The Lithuanian Gator: Kublickas Takes On Florida

To celebrate International Education Week, WRUF is publishing profiles of UF student-athletes all week.

When most people visit the Sunshine State, they go to Orlando for a weekend to see one of the world’s most famous mouse. However, in the case of Kajus Kublickas, his first trip to Florida was only for a few hours and it did not involve any tourist attractions.

“I needed to take an ACT test,” Kublickas said.

On June 14, the University of Florida men’s basketball team announced the last addition to its squad for the season would be a guard out of Kaunas, Lithuania. A month later, Kublickas flew out to Gainesville to take a mandatory admission exam. He then received a quick tour of the campus and before the day was over, the 6-foot-2 freshman was on a flight back home.

“Because I was on the national team camp… I had to move quickly back there,” Kublickas said.

The Euro Vision

Before enrolling at UF, the 171-pound guard played for Lithuania in the FIBA U20 European Championship in Heraklion, Crete in July. In the tournament, Kublickas averaged 6.3 points and led his team in assists by averaging 3.1. The Lithuanian said his time with the national team this summer has had a positive impact, because he was able to pick up on things that were being done by other countries.

However, the Gators men’s basketball team had already been looking into the guard for quite some time, because he had a successful tenure with one of Lithuania’s top programs.

For the 2022-2023 season, the Kaunas native averaged 9.1 points and 3.3 assists a game for Zalgiris Kaunas 2, the second-tier team for BC Zalgiris Kaunas. He was a key player in his team’s second-league championship win.

Due to long distance and logistics, the Gator coaching staff watched Kublickas from afar through video. Impressed by his play, they contacted Kublickas’ family to set up a Zoom call about their interest in bringing him to Gainesville.

Leaving Lithuania

Kublickas’ parents have been with him every step of the way. When he was growing up, Tomas, his father, introduced his son to the sport by installing a rim on his bedroom door. Kublickas said his mother, Danute, brought him to his first basketball training as a kid. He said she told him she knew he loved the game instantly, because of the way he listened to his coaches and worked hard in each drill.

Even though Kublickas moved up the ranks in the basketball world, his parents never imagined he would leave Lithuania. That made it even harder for Kublickas to break the news that he would be moving to Florida. He said his family was sad at first, but they are now glad because they see he has an opportunity to chase his basketball aspirations. 

Although he is leaving Kaunas, Kublickas takes a little bit of home with him in the form of a quote from his father.

“The quieter you drive, the further you go,” Kublickas said. “It means hard work. I’m trying to be humble and just grind every day.”

On Aug. 16, the guard shared his thoughts on his time with Zalgiris Kaunas 2 on his Instagram in his native language (translation provided by Instagram).

“Zalgiris is a team that will always be in my heart,” he wrote. “This is where I grew up as a player and as a person, made friends and experienced emotions that will always be good to remember.”

The Lithuanian Gator

  When considering joining the Gators men’s basketball team, Kublickas said several good things influenced him. The rich history, the staff and the environment were all key factors in his decision. The weather played a large role, too.

“It’s cold right now back in Lithuania,” Kublickas said. “I can enjoy it right now.”

From living in Lithuania his entire life to now residing in Gainesville, the biggest change and challenge has been the language difference. However, playing and being around his teammates has allowed Kublickas to learn English faster and better.

“I live with a couple of the guys in the dorm,” Kublickas said. “This is a massive help for me to get better at this language.”

One of his teammates, junior guard Jack May, gave a lot of praise to Kublickas’ time so far with the team.

“Kajus is a great guy… really high IQ basketball player,” May said. “Obviously there is a learning curve with freshmen, but he has been getting better.”

With only going through a third of a semester at UF, Kublickas has grown a liking to campus. He has taken a particular liking to the dining halls, which allow him to eat as much as he wants. He has also found love for the local fauna.

“In Florida, there’s alligators right here,” Kublickas said. “Back at home, we don’t have those actually. I was really excited to see one.”

Moving forward into the season, the reptile lover is looking forward to joining his fellow Gators on the court. Kublickas said he is excited to win games and to be the best he can be for his teammates.