Tommy Lloyd and his interest in a roster cosmopolitan, episode 256… Alongside Motiejus Krivas (Lithuania), Oumar Ballo (Mali), Pelle Larsson (Sweden), Henri Veesaar (Estonia), Filip Borovicanin (Serbia) and Conrad Martinez (Spain), the brilliant Wildcats coach of Arizona has indeed added a seventh (!) non-American player to its team for the 2023/24 season: the young Lithuanian Paulius Murauskas.
It is recalled that the technician, during his (long) stint at Gonzaga in Mark Few’s staff (2001 to 2021), had actively participated in the recruitment of certain emblematic international players from the Spokane program: Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Ronny Turiaf (France), Rui Hachimura (Japan) or Kelly Olynyk (Canada). And just this season, two of its holders were from the Baltic countries: Estonian point guard Kerr Kriisa (left for West Virginia), and Lithuanian pivot Azuolas Tubelis (registered in the Draft).
More than any other university coach, Tommy Lloyd loves international players, especially when they come from the Baltic countries. And with Paulius Murauskas, the leader of the Wildcats could well have hit the jackpot, as the 19-year-old winger is a big talent, one of the most important in his age group.
Trained at Zalgiris Kaunas, Paulius Muraukas played this season with Lietkabelis Panevezys, where he distinguished himself in the Lithuanian championship (8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds). In the Eurocup, he was shooting 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15 minutes per game. Let’s not forget either that he had flown past the European U18 champion last summer, finishing as the competition’s top scorer (20.7 points), and second in the individual evaluation (19.6).
From now on, he therefore joins the United States and the NCAA circuit, more oriented towards development than the professional leagues in Europe, to pass a course and surely prepare for the NBA.
” My decision to join the NCAA is motivated by the desire to progress », he indeed declared for ESPN. ” Especially physically, to play high intensity matches. I think that [Arizona] is the ideal context, in order to continue my development as a player. »
Photo credit: Eurocup
