Thursday, March 13, 2008
Sports columnist Aaron McFarling: Big man's energy evident
Aaron McFarling
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CHARLOTTE N.C. -- He does not stop clapping. That's the one thing you'll notice if you watch Laurynas Mikalauskas on the basketball court during a Virginia practice. It doesn't really matter what the team is doing -- layups, free throws, perimeter shooting or just standing around -- the big guy likes to clap.
He also sweats a lot. Lauris (as he's more commonly known) might be the only 22-year-old on the planet who can work up a sweat sitting on the bench. Seriously. He'll check into the game midway through the first half, and his brown hair is already drenched and matted to his forehead. He looks like he's just been through the NFL combine.
Yes, Lauris is different.
In a good way.
"Do you want me to hold this?" he asked a television reporter who was extending a microphone in front of his face after practice Wednesday.
"Do you want to?" the reporter said.
"Oh, absolutely. I would love to."
That's Lauris. The 6-foot-8 Lithuanian doesn't just want to be accommodating -- he'd LOVE to be accommodating. He doesn't just want his teammates to have more energy -- he's willing to scream at them until they do. He doesn't just want to be prepared when he comes into a game -- he's willing to ride an exercise bike or jog a few laps before he even arrives at the arena.
"You can't really come in all cold and start yelling at everybody," he reasons. "It takes some time to break a sweat."
And it's taken most of us some time to appreciate Lauris' value to this team. But we're seeing it now.
Since Lauris' return from a shoulder injury on Feb. 12, the Cavaliers have finally begun to play like a team with a pulse.
Perhaps the team's turning point came on a simple defensive play, when he took a charge against North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough in his first game back.
Lauris stood and pumped his fist, thrilling the crowd and riling up his teammates. UVa went on to lose that game 75-74, but the message had been sent: The Cavs weren't quitting.
"He's a guy that has a natural energy on the court," UVa coach Dave Leitao said Wednesday. "I think it stands out because it's something that we've been trying to get for a long time. His energy kind of permeates through the rest of the guys and the rest of the locker room. It can be infectious."
The Cavs have won four of seven since his return. That might not sound great until you consider they went 4-9 when he was injured. The junior forward has cracked double figures in scoring five times in the past month while shooting 67 percent from the field.
"The last six or seven games are the best I've ever seen him play," said UVa senior post player Ryan Pettinella, a close friend. "I always knew he had it in him, with his skill set, but I think he's just gotten in the groove right now and really gone on a run."
And he's brought some fun along with him. Signs have gone up all over John Paul Jones Arena lauding Lauris. Fans explode when he enters the game, eager for more of his sometimes-awkward, always-passionate production.
"You can't win basketball games if you play out there like a robot, like a machine," he says.
And that's the key right there. For all his basketball greatness, point guard Sean Singletary is a cold-hearted businessman on the court. Same with Leitao. A team with talent needed personality, and the leaping Lithuanian has helped provide it.
Wednesday, on the eve of a first-round ACC Tournament matchup with Georgia Tech, Lauris showed us a side of his game we rarely see. He put on a dunking display during the team's workout, including one slam he made after sliding the ball between his legs.
"I'm trying not to show everything in the games," he joked.
"I'm saving it for next year's college dunk contest."
He smiled, then turned serious.
"What would happen if I missed?" he said. "Think about that. I might be on the bench for the rest of the game then. It's really unnecessary to do that. It's better to just lay it in."
Know what? It is.
Then you can clap, sweat, and head back downcourt, ready to do it again.
