Butler transfer Simas Lukosius has committed to Cincinnati, giving Wes Miller one of the best available wing scorers in the portal as the Bearcats head into the Big 12.
Lukosius chose Cincinnati over Oklahoma State and BYU.
“I think Cincinnati is a great fit for my play style and my personality,” Lukosius told ESPN. “I am excited to play for coach Wes Miller and really believe we can achieve special things together.”
A 6-foot-6 small forward from Lithuania, Lukosius averaged 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season, shooting nearly 38% from 3-point range. He had 23 points and three assists against St. John’s in the Big East tournament.
It was the second season in a row in which Lukosius had perhaps his best game of the season at Madison Square Garden, after he went for 27 points and seven rebounds in the 2022 Big East tournament against Xavier.
Lukosius is the third portal addition for Cincinnati this offseason, following Temple’s Jamille Reynolds and Kentucky’s CJ Fredrick. Lukosius and Fredrick should bring much-needed perimeter shooting to Miller’s team. The Bearcats are also bringing in a pair of ESPN 100 recruits, Jizzle James and Rayvon Griffith. James, in particular, is coming off an impressive performance at the Iverson Classic practices this week.
Cincinnati finished 23-13 last season and will move to the Big 12 this summer.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.