Massive Illinois Basketball Target Sets Official Visit to Big Ten Rival Purdue

7-foot-3 class of 2026 prospect Luigi Suigo, whom the Illini have hosted on campus, scheduled a mid-June visit with the Boilermakers

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is shown during the second half of their second round NCAA men’ s basketball tournament game Sunday, March 23, 2025 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Kentucky beat Illinois 84-75. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It has been nearly four months since 7-foot-3 Italian prospect Luigi Suigo graced Illinois’ Champaign campus and caught an 83-78 Illini win over UCLA.

In the time since, Suigo, class of 2026 prospect, has been honing his craft and, in turn, hearing from numerous high-major programs – including the 7-footer factory just across the Indiana border in West Lafayette.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, Suigo has scheduled a visit with Purdue and coach Matt Painter for June 16, according to Joe Tipton of On3 Sports.

Purdue is set to host a 7’3” Italian center for an official visit later this month.

Read (On3+): https://t.co/1DDgf9pdXn pic.twitter.com/Rvx9sEzgeF

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 9, 2025

From A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas to Matt Haarms and, of course, Zach Edey, Purdue has become the go-to spot for the best 7-footers in college basketball. The Boilermakers are already working on building up their next in line, 7-foot-4 Daniel Jacobsen, who was a starter during his freshman campaign before suffering a season-ending injury in his second outing.

Outbidding just the Boilermakers for Suigo’s talents already may be an uphill battle – although it’s an encouraging sign that Illinois was the first program to host him for a visit. But even beyond the Boilers, the Illini will have more competition: According to Tipton, BYU, Kentucky, Louisville and Texas A&M, among others, have also been sniffing around Suigo.

But, if Illinois can land Suigo – who is considered a four-star recruit by On3 Sports despite being unranked – the Illini would be getting a game-shifting rebounder and defender, and an efficient scorer.

Although Suigo's jumper appears to be a work in progress, his 77.8 percent free-throw shooting at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament earlier this year is a sign that growth can be expected.

Assuming current Illini big man Tomislav Ivisic takes a step forward next season, he could be off to the NBA as soon as next summer, leaving a gaping hole in the frontcourt that Suigo could fill particularly well.

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