Built in the DMV, Growing in the ACC: Christian Gurdak's Freshman Blueprint

(Photo via Virginia Tech Athletics - Christian Gurdak playing at home)

VIRGINIA — Christian Gurdak, Virginia Tech’s freshman center, brings an impressive developmental background from his prep career into his first season in Blacksburg. He helped lead Gonzaga College High School to the WCAC title game under coach Steve Turner and earned All‑WCAC First Team honors in 2024–2025.

Before Gonzaga, he spent his first two high school seasons at Paul VI, where he played alongside current Hokie Ben Hammond. During that stretch, he earned WCAC Honorable Mention as a freshman and second-team honors as a junior. As a sophomore, he was also named to the GEICO Nationals All‑Tournament Team.

On the EYBL circuit, Gurdak played for Team Takeover under coaches Jamil Jones and Antoine Gaither. Across five years with the program, he helped Takeover reach the 17U Peach Jam Final Four in 2024 and win the 16U Peach Jam title in 2022. He was also a Second Team All‑Peach Jam selection in 2024.

A consensus four‑star recruit, Gurdak was ranked No. 114 nationally in the 2025 class by 247Sports and chose Virginia Tech over Notre Dame, Penn State, Clemson, Louisville, and Butler.

Gurdak was born in Stuttgart, Germany, and is the son of Richard and Meredith Gurdak. He has one brother, Xavier. At Virginia Tech, he plans to major in communications or marketing, with long‑term goals of playing professionally before transitioning into a career in those fields.

As a freshman this season, he has logged 32.3 total minutes, with a 17–10 home/away split. His shooting numbers are stronger at home, where he’s hitting 65% from the field and 72.7% from the free‑throw line. While he hasn’t attempted threes, he has already posted games shooting 100% from the field and 100% from the line. He is also establishing himself as a strong rebounder early in his career.