Auburn Inks Lithuanian Guard Mantas Rubštavičius Amidst Eligibility Questions

The Auburn Tigers’ basketball program has seemingly gone quiet after a flurry of top-tier pickups, but one key narrative was finally settled on Tuesday, when the university announced that it had officially signed Mantas Rubštavičius, a Lithuanian guard who had been committed to the Plains since May 15.

Excited to welcome Mantas to the program‼️ pic.twitter.com/DgmN6qUnBM
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) June 23, 2026

“We are excited to welcome Mantas Rubštavičius to our program,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl said in a statement. “He brings a unique combination of size, shooting ability, versatility, and basketball IQ that allows him to impact the game in a variety of ways. Just as importantly, he has earned a reputation as a selfless teammate, high-character individual, and proven winner…”

Tiger fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief with this news, as there was some questioning as to whether or not Rubštavičius would be eligible to play, given the NCAA’s new eligibility guidelines. Some feared that these guidelines would keep Rubštavičius out of the league, but now that he is signed, he is likely safe for the remainder of his collegiate career.

Rubštavičius, a former overseas pro, has played for the NZ Breakers in Australia’s NBL, Lietkabelis in the EuroCup and Zalgiris in the Euro League. He originally began his professional career in Lithuania.

The Tigers are set to look completely different in 2026, as they have lost top talent like Sebastian Williams-Adams, who committed to Vanderbilt, Filip Jović, who committed to UCLA and Kaden Magwood, a former four-star recruit who has yet to find a new home. Additionally, the Tigers have lost Emeka Oporum, a high-upside center who missed most of the 2025 season with injury.

The Tigers are still set to keep some top talent, though, as standout sophomore guard Tahaad Pettiford has announced his intent to stay on the Plains, joining NIT MOP Kevin Overton as the Tigers’ two big-time keeps.

Additionally, Rubštavičius will join several fellow new Tigers, including former Big Ten Freshman of the Year forward Owen Freeman, 7-foot-1 Santa Clara transfer Bukky Oboye, Vanderbilt shooting guard transfer George Kimble, South Alabama transfer Adam Olsen and Thomas Dowd, who led the Sun Belt in rebounds in 2026.

The Tigers have also been working in recruiting, landing the aforementioned Narcisse Ngoy, a French seven-footer with professional basketball experience, as well as Caleb Williams, a three-star shooting guard in the class of 2026.

Despite the heavy roster shakeup, though, Auburn appears poised for a strong season with the roster building that Steven Pearl has been doing over the last few months. However, the team will need to build some chemistry this offseason, as much like last year, few of these players have played on the same roster before.

If Pearl can get all of these new acquisitions, as well as the returners, on the same page and working as a unit, the Tigers appear to have a roster that could make a deep push into the NCAA Tournament, even in its new expanded format.

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