A Lithuanian Homecoming For A Pair of Wildcats

TUCSON, Ariz. - When all of your games take place nearly 6,000 miles away from your hometown, the thought of playing a 'home game' in your hometown probably doesn't cross your mind.

But that's just what two members of the Arizona men's basketball team – senior All-American candidate Motiejus Krivas and fifth-year transfer Ugnius Jarusevicius – will get to experience next week as the Wildcats head to Lithuania for an international trip that will feature three exhibition games.

And not just an ordinary exhibition game. One of them will be against the Lithuanian Senior National team.

"Not every player, especially European players, can say that they are going back to their country to play against their national team," Krivas said. "It's going to be really fun."

"To me, it's amazing and almost like a full circle moment," Jarusevicius said. "My parents never guessed that I would be playing in the United States for a college team and they would get the chance to see me play back home in my hometown (Alytus). It's a great opportunity and it's definitely a blessing."

The Wildcats three games will be against the Lithuanian "B" team (Aug. 19), the Ukranian Senior National Team (Aug. 20) and the Lithuania Senior National Team (Aug. 22). The national teams for Lithuania and Ukraine are using these games to prepare for an upcoming qualifying window for the FIBA World Cup that will take place in 2027.

And while their rosters for these exhibition games have not been finalized, it is sure to pose a stiff challenge for an Arizona team that has only been practicing together for a handful of weeks over the summer and features just two returning players – Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov – from the regular rotation last year.

The proud basketball country has a number of countrymen on NBA rosters, like Domantas Sabonis, Jonas Valanciunas, Matas Buzelis, and Kasparas Jakucionis. However, it appears unlikely that any of them will suit up against Arizona.

"It's a little disappointing," Jarusevicius said. "I was looking forward to playing against Valanciunas and all of the big names. But I know they have to do what's best for them and we understand that."

And while the competition will be something that everyone looks forward to, experiencing the culture of a country that calls basketball its top sport is also an added benefit.

"Most people in Lithuania say that basketball is their second religion," Krivas said. "When the national team plays, the streets are empty and everybody is watching the game. So it means a lot."

Sounds Tucson and Lithuania have a lot in common when it comes to passion for basketball thanks to a deep, rich history in the sport.

Krivas and Jarusevicius are also looking forward to being the unofficial tour guides for the travel party during the trip. A majority of the time, the team will be in the cities of Kaunas and Vilnius, two places that are very familiar to both players. Kaunas is where both players played prior to coming to the United States for college and Alytus is Jarusevicius' hometown.

The thing they are most excited to show the team?

"I would say the food," Krivas said. "We have a lot of national dishes that don't look normal to American people. For example, we have a pink soup (šaltibaršciai - pronounced shal-tee-barsh-chay) that most Americans have not heard of but it's really good. It's like a beet soup but it's cold, so in the summer it really helps cool you down."

The 10-day trip will also help the players, coaches and staff build bonds that will help them grow closer to each other and that will pay dividends during the 2026-27 season.

"I was on the trip to Israel a few years ago and that really helped everyone learn more about each other," Krivas said. "That was so valuable to me as a young player at the time so I know this will help all of us since we have so many new players on the team this year."

Players Mentioned

Ivan Kharchenkov

Motiejus Krivas

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