By Shane Donaldson
Associate Athletic Director, Communication and New Media

KINGSTON, R.I. - KINGSTON, R.I. - When home is more than 4,000 miles away, seeing a familiar face every day can go a long way in aiding the adjustment to new surroundings. Such is the case for new Rhode Island forwards Matas Deniusas and Nedas Raupelis.

Deniusas (pictured above) and Raupelis both hail from Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania and the most populous city of the Baltic states. 

"Of course, it is really great to have someone from back home here," Deniusas said of playing alongside his countryman. "I can talk to Nedas in Lithuanian in the locker room. It is a good feeling to have a Lithuanian by my side. When you have someone else who knows where you are from, knows your home country, you feel more comfortable. You feel more at home."

"Matas really helped a lot when I first got here," Raupelis said. "He was the main person showing me around and teaching me things. It made me feel more comfortable, which was really, really good."

Both players are entering their sophomore season of eligibility and will make an impact in the front court this season. The 6-9, 220-pound Deniusas averaged 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds at UT Martin last season, where he was the Ohio Valley Conference Rookie of the Year and 11-time conference rookie of the week. As a true freshman he proved he can spread the floor offensively, hitting 46 3-pointers for the Skyhawks.

At 6-10 and 231 pounds, Raupelis is more of a traditional post player. In 38 games for Zalgiris II, he averaged 9.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He shot 76.3 percent from the floor, showing an ability to finish with confidence in the paint. Defensively, his long wingspan and quick feet enable him to impact the game on either end of the floor.

Just as they have different styles of play in the frontcourt, Deniusas and Raupelis took varied paths to Kingston. Deniusas came to the United States a year ago, spending his freshman season at UT Martin.

"College basketball is way different than the game in Europe," Deniusas said. "The game is faster here, and the guys are way more physical. It took me some time to adapt, but now I am used to it. Playing in the Atlantic 10 is the next step for me. I can see guys here are more physical and more athletic, so I am putting in the work to get comfortable at this level."

Raupelis is transferring to URI from the collegiate level in Lithuania. He attended the Zalgiris Kaunas, where he competed for the Zalgiris II developmental squad. He has had just a few practices with his new teammates in Kingston, but the dedication of the coaching staff over the last year had made him feel welcome in the program.

"I had some problems with eligibility because I am transferring as a college student from Lithuania," Raupelis said. "Rhode Island was very invested in me from the start. The coaches supported me all the way through the process. Coach James Whitford scouted me three years ago when I was part of the Lithuania national team. He saw me play last summer, and he stayed connected with me all last year, helping me get to Rhode Island."

Deniusas also brought up Whitford when discussing his recruitment to URI. Deniusas said the genuine, straight-forward approach of the coaching staff stood out.

"When I came here for a visit, the coaches were welcoming," Deniusas said. "They were kind-hearted, and I thought they were speaking truly to me. There are a lot of places that have fake coaches who talk just to talk. The coaches here were talking for real."

Both players said their new teammates have gone out of their way to help them adjust to Rhode Island.

"The guys on the team are great guys. They are all really nice," Deniusas said. There are no bullies, no egos. These guys work. In the locker room, everything is fine. The guys have taken me around to different places, shown me the area so I can get to know where I am."

Raupelis agreed.

"I am still getting to know everyone in terms of basketball. Off the basketball court, everyone is really nice and helpful," Raupelis said. "It's hard to single out guys because everyone has been very nice. Everyone has been trying to talk to me and get to know me. They have worked to make me more comfortable."