TUCSON, Arizona — Fresh off a 36-3 season and the program’s first Final Four appearance in 25 years, the Arizona Wildcats will take their talents international this summer with a landmark visit to Lithuania.
The team will spend Aug. 14-23 in the Baltic nation as part of the USA College Lithuania Tour, organized by Complete Sports Management. During the trip, Arizona will play three exhibition games against top competition, including the first-ever matchup between the Lithuanian men’s senior national team and a college squad.
“This is a historic moment for Lithuanian basketball,” said Mindaugas Balčiūnas, president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation. “
Two Final Four participants — Arizona, which has a strong Lithuanian basketball accent, and the NCAA champions, Michigan — will visit Lithuania and compete with the national teams of Lithuania and other countries.”
Game Schedule:
Aug. 19 vs. Lithuania B Team (Jonava, Lithuania)
Aug. 20 vs. Ukraine Senior National Team (Kedaninai, Lithuania)
Aug. 22 vs. Lithuania Senior National Team (Alytus, Lithuania)
The Aug. 22 contest against Lithuania’s senior team marks a milestone for the sport in the country, known for its
deep passion for basketball.Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd expressed excitement about the cultural and competitive opportunity.
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring our program to Lithuania in August,” Lloyd said. “Not just because it is a special country with incredible people, but because they have a strong passion for the game of basketball just like Arizona fans. We look forward to immersing ourselves in the Lithuanian culture, with the added bonus of being able to play a couple exhibition games against some great competition."
The Wildcats will spend time in Kaunas — Lithuania’s second-largest city and home to the club team Žalgiris Kaunas, where current Arizona center Motiejus Krivas played before joining the Wildcats — as well as the coastal city of Palanga.
Krivas recently announced his return to Arizona for the 2026-27 season after earning First Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Defensive honors. He averaged 10.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game last season, with his seven blocked shots in one game ranking seventh in program single-season history.
The tour comes just ahead of a key qualifying window for both Lithuania and Ukraine as they prepare for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
“This will be a great opportunity to compete with the strongest college teams in the world,” said Rimas Kurtinaitis, head coach of the Lithuanian men’s national team. “Today’s NCAA basketball is a competition of the most talented basketball players on the planet. We are looking forward to this opportunity.”
