Even while putting up modest numbers last season, Benet’s Daniel Pauliukonis had the look of a blossoming prospect. He emerged over the course of the spring and summer, garnering recruiting attention along the way.
Now the ultra-skilled 6-9 Pauliukonis is one of the fast-rising prospects in the senior class — and one of the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top 10 prospects in the state.
After gathering offers from several low-major and mid-major programs and taking four official visits this fall, Pauliukonis committed to Southern Illinois and coach Scott Nagy on Saturday.
“I just really liked the coaching staff,” Pauliukonis said. “They have a ton of experience, and I saw myself playing well in what they do and playing for coach Nagy. How well they take care of their players was something that impressed me. They care for you as a person and are very supportive.”
The history of SIU basketball — the Salukis have been to nine NCAA Tournaments in program history — and the success Nagy has had as a coach stood out to Pauliukonis as he began to dive into his final few schools. Nagy himself has guided five different teams to the NCAA Tournament while leading South Dakota State and Wright State.
“I liked the atmosphere at Southern Illinois, and I’m pretty familiar with the history and how well they’ve done in the past, how much they like their basketball there,” Pauliukonis said. “Combine that with the success coach Nagy has had as well and that was important to me.”
Pauliukonis is the prototype 4-man in today’s basketball. In addition to his legitimate size, length and easy mobility, he can shoot it with range and handle the basketball. He is one of the better shooters in the class, regardless of position. He gets his feet set quickly and has a high, smooth release.
“I know I have a lot of potential and strive everyday to fulfill it,” Pauliukonis said. “I always knew I was pretty versatile. I wanted to be able to do everything on the court. In today’s game, a lot of bigs are able to dribble, pass and shoot. That’s what college coaches are looking for and that’s what I want to be able to do at my size.”
Pauliukonis is an ideal fit for Nagy, who is in his first year in Carbondale following eight successful seasons at Wright State. Plus, Nagy and his coaching staffs have proven to be masters at player development over the last three decades.
“He’s evolved so much as a player and his game has become very versatile,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said of Pauliukonis. “He shoots it at a high level and can put it on the floor. His skill and game are unique for his size and his best basketball is ahead of him. I’m happy that his hard work has paid off for him.”