Report: Lithuanian wing Paulius Murauskas commits to Arizona

A day after landing Motiejus Krivas, Arizona has reportedly received a commitment from another Lithuanian big.

Paulius Murauskas, a 6-foot-8 wing in the class of 2023, committed to Arizona Wednesday, according to Eurohopes, a site that covers European prep basketball.

Murauskas plays for Lietkabelis, where he averages 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in the LKL, the premier basketball league in Lithuania.

Murauskas spent his formative basketball years playing for Zalgiris, the same club team of Krivas and former Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa. That’s according to an article by European basketball scout Ignacio Rissotto.

Risotto describes Murauskas as a player with “the mobility, coordination and fluidity of a wing.”

“His optimal size for the position allows him to create mismatches against opponents in his current league, as he’s too fluid with the ball in his hands for opposing big men, and too strong and physically imposing for opposing guards and wings.

“While his on-ball game has yielded good results in the LKL, the NBA is a different beast and he might have trouble creating his own shot due to a lack of a quick first step and his overreliance on converting tough shots against contact. Murauskas tends to play for fouls at times when he drives to the basket, but he doesn’t get to the line nearly enough, with his free throw rate hovering around the 20% mark.”

Murauskas, 19 years old, is eligible for the NBA Draft but evidently decided to take the college route.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony saw Murauskas play way back in 2019 and said he held his own playing against guys several years his age.

Murauskas played for Lithuania in the FIBA U18 European Championship last year, averaging 16.1 points and 4.7 rebounds in nine games.

Murauskas is Arizona’s sixth international player on the 2023-24 roster. He joins Krivas, Oumar Ballo, Pelle Larsson, Henri Veesaar, and Filip Borovincanin.