Arizona Basketball Alum Returns to Tucson This Weekend

Paulius Murauskas is returning to Tucson with Saint Mary's for an exhibition game on Saturday.

Mar 26, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd during a practice session in preparation for an East Regional semifinal game against the Duke Blue Devils at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Paulius Murauskas committed to coach Tommy Lloyd and Arizona a couple of years ago after he had been playing overseas.

As a freshman with the Wildcats, Murauskas appeared in 23 games off the bench. He played almost 18 minutes and scored 10 points in his collegiate debut against Morgan State.

BJ Freeman, 10, of Arizona State University drives toward the bucket while being defended by Paulius Murauskas, 23 of Saint Mary's College during the 2024 Acrisure Men's Classic in Palm Desert, Calif., Nov. 29, 2024. | Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Murauskas played a limited role, averaging 2.7 points and 1.2 rebounds across 5.0 minutes per game. He grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds in 14 minutes against Southern. On the season as a whole, he shot 21-of-48 from the field and 14-of-27 from deep.

After playing a limited role as a freshman at Arizona, Murauskas transferred to Saint Mary's last season.

Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Coach Lloyd's Thoughts

• "(Murauskas) is a great person," Lloyd said.

• "We really enjoyed having him here. I think he has found a great spot for him and I'm really happy for him... You know, sometimes you come to a place and it doesn't work out for whatever reason. I will say this. Mura was nothing but a class act when he was here."

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd celebrates after defeating the Oregon Ducks at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Lloyd added that Murauskas committed to Arizona with the intention of playing for the program and he had hoped he would play, but it did not work out.

• "Ultimately, I'm responsible for that, so I'm happy that he has found his footing and he's pushing forward," Lloyd added.

Murauskas immediately started at power forward for the Gaels last season, averaging 12.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while appearing in every game. He was named to the first team All-WCC and was named the WCC Newcomer of the Year.

March 11, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; St. Mary's Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) during the first half in the final of the West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

• "From my perspective (and) someone who knows college basketball, he picked the perfect place to take advantage of his skillset and his strengths," Lloyd said.

• "I know he had a lot of other opportunities... He made a really mature decision and he's playing in a great program. I don't think he could have made a better basketball decision than the one he made."

Murauskas led the WCC and finished 24th in the country with 13 double-doubles. He logged five of those double-doubles in his first six games with Saint Mary's last season, which included a career-high 15 rebounds against Akron.

He recorded a 12-point and 12-rebound double-double against UTSA and a 29-point performance in a win against Utah, which led to him earning WCC Player of the Week honors.

March 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; St. Mary's Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) dribbles the basketball against Pepperdine Waves forward Stefan Todorovic (7) during the first half in the semifinal of the West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Murauskas later earned Lute Olson National Player of the Week honors after averaging 24.5 points and 8.5 rebounds across wins for Saint Mary's against San Francisco and Washington State.

Arizona junior center Motiejus Krivas reflected on his time in the program with Murauskas, as the two of them joined the Arizona program at the same time, coming to Tucson from overseas.

Dec 7, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (14) dunks the ball during the first half against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

• "It was a new experience for both of us," Krivas said. "We had a really good team and I remember spending time with him and sharing the court together. All good memories."

Arizona will host Saint Mary's in an exhibition game on Saturday, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 pm MST at McKale Center.

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