One Badgers freshman put his name on the map on the national scale this month.
The Wisconsin Badgers have started summer workouts, with the media being invited to watch two practices this month to get an early peek at the new-look team.
However, the entire roster wasn’t on campus for the first open practice last week, as a couple of freshmen had overseas responsibilities before arriving in Madison.
One of them, forward Aleksas Bieliauskas, was participating in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket Championships, representing his home country, Lithuania.
While there hasn’t been much talk about Bieliauskas heading into the 2025 season, the freshman made sure his name was heard, putting together a few impressive performances, leading Lithuania to a silver medal at the tournament.
Bieliauskas had five games in double figures, averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three across the seven games.
He was second among all participants at the tournament with 8.3 rebounds per game, while also recording nearly a block per game.
In the elimination rounds, Bieliauskas stepped up his game, scoring 15 points in the Round of 16 against Poland. He also had seven rebounds and two blocks in the 84-73 win for Lithuania.
In the quarterfinals, the forward scored 16 points on a perfect 6/6 from the field, while posting seven rebounds and a block. He led Lithuania in both points and rebounds, as his team won 85-73 to advance.
In the semifinals, Bieliauskas had a quieter game, scoring eight points and recording five rebounds, but Lithuania still won 81-71 to head to the finals against Italy.
There, the Badgers freshman scored his most points yet, getting 17 points, while knocking down three three-pointers and grabbing 12 rebounds. It wasn’t enough, though, as Lithuania fell short 83-66 to Italy, securing the silver medal at the tournament.
Bieliauskas, who looks bigger than his listed 6’9, will now head to Madison and compete in the frontcourt for some minutes as a freshman. But, his skills as a rim-runner, rebounder, and potential shooter were displayed at the FIBA U20 EuroBasket Championships earlier this month, leading his country to a second-place finish.