Jonas Valanciunas: Poster dunk against BC Zalgiris Kaunas

Jonas Valanciunas has had a productive 2010-11 season with BC Lietuvos Rytas. After winning the Lithuanian Basketball League last season, his team lost in the LKL Finals to BC Zalgiris Kaunas this year. Compared to the previous season, Valanciunas has enjoyed increased playing time (21 minutes per game) and finished the year with averages of 11.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and league-best 1.8 blocks per game. Jonas has also made his debut in the elite European competition – the EuroLeague, where he helped his team reach the Top 16 round while averaging 7.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in 15 minutes per game, and shooting an incredible 71% from the floor and 89% from the free-throw line.

At the conclusion of the LKL season, Jonas Valanciunas made a decision to declare for the 2011 NBA Draft, where he is projected to be a Top 5 pick by various sources. NBA.com Consensus 2011 Mock Draft has Valanciunas going at #5.

Now Valanciunas is practicing with the Lithuanian National U-19 basketball team, considered to be one of the contenders to win the World U-19 Basketball Championship taking place in Latvia this summer. The championship starts June 30, 2011, and Jonas will be one of the shining young stars of the tournament.