Auburn basketball has added another big international piece to its 2026-27 roster with the commitment of 24-year-old Lithuanian guard Mantas Rubštavičius.
The 6-foot-6 guard brings both size and professional experience to Auburn after competing in several high-level leagues overseas. He has played in Australia’s NBL, as well as the EuroCup and EuroLeague, giving him valuable experience against professional competition before arriving in the SEC.
During the 2023-24 season with the New Zealand Breakers, Rubštavičius averaged 9.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 52.5% from the field and 43.3% from three-point range.
In addition to his success overseas, Rubštavičius also has experience in the NBA Summer League with the Golden State Warriors in 2024. His exposure to strong, NBA-like competition adds excitement about the impact he could make for Auburn next season.
After Rubštavičius went undrafted in 2024, he returned to Lithuania to play for Lietkabelis Panevėžys and averaged 12.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Known for his versatility on the court, Rubštavičius combines the ball-handling ability of a guard with the size and length of a forward. His ability to play both on the wing and in the backcourt should provide Auburn with additional floor spacing, shooting and lineup flexibility next season.
This addition marks the second international player Steven Pearl has brought in this offseason to join Auburn’s roster and likely the final player to join the roster overall. With Rubštavičius now in the mix, Auburn continues to build an experienced and versatile roster capable of competing at a high level next season.
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Lila is a freshman majoring in journalism sports production. She started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
