Arizona Wildcats taking on different level of opponent on Lithuania exhibition tour

The Vancouver All-Stars (2006). The Real Deal Shockers and Bahamas All-Stars (2012). Combinado Valenciano and the Mataro All-Stars (2016). Then, in 2023, the hastily assembled outfits known for a hot minute as Israel Select and UAE Select.

All of them thumped by 20-plus points, or much more, when Arizona faced them during the Wildcats' foreign exhibition tours of the past.

But things could be a little different this week when the Wildcats play three exhibition games in Lithuania, because all three opponents are highly organized teams run by national basketball federations.

The Wildcats will open Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Arizona time against the Lithuanian “B” team, then face the top senior national teams of Ukraine (Thursday at 7 a.m.) and Lithuania (Saturday at 9:30 a.m.)

“We have a massive amount of respect for the level of competition we're facing,” UA coach Tommy Lloyd said. “These are going to be elite, elite teams. They compete at the highest level of Europe, (and have) guys that play in the NBA. The opportunity was presented to us, and I thought it's really cool.”

While basketball-mad Lithuania has enough talent to fill out what could be a competitive “B” team, the Wildcats' top challenge is expected to arrive Saturday, thanks in part to a familiar face.

Forward Azuolas Tubelis, who had a standout career for Arizona under both Lloyd and former UA coach Sean Miller before leaving the Wildcats in 2023, is among those on the Lithuanian national team roster. Others include Augustus Marciulionis, a two-time WCC Player of the Year at St. Mary's, and Donatas Motiejunas, a first-round NBA draft pick in 2011.

But while the games will give UA’s two Lithuanians a chance to perform before friends and family — Saturday’s game will even be played in the hometown of center Ugnius Jarusevicius — the Lithuanians will have plenty of motivation, too.

They are using the friendlies with Arizona on Saturday and against Michigan on Sunday to prepare for European 2027 World Cup qualifying games later this month, at Turkey on Aug. 28 and at home against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Aug. 31.

Lloyd appears to be all for it. A frequent visitor to Europe both to recruit and to vacation, he expressed an all-business approach for this trip before the Wildcats left.

“I don't want to get on a plane and go to Europe — I would do that any time to hang out — but I don't want to do that and go win a basketball game by 50 points,” Lloyd said. “I want to go over there and I want our guys to appreciate the experience for one thing, and two, to appreciate the level of competition and see what we can get out of it.”