St. Joseph's Auris Tverijonas could be a Division I hoops talent
Auris Tverijonas wasn't happy. "Maybe I didn't play my game," Tverijonas said after St. Joseph's 53-40 victory over Egg Harbor Township on Sunday at the Ocean City PBA Tipoff Weekend showcase.
Auris Tverijonas wasn't happy.
"Maybe I didn't play my game," Tverijonas said after St. Joseph's 53-40 victory over Egg Harbor Township on Sunday at the Ocean City PBA Tipoff Weekend showcase.
The 6-foot-10 Tverijonas is one of the more intriguing players in South Jersey.
He's an exchange student from Lithuania with the potential to play Division I college basketball, according to St. Joseph coach Paul Rodio.
"Right now, he's at the low D-I level," Rodio said. "But he has the chance to be a high D-I player. He has that kind of potential."
Tverijonas is a senior, so he will spend one year in the Wildcats' program. He spent last year at Glenelg Country School outside Baltimore.
"Everything is going well," Tverijonas said of his experience at St. Joseph. "I like the school, the students, the team."
Tverijonas lives with a host family and enrolled at St. Joseph as part of the school's exchange-student program, Rodio said.
Tverijonas said he grew up in Taurage, an industrial city of about 25,000 in western Lithuania. He said he started to dream of coming to the United States to further his education and basketball career when he was a freshman in high school.
"My parents and I decided that I would come here, it's the best educational system in the world and it would be good for my basketball," Tverijonas said.
Tverijonas generated six points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes Sunday against Egg Harbor.
"He isn't happy," Rodio said. "He knows he can play better."
Tverijonas runs the floor like a guard and displays impressive athleticism for a player of his height.
In a scrimmage against Delsea, Tverijonas impressed Crusaders coach Tom Freeman.
"He had three dunks, one of them running the floor in transition," Freeman said. "Good athlete."
In St. Joseph's season-opening loss to Pleasantville, Tverijonas had 13 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 blocks, according to Rodio.
"He's going to work hard and continue to improve," Rodio said. "He has a chance to be really good."
@PhilAnastasia
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