The Seton Hall men’s basketball team added two players with prior professional experience to their roster for the upcoming season: Theo Airhienbuwa and Ilay Dolinski. Unlike Serbian junior Mihailo Petrovic, neither has prior North American basketball experience.
When asked about their transition to the NCAA at BIG EAST Media Day on Oct. 1, Head Coach Shaheen Holloway said, “The game over here, it’s a little different, it’s a little faster.”
Airhienbuwa and Dolinski will have to adjust from playing against older professionals to younger athletes.
However, their professional experience gives them an advantage most college athletes lack. They have developed their basketball skills by playing overseas.
Senior Simeon Wilcher said, “It’s surprising to see how polished their game was.”
Airhienbuwa played professionally in Italy; He averaged 14 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for Italy in last year’s FIBA U20 European Championship. Dolinski played professionally in Israel, averaging 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game for Ironi Lati Kiryat Ata in the Israeli Basketball Premier League last season.
Holloway expressed his confidence in them, saying, “I want those guys to be themselves, they’re all good players.”
The Protect College Sports Act wants to restrict pre-enrolled professionals from the NCAA so scholarships are saved for high school recruits.
SHU is not the only BIG EAST school welcoming international freshmen with professional experience, and coaches from these programs weighed in on their potential impact.
Georgetown added Brazilian forwards Gabriel Landeira and Pedro Pastre, and Head Coach Ed Cooley echoed Wilcher’s thoughts.
“The one thing I’m grateful for is their basketball knowledge,” Cooley said.
Landeira is a 6-foot-6 playmaker who can command the floor from the wing. He averaged 7.1 points and 2.7 assists per game while playing professionally in 2025 for Club Athletico Paulistano in Brazil’s NBB.
Pastre is a 6-foot-6 sharpshooter who is comfortable in the paint and has a heavier frame. He averaged 7.4 points, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game in the same league as Landeira, but for EC Pinheiros.
Cooley acknowledged the physicality and rule differences between Brazil and North America but ultimately trusts their basketball instincts.
“I think that will translate,” Cooley said.
Villanova added Italian Luigi Suigo, and head coach Kevin Willard had similar thoughts to Cooley. The 7-foot-3 center developed an advanced feel for the game overseas but has mobility issues.
“He has that great feel for the game, but he does have to get used to the speed of American basketball,” Willard said.
Suigo has been nicknamed “the Italian Wembenyama” because of his 7-foot-6 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach. He’s a skilled dribbler who is a force in the paint, with an offensive game Willard compared to that of his former center and 2025 NBA first-round pick Derik Queen.
“Having so much success with Derek, we will probably have the same game plan with Suigo,” Willard said.
Suigo averaged 8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while playing professionally for Mega Superbet in Serbia’s ABA last season.
St. John’s added Serbian Lazar Stojkovic, and unlike the other coaches, Head Coach Rick Pitino wants to develop Stojkovic’s playstyle. He’s a 7-foot-1 center with the mobility of a guard.
“He wants to play like a small forward, I’ve got to convince him to play his size,” Pitino said.
Stojkovic averaged 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while playing professionally for BKK Radnicki in Serbia’s KLS last season.
Providence added Italian Leonardo Marangon, and Head Coach Bryan Hodgson has no transitional concerns. Hodgson said Providence doesn’t normally recruit overseas, so the program made sure the 6-foot-7 forward was a perfect fit.
“We felt like he was a guy that could come in and seamlessly fit in the way we play,” Hodgson said.
Marangon averaged 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while playing professionally for UEB Gesteco Cividale in Italy’s Serie A2 last season. He’s a high-motor player who is smart defensively and reliable from three.
The Protect College Sports Act was passed by the Senate but is not yet scheduled for a vote in the House.
Newly appointed BIG EAST Commissioner Tim Brosnan was neutral on players with prior professional experience joining the NCAA.
“Those are the rules, we follow the rules,” Brosnan said.
Players with prior professional experience will no longer be allowed to play college sports if the bill is passed by the House and signed by President Donald Trump. While the bill is not yet in effect, fans may see more players like Airhienbuwa and Dolinski play in the NCAA.
“If they don’t change the rules, I see more,” Brosnan said.
Peter Stewart is an assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at peter.stewart@student.shu.edu.
