April 28, 2005
Antanas Kavaliauskas (ann-TAWN-us cav-al-LOSS-kus) of Barton County (Kan.) Community College has signed a national letter-of-intent to play college basketball at Texas A&M, head coach Billy Gillispie said Thursday.
The 6-10, 250-pound Kavaliauskas earned first-team all-region and all-conference honors last season after averaging 17.6 points and leading the region in rebounding with 10.0 per game. He also led the region in offensive rebounding with 3.9 per contest. Originally from Vilnius, Lithuania, Kavaliauskas will play with the Lithuanian Junior National Team this summer.
"As far as junior college big men go, Antanas is as good as any in the country," Gillispie said. "He probably improved more in the last year than anyone. He visited for our Oklahoma State game and although we lost, he had an unbelievable time and fell in love with A&M. He saw how hard we work and how close-knit we are and wanted to be a part of it. He can play with his back to the basket and can also play on the perimeter because of his shooting ability. He has great character qualities and has a chance to make a major impact on our team."
Kavaliauskas made 59.0 percent from the field, leading the team and ranking fifth in the region, and also led Barton County in blocked shots with 29. His career field goal percentage of 58.0 ranks second in Barton County history. He had five games last season in which he scored at least 20 points with 15 rebounds, including a career-high 29 points against Seward County and a career-best 21 rebounds against SMS-West Plains.
"I believe A&M is the best situation for me," Kavaliauskas said. "I think the Big 12 is the best conference in the nation. The past two years we've played high-low, much like Coach Gillispie does at A&M."
"They're getting a player who has improved tremendously from one year to the next," Barton County coach Dave "Soupy" Campbell said. "Antanas' confidence and work ethic are what's made him the player he is and he will continue to improve at the next level."
Kavaliauskas is the third Barton County center in the last three years to sign with a major Division I program, joining Robert Whaley (Cincinnati) and JP Batista (Gonzaga). Kavaliauskas also was recruited by South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
"Antanas improved as much as any junior college kid I've seen in a long time from his freshman to his sophomore year," said Jerry Mullen of Mullen's Roundball Review. "We had him rated as a mid-major at best after his freshman year and we've upgraded him to a high-major. He gained about 30 pounds and improved his strength level immensely. He's a skilled player who can pass it, catch it, score on the block and shoot it from 15 feet. He's also a really good kid."
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