The men’s basketball team at Louisville has signed Evangelos “Vangelis” Zougris, a Greek big man. The news came out Monday.
Zougris is the second player from the Class of 2025 to officially sign with the Cardinals on Monday. The first was German forward/center Sananda Fru, who did it earlier in the day. Since May 29, he has promised to play for Louisville.
“The picture of Zou screaming in his favorite Greek national team jersey with blood running down his face is a perfect representation of him as a player,” said head coach Pat Kelsey in a statement. “Card Nation will love his toughness, his never-ending drive, and the unbridled passion with which he plays every weapon.”
“His IQ and level of skill are very high.” Outside of the pick and roll, he plays great, and he can finish around the basket with both speed and touch. He gives the defense a lot of options because he can switch and protect guards off the ball. He blocks shots at the basket and goes after the ball on the glass. Screening is such an important part of modern attack that not many people know about it, and I think he does it very well. For the past few years, he has played in one of the best professional leagues in the world, which has prepared him to make an immediate effect on our program.
The center, who was 6 feet 8 inches tall and 250 pounds, played for Peristeri B.C. in the Greek Basketball League. He had been there since the 2021-22 season. Zougris made a lot of progress in his fourth year after spent the first three years mostly as an end-of-the-bench piece.
During the regular season of the GBL, Zougris played in 23 games for Peristeri B.C. and averaged 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists. He also shot 68.5 percent from the field, all on two-point shots. In six Basketball Champions League games with Peristeri B.C., he scored 5.2 points and grabbed 3.8 boards.
Zougris also has a lot of foreign experience thanks to his time with the Greek National Team, which he has been a part of since 2021. Early this year, he averaged 5 points and 6 rebounds in five games that helped his team qualify for the FIBA Europe Cup.
When he was 20, he played some of his best hoops with the Greek National Team. Zougris hit 11.6 points and grabbed 8.3 rebounds per game in seven FIBA U20 EuroBasket games in 2024. He also hit 14.4 points and grabbed 11.1 rebounds per game in seven FIBA U20 European Championship games in 2023.
Louisville has four confirmed Class of 2025 prospects. Zougris is the third of them to officially sign. The other two are Fru and Mikel Brown Jr., a point guard from DME Academy (Fla.) Daytona Beach who is already on campus. French forward Mouhamed Camara is the only confirmed 2025 prospect who hasn’t signed yet.
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