Who is Christian Gurdak? Meet the New Virginia Tech Men's Basketball Center

The 6-foot-10, 260-pound prospect brings additional size to the Hokies' frontcourt this fall.

Jan 4, 2025; Gonzaga (DC) center Christian Gurdak (32) against Chaminade (MO) during the Hoophall West HS Invitational. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

This season, Virginia Tech men's basketball boasts seven players standing at 6-foot-7 or higher, the majority of whom are likely to make an immediate impact for the program this coming fall. One of the big men that enters the program is Christian Gurdak, a 6-foot-10, 260-pound center who played for Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. for the past two years.

Congrats to @ChristianGurdak (Christian Gurdak ‘25) on being named 1st Team All-WCAC! #EyeStreetHoops

📷 @graphicsbyws pic.twitter.com/Yygb4mnn8p

— Steve Turner (@MVACoachTurner) February 21, 2025

A consensus four-star recruit, 247 Sports ranked him No. 91 in the class and No. 14 of the players at his position. Before transferring to Gonzaga, Gurdak spent his first two years of high school ball alongside Ben Hammond, one of the Hokies' point guards. Gurdak earned an WCAC Honorable Mention bid as a freshman, made the All-WCAC Second Team as a junior, and capped off his high school career with First Team honors this past season.

On the Nike EYBL circuit, Gurdak played Team Takeover, qualifying for the Peach Jam's Final Four in the 17U division in 2024 and winning the event in the 16U division in 2022.

Here's what 247 Sports' director of scouting Adam Finkelstein said about Gurdak going into his senior season last July:

Gurdak is a space-eating big man who is broadly built, very smart, and skilled on the interior. He has good size, a very broad upper body, elite hands, and a 7-foot-2-inch-plus wingspan. He has somewhat heavier feet, lacks bounce in the lane, and could further sculpt his frame.

Gurdak has a mature and reliable floor game and will fit well into the offensive structure at the next level. He is poised with the ball, a good frontcourt passer, and just as comfortable at the elbows or high post as he is on the block. He screens well, is hard to move, is a quick decision-maker, and gets the ball out of his hands quickly as a finisher. Gurdak is even a sneaky good cutter when he gets the chance to show it. He's not a floor spacer yet, but he has a soft natural touch, is a good free-throw shooter, and has some long-term spacing potential.

While Gurdak's ability to protect the rim has developed at the high school level, it remains to be seen how much of that will translate to college, but he's a reliable positional defender who is rarely out of position and walls up effectively inside. While he's limited laterally, he does a good job holding his defensive angle when pulled to the perimeter and being physical without fouling. He's even a deceptively good pick-and-roll defender. He's is also a solid area rebounder, with his length and touch, but rarely outside of his area.

Overall, Gurdak is a plotting big who is broad, long, and physical with good hands and a high basketball IQ, but a bit limited with his quickness and athleticism."

Though he's a raw center, he's a reliable backup option that has natural talent on both ends of the floor and can function behind Tobi Lawal and Amani Hansberry this coming season. With Lawal set to depart after this year, that opens up a possible starting slot in the frontcourt for Gurdak for 2026-27, which he could seize with a solid freshman campaign if he can improve his floor spacing and work on his speed.