Former Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Martynas Arlauskas is off to a rocking start in his second professional season with Pieno Zvaigzdes in his home country of Lithuania. Through four games, the 6’7 wing is averaging 15 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and two steals in 32 minutes per night – while shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc.
However, it’s not his outside shooting that has been eye catching. For those who follow Arlauskas, or Drew Timme, on Instagram, you’ve likely seen a handful of highlights with the 23-year-old throwing down thunderous dunks, like the following:
Arlauskas spent three seasons in Spokane with the Bulldogs from 2019-2022, appearing in 58 games and averaging 0.8 points and 0.7 rebounds while playing almost entirely in garbage time. Despite being a highly regarded international prospect, Arlauskas never found his way into the rotation for Mark Few’s club.
However, his infectious personality and energy on the bench endeared him to the Zag faithful, and his close friendship with Timme was among the best stories surrounding the program while he was in uniform.
So, while some Zag fans may see these highlights and wonder what might have been, it’s incredibly joyous to see Arlauskas having fun, and kicking ass, while playing professional basketball in his home country. And it’s equally fun to see Timme and Anton Watson and other former teammates hyping him up – a role he himself filled incredibly admirably.
Andy hosts the Locked on Zags and Locked on College Basketball podcasts, and serves Locked On in a marketing/digital content creator role as well. He lives just outside Portland with his wife Jenna and dog, Tillie.
Maybe Drew can join him now, that would be fun!