Lithuanian Big Man Makes Decision
Everyone wants to dip into the vat of European talent in today's game. SMU is
no exception. The Mustangs have done their part in recruiting talented foreign
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players the past few seasons, and they've added another from the Class of 2004
with the recent verbal commitment of native Lithuanian Paulius Ritter, a strong
6-foot-7, 255-pound power forward from the Holland Hall School in Tulsa,
Oklahoma.
Ritter made a commitment to SMU after an official visit two weekends ago.
"He committed last week to SMU," said Holland Hall head coach David Crynes.
"He really liked what he saw there. It was a good situation they have there
with a Lithuanian player on the team [Donatas Rackauskas] and also a Lithuanian
assistant coach [Alvydas Pazdrazdis, Coordinator of Basketball Operations], so
he felt really comfortable committing to them."
Ritter chose SMU over an offer from Virginia Tech, as well as strong interest
from Texas Tech, South Carolina, and Texas State. He had other visits planned,
but cancelled them once he felt he was comfortable with SMU.
According to
Crynes, Ritter loved the city of Dallas and the fact that the Mavericks were in
town. Considering Ritter's desire to one day play on the Lithuanian National
Team and the fact that the Lithuanian National Team coach is Donnie Nelson of
the Mavericks, the hope is that some kind of connection could be made over the
next four years.
As you might expect from someone 6-feet-7, 255-pounds, Ritter can be bullish in
the paint with his muscle. But as you might also expect from someone who's
come from across the Atlantic (Ritter first came over the States last year),
he's a player who's been taught the game with versatility in mind.
"He's a textbook European player," said Crynes. "He's got excellent
fundamentals and excellent form on his shot. We use him inside and out."
Crynes indicated that Ritter was recruited as a power forward - something
that's not surprising considering his size and strength.
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"He's strong as a horse," said Crynes. "He's got a great body to set screens
and do that sort of stuff. But he's also a great leaper - he has a 30-inch
vertical which for his size is good. And he's quick - he's run a 4.6 forty.
He's just so much stronger and quicker than most high school post men."
Because of his lack of height and his versatility, there may be some times
where Ritter will see some time at small forward at the college level. With
this in mind, he will need to work on his quickness defensively. He'll also
need to tune up the way he scores on offense, according to his coach.
"The question mark is if he plays the three, how well he can defend a
lightning-quick player," said Crynes. "The thing we're also working with him
is his catch-and-shoot. Less creation and more catch-and-shoot."
A good student, Ritter has caught up quickly to educational standards in the US
and should be receiving approval from the NCAA Clearinghouse in the near
future. He plans to attend law school at some point after college.
Ritter is SMU's second commitment from the Class of 2004, joining point guard
Jon Killen of Arlington, Tex.
Jed Tai is a senior writer with Hoopville.com