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Photo: BasketNews.lt/D. Shell
Photo BasketNews.lt/D. Shell
As the talents that grew in the Vilnius basketball pyramid began to move in different directions, Augustas Marčiulionis calmly watched the exits and did not doubt the chances of continuing to reach heights in the “Tomorrow” system.
One of the most talented in 2002. After lengthy negotiations with the capital team, a generation of young Lithuanians reached a new three-year agreement, under which Šarūnas Marčiulionis’ son retained the right to go beyond the Atlantic. in 2021.
The 18-year-old will not play as a professional in Vilnius for another year, which will not close the door on basketball at US universities. USA, which has been in discussion for a long time.
“It was one of the main questions about how I could keep the right to play in the NCAA so I could keep moving if I decided in half a year or a year,” Marčiulionis told BasketNews.lt website. “I wanted to keep that opportunity for next year, if something didn’t work out, I wouldn’t have a chance to go to the NCAA.”
Marčiulionis, who motivates himself to achieve the highest goals, wants to reach the National Basketball Association (NBA) in five years, one of the first bridges in Europe dating from 1989. Heterosexual father Šarūnas. The Lithuanian legend, who has left a clear mark, is considered to be one of the best European NBA players of all time.
He has represented the Golden State Warriors, Seattle SuperSonics, Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets for seven seasons and is inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame. Šarūnas, 56, who has met American basketball, works individually with his son and is his primary representative to keep in touch with interested Americans.
August demonstrated his talent at the prestigious Basketball Without Borders camp in Chicago during the NBA All-Star Weekend in February, after which he received offers to visit university bases.
Then the Vilnius resident decided not to win from 2019-2020. battalions in Lithuania with the Vilnius Perl team and postponed these plans for the summer. Eventually, it was all ruined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was limited to remote communication: conversations and messages.
Marčiulionis, who has made great strides in recent years, had to join forces with other Vilnius talents in the upcoming season in the Rytas core team, but David Sirvydis, 20, moved to Israel, Hapoel from Jerusalem and Brassiu Tautelis 18 years old. affiliated with the University of Arizona in the United States (USA).
Photo BasketNews.lt/D. Shell
For a long time, there was no talk of the departure of another talent, Marek Blaževičius. The 18-year-old had met with the chief of Kaunas “Žalgiris”. At the press conference, Rolandas Jarutis, the director of Rytas, revealed about the talks with the Lokomotiv club in Krasnodar, where Lithuanian Ginas Rutkauskas is the vice president.
Despite the winding out, Marčiulionis’ confidence in the morning system did not falter, although there were opportunities to get up elsewhere. The eighteen-year-old revealed to the BasketNews.lt website that the leaders of the Kėdainiai Nevėžis team were reaching out to Vilnius, rallying a hill of talents in the heart of Lithuania.
“Everyone leaves, leaving me a young one. Maybe the city will trust me more, maybe the club will give me more hope, Marčiulionis said on the BasketNews.lt website. – I see this not as an alarm, but as a better opportunity. It depends on how you looked at this situation.
In fact, the project in Kėdainiai is very interesting, but if you choose between these two options, Vilnius is still a home, a stronger team, an international tournament. I think the level is higher. I really admire Kėdainiai, but it all depends on how the coach, the club itself, sees me. ”
Satisfied during the quarantine with former basketball player Artūras Javtokas, Marčiulionis has now begun combining physical training with exercises on the basketball court. By rising to the highest level of men’s basketball, the defender from the physical side seeks to strengthen the upper body, improve endurance and on the parquet, to improve the launch, the arsenal of movements, the dribble and other technical aspects.
Vilnius’ talent, who broke Perlo’s team last season, raised performance in the NKL championships from 7.1 (in the 2018-2019 season) to 15.3 points, a three-point hit from 26 to 31.8 percent, and the average of passes from 3.5 to 5.8 and the utility from 8.1 to 16.6.
BNS photo
After such results, Marčiulionis won the awards for the best young player and the most improved basketball player on the field and was chosen among the top five symbolic players in the league.
“I improved my reading of situations, I was able to make decisions faster, I was able to play more calmly, I felt more secure with the ball, I felt that I had the game more firmly in my hands. That experience gave me a lot. Of course, the percentage of visits also increased due to hard work, “he said.
Marčiulionis’ basketball journey to the highest stage of the Vilnius pyramid took seven years. At the age of eleven in 2013, he made his MKL debut representing his father Šarūnas Marčiulionis Basketball Academy, defended the honor of Vilnius Basketball School since 2017, and a year later joined the Rytas backups: the team Perlo.
For the past three years, the 192 cm tall player along with Ryto’s youth team has participated in the Euroleague tournament. In 2018, Vilnius residents triumphed in this competition for the second time in history, and after winning the national team in Kaunas this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, they lost the opportunity to seek the return of the title to Vilnius.
By going on stage at the youth level, Marčiulionis kindly responded to the opportunities received in his hometown.
“Personally, I am very satisfied with my development in the last 2-3 years. As much as I needed it, he gave me workouts, practice of the game and freedom in the game. Of course, it’s a shame that I haven’t yet made my debut in LKL, but everything satisfies me more.
As for other players thinking of Vilnius, the competition here is excellent, especially this year, even more youth from other cities come to the team “Pearl-MRU” and RKL. Competition is, and more depends on the player himself, how much he will want, how much he can and how much the coach will trust him. I think the conditions in Vilnius are really good, “said Rytas’ talent.
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