Villanova adds Bulgarian basketball standout Aleksandar Gavalyugov

Villanova’s backcourt now has a bit of international flair after The Inquirer confirmed that 6-foot-2 Bulgarian point guard Aleksandar Gavalyugov has committed to the Wildcats and is eligible to play this season.

The news was first reported by ESPN. Gavalyugov, 18, a recent graduate of the NBA’s Global Academy in Australia, is a well-known prospect for his prowess as a member of Bulgaria’s youth national team system and was part of an under-18 squad that wrapped up a successful campaign at the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy.

In 2022, he helped Bulgaria’s under-16 national team to a fourth-place finish at the FIBA European Championships, finishing as the top scorer of the tournament with 21.1 points per game. In a 2023 interview with NetScouts Basketball, Gavalyugov said he was “born with the basketball in my hands” and that his “dad was the person who taught me the fundamentals. He’s my first coach and he spent a lot of hours with me in the gym.”

Gavalyugov is the latest commitment for the Wildcats joining former Math, Civics and Sciences star Wooga Poplar and former Fresno State center Enoch Boakye. Poplar originally declared for the NBA draft but withdrew to play his senior season for the Wildcats, transferring in after three seasons at the University of Miami.