Wisconsin Badgers sign intriguing freshman forward from Lithuania with size and shooting ability

The University of Wisconsin men's basketball program will have plenty of new pieces for the 2025-26 season, and that includes more overseas flavor. Here's what to know about the latest addition to the program, a 6-foot-9 forward from Lithuania.

Dec 10, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard, left, and Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood before a game at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The Wisconsin Badgers' basketball program will have plenty of new faces for the 2025-26 season, and that includes more overseas flavor.

Wisconsin announced Thursday the signing of Aleksas Bieliauskas, a 6-foot-9 forward that will arrive in Madison from Kaunas, Lithuania. ESPN first reported his commitment April 24.

“We are excited to have Aleksas join us,” Gard said in a press release. “His size and experience will be an immediate asset to our program. As we’ve watched the collegiate recruiting landscape expand internationally, our staff has done a phenomenal job of identifying and connecting with some very good prospects. Aleksas is excited to get to Madison this summer and we can’t wait to help him continue to grow as a student-athlete as he transitions to our program and university.”

Welcome to Wisconsin Aleksas Bieliauskas!

The Lithuanian will bring international experience to the Badgers

📝 https://t.co/UEQyl6OepB pic.twitter.com/N5It3G5mAq

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) May 9, 2025

Bieliauskas (pronounced beel-OW-skiss) will be a freshman next season and joins a 2025 class that includes four-star guard Zach Kinziger (De Pere), center Will Garlock (Middleton) and New Zealand guard Hayden Jones.

The program also has welcomed transfer forward Austin Rapp (Portland) and guards Nick Boyd (San Diego State), Andrew Rohde (St. Thomas/Virginia) and Braeden Carrington (Minnesota/Tulsa). Rapp is from Melbourne, Australia.

“Joining Wisconsin means a lot to me,” Bieliauskas said in the release. “It is a great opportunity and I can’t wait to get to work and improve my game.”

Bieliauskas scored 12.1 points and grabbed 6.8 rebounds per game in 2024-25 for Zalgiris II in Lithuania's NKL, according to EuroBasket.com. The site reports the big man finished the season connecting on 39.3% of his 3-point attempts.

Bieliauskas also has played four games this season for Zalgiris in Lithuania's LKL, according to EuroBasket.com.

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