Kevin Young has added another intriguing prospect from overseas.
Lithuanian wing Dovydas Buika has signed with BYU, the program announced Wednesday.
“We’re super excited to welcome Dovydas to the BYU family,” Young said in a statement. “He brings a lot of versatility to our back court with the ability to play multiple positions. He has played for a great club in his home country of Lithuania and has learned how to play the game the right way because of it.
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“He’s got great positional size and a competitive edge to him that will fit in well with our group. We look forward to getting him on campus and getting to work.”
The 6-foot-6, 19-year-old Buika played 21 games for Lithuania’s Jonava Hipocredit this past season, averaging 3.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists with a single game-high point total of 14.
Rated as a 4-star prospect by Rivals, Buika chose BYU over Illinois, Arizona and other notable programs.
Buika has also spent time with Žalgiris Kaunas and represented Lithuania in a number of international competitions, including last summer’s FIBA U18 EuroBasket tournament where he scored 12.0 points and grabbed 5.9 rebounds per game.
“We have been tracking Dovydas him for a few years and coming from Žalgiris, there are few clubs in Europe when a guy comes out of that system you know they are ready for high-level basketball and Žalgiris are one of those places,” BYU associate head coach Tim Fanning said in a statement.
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“He was a team captain of some very successful teams there. We love his versatility. He can play multiple guard spots. Character wise, he’s a great fit at BYU.”
With Buika’s addition, BYU currently has three available roster spots remaining, as Young has said he intends to fill each one.
The Cougars, of course, are still working to bring a starting caliber big man to Provo, having recently been linked to a few notable frontcourt candidates.
