Louisville Adds Greek Forward Vangelis Zougris to Basketball Roster
The University of Louisville men’s basketball team has added Greek forward Vangelis Zougris to its roster. Zougris, 20, has been a member of Greece’s national team system and has played professionally for Peristeri in the Greek Basketball League since 2021.
He is the 12th player added to the Cardinals’ lineup since head coach Pat Kelsey took over, joining fellow international players Sananda Fru from Germany and Mouhamed Camara from Africa. Assistant coach Brian Kloman, who has focused on international recruiting, has been in contact with Zougris for several months.
Standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing 265 pounds, Zougris began playing club basketball at 15 after spending much of his youth playing competitive soccer. He joined Peristeri Athens in 2018 and quickly earned recognition as an emerging talent in the FIBA basketball system, eventually earning the nickname “The Greek Warrior.”
Zougris represented Greece in multiple FIBA youth competitions, steadily improving each year. In 2021, at the FIBA U18 European Challengers, he averaged 4.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and one assist per game. A year later, at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket, he posted 10.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. In 2023, during the FIBA U20 EuroBasket, he averaged 14.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.9 steals, and one block per game, earning a spot on the tournament’s All-Star Five. He repeated that honor in 2024, helping Greece secure a bronze medal while averaging 11.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
Zougris made his debut with Greece’s senior national team in 2023, joining the preliminary roster for the FIBA World Cup. In 2025, he appeared in five EuroBasket Qualifier games, averaging five points and 5.6 rebounds.
His professional debut came during the 2021–22 season with Peristeri Athens in Greece’s top league. He played in seven games that season, averaging 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds. He also participated in the FIBA Basketball Champions League, appearing in three games in 2022–23 and 10 games in 2023–24. This season, he’s averaging 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds over six games.
