Augustas Marčiulionis returns to European competition averaging 19.7 points per game through his opening three appearances for Rytas Vilnius, nearly doubling his offensive output from the previous season as the Lithuanian club prepares to face Nanterre 92 on Tuesday, October 13, bebasket.fr reported.
Stepping Up After a Title Season in Vilnius
The 24-year-old point guard has assumed a primary offensive role for Rytas following the departure of American guard Jerrick Harding to Turkey. Marčiulionis anchors the club’s backcourt alongside veteran center Artūras Gudaitis, forming a central 1-5 partnership that defines the team’s half-court offense.
Through three games in the Betsafe LKL and the Basketball Champions League, Marčiulionis shoots 46.2 percent from the floor while averaging 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 24 minutes per contest. That production marks a sharp rise from his return stint last spring, when he posted 10.3 points per game on 43.7 percent shooting across 22 domestic league appearances after arriving back in Lithuania.
The Collegiate Years in California and G-League Stint
Born in Vilnius, Marčiulionis began his professional career with Perlas Vilnius before joining Rytas in September 2020. In 2021, he moved to the United States to enroll at Saint Mary’s College in California, where his production expanded steadily across four seasons under the Gaels program.
Augustas Marciulionis looks to lead Rytas Vilnius to its first ever Basketball Champions League Title! They take on AEK Athens in Greece at 11 am today in the finals!#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/DafxLSadVh
By his junior year in 2023–2024, he assumed the starting point guard role and averaged 12.4 points and 5.3 assists, earning West Coast Conference Player of the Year and tournament MVP honors. He repeated as the conference player of the year the following season with averages of 14.2 points and 5.9 assists before departing the NCAA in 2025.
After going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, Marčiulionis signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and subsequently joined their G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. In nine appearances during the 2025–2026 G-League campaign, he averaged 5.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 16 minutes per game before returning to Rytas on February 26, 2026.
Perimeter Shooting Struggles Contrast With Scoring Volume
Despite his increased scoring numbers, Marčiulionis continues to battle efficiency issues from beyond the arc. He connects on 26.3 percent of his three-point attempts while taking more than six long-range shots per contest, mirroring the 29.2 percent mark he posted behind the arc during the previous season.
That perimeter drought runs parallel to broader shooting difficulties for Lithuanian basketball nationally, mirroring the senior national team’s struggles at the 2025 EuroBasket. Nevertheless, Marčiulionis maintained a steady international presence during the FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifiers, where he averaged 13 points and 4 assists across two appearances.
Preparing for Nanterre 92
Rytas enters the fixture against Nanterre 92 following a setback in the Intercontinental Cup, retaining the core of a roster that claimed the Basketball Champions League title in 2026 despite significant personnel turnover.
For the French club, containing Marčiulionis and neutralizing his pick-and-roll coordination with the 2.08-meter Gudaitis remains the primary defensive assignment as Xavier Castañeda and the Nanterre backcourt look to slow the Lithuanian playmaker.
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