CLEVELAND — Over two decades ago, Randy Bennett, head coach of the Saint Mary’s College basketball team, encountered Augustas Marciulionis during a visit to Lithuania for a basketball clinic organized by Sarunas Marciulionis, Augustas’ father and former NBA star. At just a year old, young Augustas was energetically moving between car seats, highlighting his father’s carefree driving style. This early encounter foreshadowed Augustas’ future. Today, the energetic toddler has evolved into a formidable 6-foot-4 freshman point guard under Bennett’s guidance. His journey to Saint Mary’s marked not only his growth into a responsible individual who respects car safety but also an emergence of innate recklessness on the court that caught everyone off guard.
Bennett assumed that being the offspring of Sarunas — the first Lithuanian to break into the NBA and a Golden State Warriors veteran during the 1990s, who popularized the Eurostep — Augustas would naturally possess refined basketball skills. However, the coach was met with a 195-pound raw talent, brimming with potential yet lacking the sophistication needed for the American basketball scene. “You’d think because he’s a Marciulionis that it’s automatic, ‘Hey, this guy is a pro,’” Bennett said, emphasizing that basketball prowess wasn’t inherited but needed honing.
The young player took two years to secure a regular spot in the starting lineup, a delay that laid a robust foundation for his growth as a complete individual. As the seventh-seeded Gaels, boasting a 29-5 record, prepare to face Alabama, seeded second with a 26-8 record, in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, Marciulionis stands as a standout player—twice named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. His trajectory might even surpass former Saint Mary’s stars who graduated to NBA prominence, such as Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova. “We’ve had a lot of good point guards,” Bennett remarked. “He’s at the top.”
Known affectionately by teammates as “Goose,” Augustas credits his father for instilling mental fortitude and humility. Unlike Bronny James, the heir to LeBron’s basketball throne, Augustas carries his father’s legacy subtly. Despite Sarunas’ diminished physical capabilities at age 60, the father’s influence remains evident in his son’s fluid game style and strategic foresight during play.
This season, Marciulionis elevated his game, achieving personal bests of 14.3 points and six assists per game while leading the Gaels to clinch the WCC regular-season championship. Significantly, Marciulionis has evolved off the court as well. The young man who arrived at Saint Mary’s with limited English and virtually unseen, barring a virtual encounter with Bennett amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, has transformed into a 22-year-old who is notably comfortable in a new land and fluent in his second language.
“He’s grown,” Bennett said. “He’s grown as a person. He’s grown as a leader. But being over here, being in the same program, being here four years, he’s kind of taken on more and more responsibility and become a better and better player.” Marciulionis aspires to cap his collegiate career by propelling the Gaels into the NCAA Sweet 16 for the third time in their history. Throughout Marciulionis’ tenure, Saint Mary’s has matched, if not exceeded, the success of their rivals, long-dominant WCC powerhouse Gonzaga, clinching the last three WCC titles.
Marciulionis, along with Saint Mary’s veteran lineup, is well aware of the stakes. “We want to leave it better for the future so people will take Saint Mary’s (more serious) nationally and pay more attention so they can recruit better players (and) get more money,” he expressed. “We can impact that by winning a game or two more.”
Facing an Alabama team featuring All-American Mark Sears, Marciulionis is determined to perform valiantly against a counterpart who also eyes an NBA future. Despite the daunting task, reminiscent of following a legendary father’s footsteps, there is no less confidence from Bennett, who notes, “He’s a little under the radar, but what he’s done the last two years has been impressive.” Bennett praises Marciulionis as a robust player, excelling on both ends of the court with defensive strength and room for further improvement.