New Wing Commit: Kristupas Keinys

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Kristupas Keinys reminds me of Will Tschetter from Stewartville when he left for Michigan. Keinys may be best served by a redshirt year to practice and build his body for college basketball. He may be a good practice player. ​

 

And working on his shots. We list him as a wing (does not have a good shot), and they list him as a guard. The clips I see show some 3 point shots but mostly near the bucket. Good defensive clips. Seems to have a good handle. An unknown but Ben has turned into a recruiting genius so we will see how/where he fits.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
The league he is playing in isn't very good. It's the third highest ranked league in Lithuania. Basketball in Europe is similar to soccer in Europe, there are a series of leagues that relegate and promote.

The top league in Lithuania (LKL) relegates to the second best league in Lithunia (NKL) which relegates to the third best league in Lithuania (RKL) which is the league that his team plays. This league is full of 17/18 year olds. There are no former NBA players/American college players in the RKL.

For some perspective, Mutaf currently plays in the top league in Spain but when he first left Minnesota, he played in the third highest ranked league in Spain. However, that league is much stronger than its Lithuanian counterpart. It's mostly to do with $$, the Spanish lower leagues are genuine minor leagues - actual professional basketball players.

All of that said, I do agree with your post. I like his potential with us and even if he doesn't pan out, it's exactly what I had been crying about for months. There is no excuse to not at least fill out your scholarships and see where things land. I'd rather take risks than eat scholarships. He is a 6'7" guy who is pretty athletic and can at least shoot a little bit. He looks raw but he looks like he could provide some depth at a position of desperate need. Plus, he is kind of a fun prospect to root for.
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You're right, I didn't look too much into the league level, but the fact he's playing professionally is a good thing, experience-wise. And he's 6-7 is also nice. Looks like he has pretty decent handles so he can probably play multiple positions at some point.
 

FinnGopher said:

Kristupas Keinys reminds me of Will Tschetter from Stewartville when he left for Michigan. Keinys may be best served by a redshirt year to practice and build his body for college basketball. He may be a good practice player. ​

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I don't really believe in needing to build your body for basketball - unless you're fat.

6'7" 195 lbs is big enough to play in the Big 10 at wing.
 

International players on the Gopher roster have not worked out too well in the past. The guy from Turkey a few years ago was ok. Hope this one is an actual player ready for significant minutes.
 


TNGophfan said:
No longer in TN. Retired to Sarasota area. Should probably change my handle.
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Pretty rainy in Sarasota today. Needed it. Gotta be some good hoopsters down here but hard to sell them on the U. Beach sand and salt water for road sand and salt.
 

FinnGopher said:

Kristupas Keinys reminds me of Will Tschetter from Stewartville when he left for Michigan. Keinys may be best served by a redshirt year to practice and build his body for college basketball. He may be a good practice player. ​

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Ya, if he can't play let's have him tie up a scholarship for 5 years....keep the designated 7 happy.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I don't really believe in needing to build your body for basketball - unless you're fat.

6'7" 195 lbs is big enough to play in the Big 10 at wing.
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And this guy doesn't have to be a starter or provide 12 pts/game. He does look athletic, he can rebound and has a pretty high number of blocks. If he can come off the bench and provide some energy, good interior defense, and guard 3's and some 4's in this league for 5-6 min a game, he'll be a valuable piece for this team.
 




Rockraven said:
And working on his shots. We list him as a wing (does not have a good shot), and they list him as a guard. The clips I see show some 3 point shots but mostly near the bucket. Good defensive clips. Seems to have a good handle. An unknown but Ben has turned into a recruiting genius so we will see how/where he fits.
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I had no idea there was another 3 point line closer to the basket.
 

CentralGopher said:
I had no idea there was another 3 point line closer to the basket.
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There is a box of lines called the lane, but those shots are only good for 2. I’m thinking about hosting a blog called Basketball for Minnesota Dummies. That was likely the only poorly constructed sentence in the ‘hole history of basketball.
 






Bobek said:
players on the Gopher roster have not worked out too well in the past. The guy from Turkey a few years ago was ok. Hope this one is an actual player ready for significant minutes.
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FIFY
 



Rockraven said:
His weight is a concern. His quickness, aggressiveness, and +40% 3 point shooting plus he doesn’t need to work the boards are mitigating fractures. Durability is my concern.
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He is young and an incoming freshman..... very few of them are ready for the banging of the B1G!

Wait until he gets into the B1G weight lifting program.
 

Rockraven said:
There is a box of lines called the lane, but those shots are only good for 2. I’m thinking about hosting a blog called Basketball for Minnesota Dummies. That was likely the only poorly constructed sentence in the ‘hole history of basketball.
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You said it awkwardly and he made a joke about it.

BFD

You sure seemed to be impressed with your own knowledge of basketball, should we erect a statue for you at William Arena?
 


topos said:
... We are due for some Euro luck!
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That is how Gonzaga made it up the recruiting pecking order, by using Euro players.

Ben is having problems closing the deal on some US players with his track record. Go find some jewels in Europe and build the wins to attract better local players.
 

It is much easier to be optimistic about a player none of us know from Europe than some player from a school none of us know! Even if this kid doesn't work out it is a smart move for a variety of reasons. Good job Ben!
 



I like this signing for all the reasons already mentioned here. He fills an open roster spot, he has some athleticism, etc. From watching video he's clearly a scrappy player, plays weak side defense, passes well, has a nice looking stroke, and handles pretty well for a 6'7" wing. Someone posted on another site regarding his low 3 points %, that the 3 point line in Europe is further away than in the US, so that might (?) help explain 25% from 3?
 






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