s and Women’s basketball teams, and will kick off the men’s and women’s college basketball seasons. This is the first time in college basketball history that a season opener will be played in another country. The games will take place on November 1st, which also happens to be a celebrated Catholic feast day, All Saints’ Day. To align with the feast day, the NCAA is allowing these two teams to play one day ahead of the November 2nd start date. The venue for the games is Palazzetto dello Sport, which is less than four miles away from Vatican City.
Suigo’s Addition
For college basketball fans, there are many reasons to be excited about these historic games, and Villanova fans just got another reason to be thrilled this week with the addition of Suigo. Suigo is a huge addition for Villanova as it gives them the much-needed center that they have been searching for this offseason. At seven-foot-three, Suigo will anchor Nova’s defense and give them their rim-protecting center. Offensively, Suigo has good touch to be able to finish around the rim, and the ability to stretch the floor since he can step outside the arc and knock down a three. He’s the perfect fit to fill the gap left by graduating senior and double-double machine Duke Brennan.
This addition leaves Villanova’s roster looking very complete and makes them instant contenders in the Big East. In 26 ABA games with the Mega Superbet in the 2025-2026 season, Suigo averaged 7.9 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. Nova had to compete with the NBA Draft, BYU, Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue to land their highly touted center, along with several other teams that expressed interest during his recruitment process. While NIL definitely played a big role in Suigo’s decision, it may not have been the only factor that swayed the Italian big man to Villanova.
A chance to play in Suigo’s home country of Italy was something that only two teams in college basketball could offer. There are no official reports on what impact this had on Suigo’s recruitment, if any. With his recent commitment to Villanova, it is probable to think that a season opener in Rome was at least brought up in the recruitment conversation. For all we know, this could have been the deciding factor that pushed Villanova’s offer over the top. What we do know is that Suigo is officially committed to Nova, and Nova looks like they will once again be a force in the Big East.
Featured Image: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
