BG Picks up MBB Verbal from Latvia

BG has landed what would appear to be its 5th recruit for next season.  This guy is really interesting.  His name is Matiss Kulackovskis and he is from Saldus, Latvia.  He came to the US to try and get a basketball scholarship, attending Archbishop Ryan in Philly, where BG is recruiting hard.  He is BG's first Latvian basketball player (as far as I can recall), though BG did have Ralfs Freibergs on the hockey team.  Ralfs played for Latvia in the Olympics.

Kulackovskis follows another trend for BG's signees, which is to increase the team's overall length.  He is 6'7" but plays that stretch game you expect out of a European.  He scored 17.6 PPG and is an excellent 3FG shooter, which is a matchup problem in the MAC with his size.  There is an excellent article about him and his recruitment here.  

Basically, he is a later bloomer, struggled with confidence when he first arrived here (you trying moving to Latvia) but has emerged this year as a leader and as a player.  Once BG locked onto him they worked it hard until they landed him.  He doesn't have other offers, which could be because of the late blooming.  If you can get a guy like this it is like buying low on a stock that breaks out big.

Fans will be reminded a little of Dusan Radivojevic, a Dakich-era Serbian who had a similar physical profile.  He didn't work out terribly well here, though he transferred to Arkansas Tech, where he played effectively on a team that made the DII tournament and was ranked #1 for part of the year.  The coach of that team was Mark Downey, who was at BG for 1 year with Coach Jans.  Today Dusan is coaching in Brazil.

Anyway, BG badly needs an outside threat and if Matiss can be that guy he helps turn this program around.

BG returns the following 9 players who are on scholarship right now.  The 5 recruits would put them one over the limit of 13.  My guess is that Matt Fox's scholarship is year to year.  Also, you never know if someone else doesn't return.

1. Wiggins
2. Hluchoweckyj
3. Caldwell
4. Frye 
5. Turner
6. Lillard
7. Uju
8. Fox
9. Worrell

Welcome to the Falcons, Matiss.