The first FIBA U20 game did not go the way that Lithuania was hoping, with an 84-65 loss to Greece. However, as Wisconsin fans looked on, they weren't watching for a Lithuania win; they were watching incoming freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas. He didn't disappoint. While he may have wanted more both from himself and his team, he played strong, was the biggest body on the floor, and walked away with a double-double in his debut.
Incoming freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas records a double-double in his first FIBA U20 game.
— Badger of Honor (@BadgerOfHonorFS) July 12, 2025
Aleksas Bieliauskas showed promise in his FIBA U20 Debut for Lithuania
Bieliauskas scored 10 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against Greece. It helped that he was the biggest body on the court, and he often was forced to play like it. He had moments where he was double-teamed and forced to push the ball around the court.
Lithuania's style had a little Greg Gard flair to it, and you can see what the Badgers' like Bieliauskas as he would stretch out and take threes when presented to him. In this game, he only knocked down one of his four attempts, but the ability is there.
While he probably was unimpressed with his own game, going two for eight from the floor and one for four from three. He dominated inside the paint when he was able to get in the key and stay in the key. This style of basketball makes it hard to get rebounds consistently, but Bieliauskas had six offensive rebounds and five defensive.
Bieliauskas was also the most effective player on his team in terms of plus/minus. He ended up with a -4 in a game in which Greece won by nearly 20 points. This tied a couple of others on his team but they couldn't really afford to have Bieliauskas off the court for long stretches. All in all, it was a promising game for the young player, and he may need a year to develop in Wisconsin, but he looks good.