Louisville basketball learned some concerning news on Wednesday as their star international forward, Vangelis Zougris, appeared to have twisted his ankle in a friendly game against Belgium and was unable to walk on his own power to his MRI.
The Cardinals received the Greek's commitment back in late May, and he is quickly becoming one of the fans' favorite additions as he has shown high energy at practices in small moments and clips on social media. He is now representing his home country overseas, and in a friendly matchup against Belgium, it appears he rolled his ankle as he tripped over another player's foot as he was getting ready to run down the floor.
Vangelis Zougris underwent an MRI scan today, which revealed a mild injury to his right ankle (right ankle sprain).#hellas #greece #paobc #olympiacosbc pic.twitter.com/bmJZGzmYy0
— Basketballmaniacs_ (@bballmaniacs_) August 7, 2025
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Louisville basketball's Vangelis Zougris suffers concerning injury
Louisville has its eyes set on a 2025-26 National Title, and one of the glaring reasons why they have a legitimate shot is because of their roster depth. Pat Kelsey built a perfect roster that has sharpshooters, veterans, 5-stars, and international toughness. Zougris comes over from GBL, where he averaged 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 68.5 percent from the field last season.
However, he proved at multiple international events that he has the potential to be a star, as he averaged 14.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game at the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship and 11.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game at the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket.
The 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward reportedly underwent an MRI scan, and it revealed he suffered a mild ankle sprain in his right ankle. The Louisville men's basketball program has yet to release any official statement, but it is definitely something fans need to keep an eye on entering the 2025-26 season.
The video showing him walking to the locker room worries fans as he is leaning on two coaches and has his shoe off and heavily wrapped in ice. He is putting minimum weight on it as he walks, causing fans to hope it isn't anything worse than a mild sprain.
This isn't a great start to the Cardinals' 2025-26 season as they are already getting hit by the injury bug, and it is before the season even starts. Zougris has the potential to be a significant piece off the bench, so as college basketball is just a few months away, Louisville fans will make sure to keep an eye out for an update on this injury.
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