Raimondas Petrauskas

Jan. 20, 2005

By Ryan Haaz

When he got on the plane to come to Washington, D.C. Raimondas Petrauskas didn't know what he was getting into. "The coaches said to me, `Do you want to play basketball in the US?' I made one or two phone calls and decided I should go." He was twenty-two years old at the time and was about to embark on one of the toughest journeys life would hand him. As a native of Mazeikiai, Lithuania, Petrauskas didn't know English, not a word of it, but he understood basketball, and that was all he needed to know.

The potential has been there since the very first day he entered the gym. At 6'7" 235 lbs. his figure is large and intimidating. His soft touch around the basket combined with his physical play and aggressive nature make him a force to be reckoned with. In 2002-03, his very first year with the Eagles, he played 12 minutes a game and averaged 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds a game. "It was a good year, the toughest part was understanding what the coaches were telling me," Raimondas added.

Although the first year on the court was successful there were many difficulties off of it. "I used my English-Lithuanian dictionary is every class. I had to ask Ric (former teammate Ricardas Patiejunas) to help a lot." While he was putting in lots of hours studying off the court his game got progressively better on it. Petrauskas finished the year on a high note contributing a season-high 10 points in the Patriot League final against Holy Cross.

Petrauskas entered AU as a sophomore after transferring in college credits from Lithuania. Hence, 2003-04 was his junior year and it proved to be a stellar one. Petrauskas, who returns home each summer to see his family, finally started to become more comfortable in his confines in D.C. With two other native Lithuanians joining the team, Linas Lekavicius and Arvydas Eitutavicius, Petrauskas finally had a "family" environment and it helped his on-court play. "It's great having them here. We can talk in our own language and go and do our own thing. It makes me feel more comfortable."

Still, not all of his family is here. His wife, Vaida, still lives in Lithuania and while they communicate often through emails and phone calls, it isn't the same. Petrauskas looks forward to living with her full time this summer. "Hopefully we will be able to move to Europe, somewhere where I can play basketball for a living."

This season, he jumped out of the gates early by pulling down career highs in rebounds (eight) and tying his career high points (10) against Delaware in late November. He upped those numbers later in the year against Army, totaling a new career high in points with 24. Meanwhile, he was starting to grasp the English language better. "It was becoming much easier for me to understand teachers, I still need work but it is getting better."

After two full seasons, this is the final year Petrauskas will ever suit up for the Eagles. "The NCAA's are my main goal. I only really have two goals, graduate and help us win the PL final on our home court. Students are getting more and more excited, each game I see more people coming out to watch us I want to keep that going."

The journey hasn't been an easy one, "I have struggled at times, wondered if I should just pack my bags and go home, but people have told me I need to finish what I have started." Now with the finish line in sight and the out of conference schedule one game from completion Petrauskas has seen his minutes rise and expectations jump along with them. He knows his time is now, and understands just what he has around him. "I don't remember our team being this good in past years. We are very talented on both sides of the ball and we play very unselfishly."

For Petrauskas and his fellow seniors, there is only one thing that has eluded them in their time here at AU, a trip to the Big Dance. Now with a little under two months left in their final regular season they are on a mission to bring a title home to Bender Arena.