C: Matas Vokietaitis (FR)
Height/Weight: 7’0”/245 lbs.
Previous School: Florida Atlantic
2024-25 Stats: 10.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 0.8 BPG, 67.7% FG
Offensive Impact
Vokietaitis can be classified as a traditional big who creates his value around the basket. Grades out well on the offensive glass, as a roll man, and in the post up game.
13.9% OREB rate. Can overwhelm smaller frontcourts with his size and length. Gets to the line at a high clip also (73.1% FT rate)
Solid as a roll man. The former FAU big man is tough to handle when he gets deep in the paint and he can also be used as a lob threat in this action. 63rd percentile in scoring efficiency as a roll man.
He is similarly tough to handle in the post when he gets deep position. Will take advantage of smaller bigs in 1 on 1 opportunities. Vokietaitis is comfortable using either hand at the rim (maybe uses his left a little too much) and displays solid footwork for his size.
Struggles dealing with hard doubles/ post traps. Surprisingly didn’t see many but he turned the ball over on 5 of 10 possessions where he saw a double, per Synergy. Doesn’t see the floor well and has no escape dribble to give him extra space.
86th percentile in rim scoring efficiency with essentially all of his attempts coming from the paint. Further shows how dominant he can be if opposing defenses don’t have the size to contain him.
Vokietaitis has essentially zero perimeter aspects to his game, making him one dimensional and most likely a platoon big with Lassina Traore (Xavier transfer).
The dribble hand off game was a huge factor for Xavier’s offensive success under Sean Miller and having a big that is comfortable handling the ball and making decisions at the top of the key is important for this action, but Vokietaitis does not fit the mold as a big who can make any sort of decisions on the perimeter.
Xavier big men like Zach Freemantle, John Hugley, and Jack Nunge fit Miller’s offensive style much better than Vokietaitis appears to.
Will also struggle as a short roll creator, limiting his overall ceiling. Has time to expand his game but the playmaking is not there yet.
Vokietaitis only played 18 minutes per game in his freshman year at FAU, and I would expect a similar workload this coming season. He can be a per minute monster, but he also may struggle with certain matchups (pressure schemes, floor spacers), limiting his overall impact. His size and physicality certainly translate to the SEC, and he will be an impact around the rim in almost every game this season. He is at the very least a serviceable SEC big, which is all he needs to be with Traore playing behind him.
Defensive Impact
Serviceable post up defender. Plays with physicality and can bother shots at the rim with his length, but he can be beat with good footwork + he is a bit foul prone (2.7 fouls per game in 17.6 MPG).
Not a terrible lateral mover on the perimeter but is obviously limited to guarding frontcourt players only.
Solid defensive rebounder but not as good as I expected given his size. 20.3% DREB rate.
Above average rim presence on the defensive end when he stays out of foul trouble. Just a 4.4% block rate, but his length alters almost every shot he is contesting.
Best suited as a drop coverage big but can potentially guard P&R at the level as a wrinkle if need be.