KAUNAS (FIBA U18 European Championship 2018) – There will not be many bigger names at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2018 than Lithuanian point guard Rokas Jokubaitis.

After making a mark at last year's FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Egypt, the 17-year-old left-handed Zalgiris Kaunas prospect shot to prominence after stealing the thunder from LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball in the first chapter of their much-publicized Lithuanian adventure.

In a game that has now nearly three million views on Facebook, it was Jokubaitis who emerged as the star of the show with an eye-opening 31-point performance for the Zalgiris reserves against a first division opponent in Vytautas Prienai-Birstonas, albeit in a friendly setting.

"That game was memorable in many aspects – from the number of people who tuned in to watch it around the world, to actually matching up against one of the better-known American prospects," Jokubaitis told FIBA.basketball.

"I obviously started to get a lot more attention after that game. The interest from scouts and other people also increased, but I try to pay as little attention to that as possible."

"Practicing and playing under a coach like coach Jasikevicius is a huge stimulus to keep pushing and to continue to improve every day."ROKAS JOKUBAITIS

However, this one-game episode does not do justice to the crafty Mazeikiai-born playmaker all by itself. As the Ball saga in Lithuania ground down into a garish showbiz affair, Jokubaitis continued to flourish in Kaunas. 

His hard-working attitude and a feet-firmly-on-the-ground mentality did not go unnoticed by arguably the most powerful man in town. That would be Sarunas Jasikevicius, who extended a call-up to the up-and-comer once the NKL campaign finished for the reserves.

"I have an ideal situation here in Kaunas. The training process, the coaching staff," said Jokubaitis, whilst folding his fingers. "Practicing and playing under a coach like coach Jasikevicius is a huge stimulus to keep pushing and to continue to improve every day. It was a huge motivational and psychological boost for me to play for one of the top European clubs."

It did not take long for Jokubaitis to get a call-up to the senior side

From NKL to LKL, it has been an eventful year for Jokubaitis and one he admits that has taught him a lot. "I've gained a lot of experience, I stepped into men's basketball and got tested in the strongest domestic league," he said, reflecting on the journey.

"This year, I think I maybe improved more as a point guard. There used to be some problems in this position, but now I feel more confident as a playmaker. But I am still missing a lot in my game: I need to work on my outside shot, develop my right hand and up the intensity on the defensive end on one-on-one assignments."

The next big test for Jokubaitis is going to be the FIBA U18 European Championship in Latvia, which will take place in Liepaja, Ventspils and Riga at the end of July and beginning of August.

"I really believe that our national team is capable of reaching the podium."ROKAS JOKUBAITIS

 "The upcoming tournament in Latvia is on my mind a lot lately," Jokubaitis admits. "I really believe that our national team is capable of reaching the podium, but we need put these thoughts aside for now. There's a long way to go, but our expectations are very high."

The Zalgiris playmaker of the future is far from being the only top-tier prospect in the talent-stacked 2000-born generation of Lithuanian players, which also includes the likes Dovydas Giedraitis, Deividas Sirvydis, Martynas Arlauskas and Tomas Balciunas, as well as the intriguing trio of Domantas Vilys, Arnas Adomavicius and Erikas Venskus.

"Our perimeter players are really strong," highlights Jokubaitis before continuing. "It's maybe a bit more complicated when it comes to our front court, but I think we will manage and everything will be fine. We all know each other for quite some time now, we have played together for a couple of years and that, I believe, can be our key to success."

The look of disbelief on the bench, as Lithuania lost the battle for gold at the FIBA U16 European Championship

One of the experiences that really bonded the team together was the heartbreak of losing the FIBA U16 European Championship 2016 Final to Spain, despite being up with as little as 13.4 seconds to go.

"We were all still very young at that time and it was our first serious championship, so naturally it hit really hard. There were even some tears. But those silver medals show that our generation can go far. It's an achievement that now gives me joy," the point guard offered.

The mature-beyond-years Jokubaitis is one of two 2000-born players who competed for Lithuania at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, alongside Giedratis. Having averaged 10.0 points and 5.3 assists as the youngest player in the entire competition, the Zalgiris prospect will be one of the more experienced guys on the Gediminas Petrauskas-coached U18 team this year, despite not actually turning 18 before November.

"Playing against players who are two years older than me in the U19 championship in Egypt last year and then competing at the senior level all season long has helped me accumulate more experience and that is definitely an added bonus when it comes to confidence," Jokubaitis acknowledged.

The age-long quest for a top class point guard in Lithuania has been in full swing since one of Europe's all-time playmaking greats Jasikevicius decided to call it a day, with the nation searching for the next big thing on an annual basis.

With the help of Jasikevicius himself, can Jokubaitis deliver?

FIBA