The Norse coaching staff remains busy and they have a clear vision. Coach Horn and co. have targeted international players this offseason like none before! Friday saw a 6’5″ Lithuanian wing commitment in Gabrielius Jokubauskas. The 19 year old wing will bring high intensity athleticism that fits the mold NKU is looking for. Gabrielius averaged 9.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists last season in Lithuania. He shot just 31% from three, but was not shy about shooting, which should be seen as a positive. The old adage “shooters shoot” applies here. NKU is getting a guy who won’t hesitate to take the shot when open.
I’m actually on sabbatical from my day job, meaning when I got word of this commitment, I was able to watch some of his film to help me better understand his game and how he fits.
I was immediately impressed by his high motor overall; it also seems that he doesn’t just find a way to play through contact, he looks to create it and get to the rim at the same time. I do have concerns about his shooting ability, however, NKU’s staff has shown consistent ability to get guys into the right spots on the court in game. They also have an extensive track record of finding guys who fit their mold and developing them into solid players on offense. On defense, Gabrielius seems to enjoy creating chaos and jumping passing lanes. The type of defense that NKU plays is one that he should fit right into and be able to immediately help fill defensive needs, creating transition buckets.
About the league and competition he played in within Lithuania: He played for Rytas 2, which is a member of the National Basketball League, the 2nd tier league in the country. Rytas 2 is more of a developmental team for the main team in the higher league. Players frequently move up and springboard from the National Basketball League to higher level programs, with several guys coming over to play NCAA ball. Overall, this is an extremely low-risk high reward addition to the NKU roster.
Expect Gabrielius to help round out the perimeter of this year’s roster and provide depth as NKU looks to compete for the Horizon League title.
Coach Horn echoed what we’ve been saying all offseason, these guys are bringing size, ball skill, and versatility to the roster.
Overall, NKU’s coaching staff has a clear vision for the program and they’ve done very well at executing that this offseason while navigating the ever changing waters of the transfer portal and recruiting in the NIL landscape.
At this time, I am unclear on how many years of eligibility Gabrielius has and will update once we have confirmation.
Finding full video footage of him is difficult. norseillustrated.com had this excellent video that was the only one I could locate as well!
