Aleksas Bieliauskas shines through 3 FIBA U20 games: Badgers may have found a gem

The Lithuania team is through three games in the FIBA U20 tournament. As they enter the bracket and single elimination stage of the tournament, they've been frustrated with their play. Only getting one win in the group stages, but a bright spot for Wisconsin fans has been the play of incoming freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas.

When Bieliauskas came out of nowhere as an international signing, the expectation was low, and no one really knew his game or what to expect. While he will still probably need some development in the program under Greg Gard, he looks much more polished than many initially assumed. His stats through the first three games are great.

Aleksas Bieliauskas is tied for 2nd in rebounding at FIBA U20 through group play

Aleksas Bieliauskas started the first game with a double-double. He then helped his team beat Romania with a whopping +32 in +/-, 15 points, and eight rebounds. In the final game, he had a dip in production as his team struggled against the Czech Republic. He had six points and eight rebounds.

Through the three games of the U20 tournament is averaging 10.3 points and 9.0 rebounds. This places him as the 36th best player among all teams in scoring and ties him for second in rebounding at 9.0 per game. This is impressive considering he's going up against more experienced players.

It will be interesting to see how the bracket unfolds now in a single-elimination game with a day of rest in between. These stats came on back-to-back-to-back games, which is tough for any player, but especially stretch big men. The offense is mostly running through him, for ball screens, rolls, and even back-to-the-basket play. A day of rest should see a rejuvenated Bieliauskas.

His next game is against Poland on Wednesday, July 16, 10 am CST, and you can watch it live on the FIBA YouTube stream.