Lietuvos Rytas returns to Euroleague after a season outside the top tier European competition. The Vilnius side is placed in Group D.
Introduction: Last season Rytas continued its tradition of qualifying for the Eurocup Final Four for the fourth time. Yet, unlike previous times, they finished fourth missing out an opportunity to earn a direct place in Euroleague. Rytas also lost LKL final which would have opened the door to Euroleague. But thanks to the Euroleague ranking system, the team from Lithuanian capital is back among Europe’s elite.
The club tried to cover the loss of Jonas Valanciunas by adding Dejan Ivanov and Leon Radosevic with only latter having previously played in Euroleague. Serbian talent Nemanja Nedovic and Latvian Janis Blums are expected to take care of the point guard position after Aleksandar Rasic and Tyrese Rice find jobs in other teams. And finally Deividas Dulkys, who is making his pro debut, was brought after graduating from Florida State. Despite losing four important players, Rytas shouldn’t take much time to gel since most of the squad remained the same.
Once again, Lietuvos Rytas enters Euroleague with a roster that isn’t filled with stars and a budget that isn’t impressive either. Yet, once again, the team is looking to make the Top 16 and be a tough nut to crack for any opponent.
Coach: Aleksandar Dzikic arrived in Vilnius before last season with a task to bring Rytas back to Euroleague. The goal was reached but Dzikic had little to do with it. The management of the club showed their trust in Serbian coach who is set to coach Rytas for the second year in a row. Being familiar with most of his players is definitely an advantage for Dzikic this season. In addition to that, he will be able to build on last year’s work. Motivation should be high as ever since it will be the second time that Dzikic works with a Euroleague team. Last time it was back in 2008 when he was fired by Olimpija already in December due to poor results.
Key Player: In a team that doesn’t have a player who stands head and shoulders among his teammates, it’s hard to look past Renaldas Seibutis. Lithuanian international was already playing a key role in Dzikic’s side last season. Seibutis will sure look to be the spark and the leader of the team once again.
Seibutis was a top scorer for Rytas last season with 14.8 points per game. The last time he played in Euroleague was in 2007-2008 season with Olympiacos. Seibutis is expected to take even more responsibilities on his shoulders in the coming Euroleaue season.
Breakout Player: Nemanja Nedovic will not only be making his Euroleague debut at the age of 21 but will also hope to become a key member of his new team. Serbian point guard will get his chance to prove his talent. Coach Dzikic coached Nedovic in Serbian U-20 team and sure knows how to get most of him. The fact that there’s only one true point guard alongside Nedovic in Janis Blums in Rytas’ squad is also helpful.
Biggest Euroleague Moment: Lietuvos Rytas has two Eurocup titles already. The sweetest one was in 2005 as it opened the door to Euroleague for the first time in club’s history. The following season was also a memorable one. Rytas qualified to Top 16 convincingly with famous wins against the likes of Maccabi, Barcelona and Olympiacos and were just one win away from making it to the play-offs.
