Eighteen-year-old Dovydas Buika, who represented Zalgiris-2 Kaunas, has been loaned to Jonava-Hipocredit until the end of the season.
“Dovydas left a mark on the Zalgiris youth teams, where he dominated at all levels he played. We believe that after moving to the Jonava club, Buika will have many opportunities to demonstrate his abilities on the court and gain even more experience. This change of environment should help him develop even faster as a player and reveal his potential at the highest level”, commented Zalgiris GM Gediminas Navickas.
After playing a couple of full seasons in NKL, the 198 cm tall guard averaged nearly 30 minutes on the court last season. Buika was one of the most productive players on Zalgiris-2 and the team’s assist leader, averaging 15.4 points and 4.5 assists.
Last season, the player made his debut in the LKL and in the EuroLeague. After making his debut in the local championship in February, Buika played 13 games, scoring 3 points per game. The guard had his best performance against the Mazeikiai club, when he scored 12 points and 13 efficiency points in less than 20 minutes and made 3 three-pointers.
Meanwhile, Buika made his EuroLeague debut on February 4 of this calendar year in a game against ALBA Berlin. In the last 2.5 minutes, Buika managed to attack the basket once, make one assist, and steal the ball. Buika also appeared on the court in another Zalgiris home game against Crvena Zvezda, although only for 7 seconds at the end of the second quarter.
Finally, Buika participated in the EuroLeague NextGen tournament for two years in a row, and last season he became the tournament champion with the young Zalgiris players. The guard was particularly important in the final stage, scoring 12.5 points and making 4 assists.
