By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Building up the team ahead of the 2023-24 edition of BKT EuroCup and domestic competitions in Lithuania, new additions for the Wolves expanded to Vaidas Kariniauskas.
Kariniauskas, 29, signed a two-year contract, the team announced Thursday.
The team based in Vilnius, founded before the 2022-23 season, secured the services of a player from Lithuania’s final squad in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, recently wrapping up in the Philippines. He averaged 4.0 points and 3.1 assists per contest as a reserve point guard. The team coached by Kazys Maksvytis ranked sixth overall.
Earlier international experience includes participating in the 2016 Olympic Games. Kariniauskas also represented Lithuania in the Qualifiers of the 2022 EuroBasket and 2023 World Cup.
The youth product of Zalgiris will debut in EuroCup. He appeared in 14 games of the 2014-15 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign before departing the team based in Kaunas. The following steps stretched to 22 games played in the Basketball Champions League and 16 in the FIBA Europe Cup, besides abroad experience in Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Romania, and Italy.
Wolves teammates are Arnas Berucka, Djordje Gagic, Adas Juskevicius, Vitalijus Kozys, Christian Mekowulu, Regimantas Miniotas, Rasheed Sulaimon, Jeffery Taylor, Tre’Shawn Thurman, Kristupas Zemaitis, and Eigirdas Zukauskas.
Jaka Klobucar returns to Ljubljana
A late addition for Cedevita Olimpija as well. Jaka Klobucar, a former player of Union Olimpija, before the merge with Cedevita, returned to Ljubljana, the team announced Thursday. The swingman is a former international player with Slovenia. His lengthy career includes ten EuroCup appearances with Galatasaray in 2018-19.
Klobucar, 36, was already part of the training camp for the team coached by Simone Pianigiani. The remaining roster consists of Sean Armand, Jaka Blazic, Justin Cobbs, Zoran Dragic, Gregor Glas, Luka Scuka, Shawn Jones, Jan Kosi, Karlo Matkovic, Nikola Radicevic, Rok Radovic, Alexander Shashkov, Amadou Sow, and injured Edo Muric.
Mateusz Zebski joins Slask
Elsewhere in the EuroCup field, Poland representative Slask Wroclaw signed 31-year-old swingman Mateusz Zebski. Jawun Evans, Daniel Golebiowski, Hassani Gravett, Lukasz Kolenda, Saulius Kulvietis, Dusan Miletic, Jakub Niziol, Szymon Nowicki, Artsiom Parakhouski, Michal Sitnik, and Aleksander Wisniewski shape the rest of the roster.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL