Mikalauskas Gone!

[Edouble]

Lars Mikalauskas is gone from UVA according to Dave Leito via Monday night's presser. Very little explanation at all from Leito, and Mik' is currently in Lithuania. Huge loss for the Wahoos.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/sports/cavalier_insider/ci_basketball/article/mikalauskas_out_soroye_in/26387/

It's nice to see Leito putting the hammer down on a player, where his mentor, Calhoun, tends to forgive and forget very easily.

[pfrduke]

Lars Mikalauskas is gone from UVA according to Dave Leito via Monday night's presser. Very little explanation at all from Leito, and Mik' is currently in Lithuania. Huge loss for the Wahoos.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/sports/cavalier_insider/ci_basketball/article/mikalauskas_out_soroye_in/26387/

It's nice to see Leito putting the hammer down on a player, where his mentor, Calhoun, tends to forgive and forget very easily.

Kind of odd for you to comment on the appropriateness of Leitao's "putting the hammer down" without knowing anything about why he was dismissed, other than Leitao's own non-comment.

This strikes me as very, very odd, and contributes to the opinion some have that Leitao is a very difficult coach to play for.

[Edouble]

Kind of odd for you to comment on the appropriateness of Leitao's "putting the hammer down" without knowing anything about why he was dismissed, other than Leitao's own non-comment.

This strikes me as very, very odd, and contributes to the opinion some have that Leitao is a very difficult coach to play for.

Well, it wasn't exactly a "non-comment", it was "There are standards to be a member of this basketball program and Laurynas has not lived up to those standards".

I assume that the standards aren't just that he thinks that Mikalauskas sucks. I figure that they're more off-the-court standards, or at least related to character in some way, shape, or form.

[pfrduke]

Well, it wasn't exactly a "non-comment", it was "There are standards to be a member of this basketball program and Laurynas has not lived up to those standards".

I assume that the standards aren't just that he thinks that Mikalauskas sucks. I figure that they're more off-the-court standards, or at least related to character in some way, shape, or form.

Yeah, but it doesn't say much more than that Leitao didn't think he lived up to them. No "violation of team rules," no "violation of university policy," no criminal stuff. Put another way, it doesn't give us any way to judge whether the booting was justified or not.

And I find it very odd that this occurred while the kid was on vacation to his home in Lithuania. Unless taking a summer vacation is part of not living up to team standards....

[Edouble]

And I find it very odd that this occurred while the kid was on vacation to his home in Lithuania. Unless taking a summer vacation is part of not living up to team standards....

I know that the marching band and football guys have been on campus (grounds, whatever) since Saturday, so I was thinking maybe Leito wanted the team back and getting in shape for the season by this week (the announcement came Monday night).

[ACCBBallFan]

I was wondering if it really had something to do with being over the scholarship limit of 13 now that Sorroye was granted a red-shirt and is eligible, but with Harris transferring, I doubt that is it.

[pfrduke]

I know that the marching band and football guys have been on campus (grounds, whatever) since Saturday, so I was thinking maybe Leito wanted the team back and getting in shape for the season by this week (the announcement came Monday night).

Ok - if Leitao (his name has an "a") told his team to come back this week, and if Mikalauskas simply refused to come back, then that seems to warrant dismissal. No one, however, has even suggested that's what happened (well, except you).

Mikalauskas always seemed like a hard worker on the court, and he played through injury (and did so well). There was never a hint of an attitude problem (so far as I recall) in his prior seasons here. His dismissal seems out of left field.

I'm not writing off the fact that more details will be revealed and that the dismissal will turn out to be justified. But for now, I think it smells kind of funny.

[-jk]

Ok - if Leitao (his name has an "a") told his team to come back this week, and if Mikalauskas simply refused to come back, then that seems to warrant dismissal. No one, however, has even suggested that's what happened (well, except you).

Mikalauskas always seemed like a hard worker on the court, and he played through injury (and did so well). There was never a hint of an attitude problem (so far as I recall) in his prior seasons here. His dismissal seems out of left field.

I'm not writing off the fact that more details will be revealed and that the dismissal will turn out to be justified. But for now, I think it smells kind of funny.

Players do deserve some privacy (even if not actually granted much in the real world). If neither Leitao nor Mikalauskas wants to specify reasons, that's between them. If they want to tell us more, they can when they're ready.

Please, everyone, respect that and stop the unseemly speculation.

-jk

[AtlDuke72]

Players do deserve some privacy (even if not actually granted much in the real world). If neither Leitao nor Mikalauskas wants to specify reasons, that's between them. If they want to tell us more, they can when they're ready.

Please, everyone, respect that and stop the unseemly speculation.

-jk

Why interrupt a good rumor? What do you expect - facts?

[duketaylor]

couldn't find a link, so...

"Mikalauskas' dismissal was not the result of one incident, but rather years of infractions that drew the ire of Virginia coach Dave Leitao and his assistants.
"Just things like missing study halls, missing team meetings over the years, getting in academic trouble over the years," Ramsey said. (Ramsey was his HS coach)

The article also says that plenty of D-1 schools are contacting Ramsey about Mik's future.

From my viewpoint, not sure how you can miss team meetings and even play. Sounds like he was just a problem and Leitao was simply fed up and pulled his string. My question would be why so late?

UVA's making plenty of headlines right now, not many of them positive, as their D co-ordinator is accused of some unsavory stuff while at Marshall.
link: http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/sports.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-08-19-0057.html

[riverside6]

One important point is that Mikalauskas is appealing his dismissal according to this article (http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/sports/cavalier_insider/ci_basketball/article/mikalauskas_plans_to_appeal_dismissal/26417/). The result will likely not change, but because of this, I'd be surprised if a little more doesn't come out about it.