Basketball is ever expanding globally. The popularity has grown thanks to the countless hours invested in the sport around the world. 

One example is Tomas Pivorius, who took his son Hubertas “Hubie” Pivorius to his first basketball practice at the age of six in Vilnius, Lithuania. Pivorius has been in love with the sport ever since. 

As Pivorius grew older, it became increasingly apparent that he would have to make a life-changing decision if he wanted to pursue basketball on the biggest stage possible. Lithuania has no foundation of high school athletics. That realization led Pivorius to make the tough decision to pack his bags for more opportunities, as he moved to Florida to play high school basketball. 

Pivorius didn’t have the easiest time adjusting to his new life in America.

“It was tough to leave everything behind and basically start everything from scratch on your own. Adapting to a new culture, making friends, as well as adjusting to the style of play was hard but beneficial in the end,” Pivorius said. 

Pivorius was still able to find ways to honor his connection to his home country. He was able to compete for the U16 and U19 national teams, an Olympic youth basketball team. He said the experience was priceless.

“Representing my country was awesome and a thing that I always dreamed of as a kid. Knowing that I can perform for the name on the front [of the jersey] meant a lot, and gaining the international experience helped me with being able to adjust in the real world and basketball world,” he said.

So, how does a kid from Lithuania end up at NKU? He felt a connection to the university the moment he arrived on campus for a recruiting visit. 

“The main reason that I chose NKU is how comfortable I felt with the staff at the time of my recruitment and how their goals for me and the team aligned with mine. Making it easy to pursue education and an athletic career at the same time, representing a university that puts a lot of trust in you,” he said. 

Pivorius made an immediate impression on his teammates as a freshman in 2021.

“He had a good, quiet demeanor, similar to me when first being around people. I could tell he carried himself well and it was a matter of time to when he’d open up. On top of that, a talented basketball player who can shoot it well,” said NKU all-time leading scorer Marques Warrick.

Fellow NKU senior teammate Trey Robinson said he admired the confidence that Pivorius came in with. He knew he was confident when Pivorius decided to don the number 34 that had most recently been held by NKU Hall of Fame inductee Drew McDonald.

Pivorius did not shy away from the big shoes to fill and made just as big of an impression on the basketball court as he did on his teammates. He shot 44% from deep as a freshman and said the confidence his teammates instilled in him had a big role in those exceptional numbers.

“All the time I felt the support of my teammates and coaches to do what I am able to do best and that just made it easy to play the game. It’s just basketball at the end of the day and having someone that believes in you gives you a lot of confidence,” he said. 

Pivorius enjoys being recognized as an efficient shooter but finds the most pride in being ready to fill in whatever role the team and certain games ask of him.

“I took a lot of pride in just being ready at all times whenever the team needed me here at NKU. I knew that small plays, solid defense and doing what I do best with my shooting skill set and smart play could help us win, so I always tried to do that to the best of my ability,” Pivorius said. 

That level of selflessness did not go unnoticed by his teammates.

“I love being around selfless guys that will put winning over anything, including their own personal accolades and success. Hubie was that type of person and player,” Robinson said.

“I enjoy his unselfishness, his IQ and feel for the game. As a teammate, he’s up there when it comes to overall best teammates that I have had,” Warrick said. “You couldn’t really tell if he had a bad game or good game because he kept a poised demeanor and just wanted the team to win.” 

Pivorius experienced countless unforgettable memories while at NKU, but there is one memory that stands above the rest.

“Definitely all the games we won, but especially winning the Horizon League tournament two years ago and heading to March Madness. The team we had that year will stay in my memory forever because we had made bonds that will last a while. It was great to be able to experience it and play on the highest stage,” he said. 

So what’s next for a senior who has already lived out their basketball dreams?

“I’ve decided to step away from basketball and focus on my studies in the business world. For the next few years, I will be focusing on getting a master’s degree—maybe two. I don’t say no to the opportunity to get a doctorate also,” Pivorius said. “Education has always been a priority, not only to me, but my family as well…It was one of the main reasons I chose to come to the United States and NKU gave me a great starting point.”

 The increase of basketball talent from Lithuania has shown itself in the NBA with players like Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas being integral parts of the success of their teams. While Pivorius is thrilled to have them as representatives of his home country, he has tried to blaze his own trail rather than model his game after the Lithuanian professionals. 

“I didn’t really try to model my game after anyone. I always focused on doing the best job that I can for any team that I was on to help win and reach the highest goals,” he said. “I think that helped me to be adaptable in any system and setting.”