Newest UD basketball recruit: ‘I got goosebumps when I walked into the arena’

“The main factor why I picked Dayton is the people,” Padegimas said Sunday. “The fan base is amazing. The coaches, the players, I’ve had a chance to hang out with them all during my visit, and it just left a great impression. It just seems like that’s a program I want to be a part of mainly because of the people.”

Padegimas spoke to the Dayton Daily News from Florida. He attended DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla., over the last year. He will return to his hometown, Kaunas, Lithuania, on Sunday and will play for his home country in the FIBA U-18 European Championships in Serbia later this month before joining Dayton during its trip to Spain and France in August.

Padegimas filled the 13th and final scholarship on Dayton’s 2023-24 roster. He’s one of eight newcomers. The group includes four freshmen and four transfers.

It’s the largest group of first-time Flyers in coach Anthony Grant’s seven seasons. Two years ago, the roster had seven newcomers, including four freshmen and three transfers.

Padegimas visited Dayton the weekend of June 17. He visited Brigham Young earlier that week. He then visited Boston College last week. After each visit, he shared photos of Instagram of himself in the uniform of each team.

“I loved all three schools,” he said. “It was super hard choosing one, but ultimately, it’s about the personal fit, and I feel like Dayton is where I fit best personally.”

Padegimas signed a letter of intent with Central Florida in November. At that time, he also had offers from Florida Atlantic, Utah State, High Point and Loyola Marymount. He decommitted from Central Florida on May 26 and was released from his letter of intent.

“I just decided that if I’m not excited to go to school there then I shouldn’t go to school there,” Padegimas said. “It was a very non-traditional time for a decommitment because there were three days left until summer school.”

Padegimas averaged close to 14 points and 6 rebounds last season for DME Academy, coach Matt Panaggio said.

“He’s pretty special athlete,” Panaggio said. “He can really run and jump and defend multiple positions. He also shoots the ball very well. He was our leading scorer and one of our top defensive players. He’s pretty explosive guy.”

Padegimas earned headlines Jan. 31 when he caught a long inbounds pass with 0.9 seconds left and banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer in a 47-44 victory against IMG Academy. DME moved up to No. 5 in the MaxPreps.com national rankings after that victory.

Padegimas played for Lithuania in the FIBA U-17 World Cup last year in Malaga, Spain, averaging 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. He first searched for schools in Western Europe, he said, but then decided to look overseas. That’s when he landed at DME Academy.

Over the last year, Panaggio said Padegimas improved most a a shooter.

“The second semester he shot more than 50% from 3,” he said. “The first semester, he was under 40. It averaged out to 43. But I think his biggest improvement was his confidence in shooting. He’s gotten to the point now where he’s super confident in it.”

Padegimas’ mom Natalja joined him on his visit to Dayton. He said the visit took place only a week and a half after the UD coaches first contacted him.

“I loved the campus tour,” Padegimas said. “Dayton is not among the biggest schools in the states, but the campus is really beautiful. The crown jewel is definitely the arena. I got goosebumps when I walked into the arena.”

Asked about what role he expects to play at Dayton, Padegimas said, “I see myself on the court.”

Padegimas didn’t know about Dayton until the coaches started recruiting him but has already learned the most important fact about the program.

“I know that the fan base is absolutely crazy,” he said. “I know that the fan base is great. Also I know that basketball is a huge thing in the city of Dayton and at the University of Dayton. There’s a huge community around it and lots of great people involved in the program.”

Padegimas stood out to many fans when he first shared photos of himself in a Dayton uniform after his visit because of his long hair. He said he has been growing it since he arrived in the United States and joked about trying to get a L’Oréal endorsement deal.

Panaggio joked about trying to get Padegimas to cut his hair but said he’s a good kid and smart as well with a 1400-plus SAT score and a 4.0 GPA.

“He’s just an all-around great kid who comes from a great family,” Panaggio said.