This summer, we're taking a player-by-player look at Louisville basketball's roster for Year 2 of the Pat Kelsey era. Up next: Vangelis Zougris.
After leading Louisville basketball to one of the largest turnarounds in Division I history, Pat Kelsey built a 2025-26 roster that's garnering lofty expectations. This summer, The Courier Journal is taking a player-by-player look at the team, dissecting what each one will bring to the Cardinals. Up next: Evangelos "Vangelis" Zougris.
To catch up on previous entries in the series, click here.
What kind of player is Louisville basketball getting in Evangelos "Vangelis" Zougris? The head coach of the Greek national team, Vassilis Spanoulis, weighed in Sunday.
Zougris, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward who will turn 21 in October, was left off his country's 12-man roster for the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket tournament. Spraining his right ankle during an Aug. 6 friendly against Belgium certainly didn't help his chances of taking the court alongside two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 24-team competition, but Spanoulis believes Zougris is on track to becoming a mainstay in the Greek rotation.
"He has made tremendous progress," Spanoulis said, according to a report from SportDay.gr. "He is a kid who will be around for many years; and, at some point, he might even become the captain of the national team."
Pat Kelsey sees what Spanoulis does. In a statement when Zougris signed with the Cardinals in June, the coach praised the forward's "relentless motor" and "the unbridled passion he plays with on every possession."
"The picture of Zou in his beloved Greek national team jersey as he screams with blood gushing down his face is a perfect depiction of him as a player," Kelsey said.
Zougris committed to U of L in May after four seasons playing for Peristeri B.C. in the Greek Basketball League. He is one of two members of the 2025-26 roster who have European professional experience under their belts, joining German big man Sananda Fru.
With high praise from Kelsey and Spanoulis, what does a successful introduction to the Division I ranks look like for Zougris? Here's a breakdown of his 2024-25 season and what his role could be with the Cards in 2025-26:
Scouting report: Recapping Vangelis Zougris' 2024-25 season
Zougris appeared in 23 games (17:40 per) for Peristeri B.C. during the 2024-25 season. He averaged 7.9 points on 68.5% shooting with 4.6 rebounds — totaling only one double-double. His best performance came last October, when he scored 24 points on 10-for-11 shooting and blocked four shots in 23:18 of run.
Zougris also logged five appearances for Greece's national team during the qualification stage of the aforementioned FIBA EuroBasket tournament. He chipped in five points per game on 61.1% shooting with 5.6 rebounds across 15.9 minutes per game.
Zougris' best run in international competition came last year, when he helped his country win a second consecutive bronze medal in the U20 version of the FIBA EuroBasket and earned all-tournament honors. That's also the origin of the bloody photo Kelsey mentioned; Zougris caught an inadvertent elbow to the face while fighting for a rebound in the fourth quarter of a quarterfinal game against Lithuania. After changing his jersey and getting his head bandaged, he reentered the game and finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal. Greece won.
In an evaluation of Zougris' game for FIBA during his standout U20 EuroBasket performance, Ignacio Rissotto said the forward is "an effective interior finisher who can do tremendous damage as a roll-man, transition target and offensive rebounder. (He) utilizes his size to set strong screens; and, once he rolls to the basket, he's a tough cover for opponents with his combination of mobility, strength, leaping ability and hangtime."
That jumped off the screen when Kelsey watched Zougris, too.
"Screening is such an unsung key to modern offense," the coach said in his statement when the Greek signed. "I believe he does this at an elite level."
At 6-8, Zougris is tied with fellow international product Mouhamed Camara for the title of shortest forward on Louisville's 2025-26 roster — ironic, because the former is probably the closest thing the Cards have to an old-school big. What Zougris lacks in height, however, he makes up for with his polish, motor and physicality on both ends of the court. "Playing in one of the best professional leagues in the world for the last several years has prepared him to impact our program immediately," Kelsey said.
Vangelis Zougris' 2025-26 outlook with Louisville basketball
Aly Khalifa knows a little bit about what Zougris is going through right now, having changed continents five years ago to hoop collegiately. It's not an easy process, but Khalifa said his new teammate makes it look effortless.
"I think they're getting along very well — especially Zou, I would say," Khalifa told reporters in July. "(It) feels like he's been here for like five or six years."
Khalifa's sentiment best reflects what Zougris' role will likely be in Louisville's frontcourt during Year 2 of the Kelsey era: a tone-setting, stabilizing veteran. The best way for him to do that is by helping J'Vonne Hadley with the dirty work.
Hoop-Explorer.com lists three player projections for the upcoming season: balanced, optimistic and pessimistic. At his very best, Zougris has a projected net rating of 6.0 (in the 93rd percentile), meaning he'd be six points per 100 possessions better than the average DI player. At his worst, the number drops to 2.0 (in the 71st percentile).
Between Fru, Khalifa, Hadley, Kasean Pryor and Khani Rooths, Zougris has his work cut out for him when it comes to carving out minutes. He doesn't possess the on-ball skills of his competition but should consistently see the court if his screening, rebounding and defensive versatility are as good as advertised — and he consistently empties the tank when called upon.
Think back to that lopsided loss the Cards suffered to Tennessee in Kelsey's second game at the helm last November. Zougris wouldn't have turned the tide in what Kelsey described as a "butt-kicking" but, at the very least, would have helped the team get off the mat and made sure it went down swinging. His fingerprints might not be on every game in 2025-26. But they'll be impossible to ignore when they are — like bloodstains on a jersey.
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball roster 2025-26: Vangelis Zougris scouting report
Category: General Sports
