Gabrys Sadaunykas, a senior basketball player at St. Joseph High School, had himself a New Year’s to remember.
Sadaunykas led his team to two tournament championships in less than a week, earning Most Valuable Player honors at both the Las Vegas Invitational and the White Mountain Holiday Classic in Arizona.
“I was excited,” Sadaunykas told the Sun of the experience. “I was more excited that we won both tournaments. It’s motivation to work harder and harder.”
Sadaunykas didn’t win the MVPs just for his scoring. He’s a do-everything small forward, filling the stat sheet with points, rebounds, assists, and steals. In St. Joe’s young season, Sadaunykas has averaged 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, and 2.5 steals per game.
“Gabrys is a very versatile player,” St. Joe’s head coach Tom Mott said. “He’s not our leading scorer for most games, but he contributes everywhere.”
It is the second year in a row that St. Joe’s embarked on a New Year’s trip to play in national tournaments. The weekend featured high schools from Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California.
Sadaunykas said that the championship game of the Las Vegas Invitational against Ocean View High School from Huntington Beach was the toughest game of the stretch.
“The team was very good, and we were kind of tired,” he said. “But our coaches always know how to fire us up. They just took a couple timeouts and told us to play harder.”
The senior moved to California last year from Lithuania. So far, he’s loving the transition.
“It’s been great,” he said. “I love St. Joe’s. I love my coaches and the work ethic that’s expected outside and on the court.”
He’s also a good sport when it comes to being teased about his noticeable accent.
“My teammates always make fun of me,” Sadaunykas laughed. “But it’s fine. We’re a team that can laugh at each other.”
Sadaunykas is shy about taking credit for his success. He credits his teammates and coaches for the two MVPs over the weekend.
“I’m a team player,” he said. “Our whole team can play, and we support each other no matter what.”
Sadaunykas says it’s his “dream” to play college basketball, but for now he’s only focused on making the 2016 St. Joe’s season a resounding success. St. Joe’s PAC 8 schedule began on Jan. 6 against Atascadero.
“We’re so badly wanting the league season to start,” he said. “We’re so excited.”
This article appears in Jan 7-14, 2016.
