Virginia has always been a state with intriguing talent, and 2025 6'8 Christian Gurdak has certainly proven to be one of the top prospects in the state. Playing at Paul VI, Gurdak has proven himself time after time, including when we first watched him last year as a freshman. The sophomore big can be an absolute monster down low with his physicality and strength, but he is only continuing to get better.
We caught up with the sophomore, as Gurdak has been able to be a part of a special group at Paul VI, proving themselves to be one of the top teams in the country.
'This season has been a great experience for me and my team in many ways,' Gurdak told Phenom Hoops. 'I feel like I have grown in my maturity and my understanding of the game. This team has also helped me get a lot better in practice since we are going against each other every day.'
Gurdak would say that he has been able to show more of his game, how he is able to be at his best down low, and also make his presence felt on the defensive end. But also show more of his ability to step out and hit a mid-range shot, as well as be counted on at the free throw line and his strength on the boards.
But going against some premier talent night in and night out has also helped him improve in areas such as his ball-handling, and being able to step out and be a better 3-point shooter, two things he continues to look to improve in.
Recruitment Update:
There is no doubt about it that Gurdak will have more attention his way from college programs in the coming years, but his recruitment has already started off well. The sophomore already holds three offers and had a great chance to check out a few schools already with a couple of unofficial visits lately.
'It has been a great experience,' Gurdak said about his recruitment. 'I have offers from Virginia Tech, Penn State, and George Mason. Before our season started, I had the chance to go on unofficial visits to Virginia Tech, Penn State, Virginia, and Maryland. They were all great opportunities to meet the coaches, get to know them, and learn about their programs. I really liked that I got to spend a lot of time with the coaches and staff so we could get to know each other. Also, I had the chance to watch practice at a few of them and it was good to see how the coaches work with the team and just experience from the sidelines what practice is like at the next level.'
As far as other schools showing interest his way, Gurdak mentioned schools like Iowa, Rhode Island, and George Washington have also expressed interest.
