Pettinella shocked by pal’s troubles

By Whitey Reid

Published: August 21, 2008

Ryan Pettinella was getting ready for his first professional practice with his new team in Italy when he heard the news that Lars Mikalauskas had been kicked out of the Virginia basketball program.

Pettinella, the former UVa center, said he was shocked.

“I was extremely sorry to hear about the situation with Lars,” said Pettinella, speaking by phone from Italy. “He was a good friend and a great teammate.”

Pettinella and Mikalauskas were like yin and yang from the moment Pettinella arrived on campus as a transfer student from the University of Pennsylvania a little over two years ago.

“I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors,” said Pettinella, who recently signed a two-year contract to play with Premiata Montegranaro and has not spoken to Mikalauskas.

Exactly what Mikalauskas’ endeavors will entail remains to be seen. The fan favorite, nick-named “The Pride of Lithuania,” has remained silent since his dismissal from the team on Monday night.

Mikalauskas is at home in Palanga, Lithuania, and plans on staying there until his university appeals hearing next week.

Sources have told The Daily Progress that Mikalauskas may have a decent shot of winning the academic-related case. However, convincing Virginia coach Dave Leitao to let him back on the team is another matter.

While there has been a large show of support from the UVa fan base for Mikalauskas’ return, Leitao is clearly at his wit’s end with the Lithuanian. This past season, he suspended the 6-foot-8, 245-pounder for an exhibition game against Carson-Newman for “reasons internal to the team.”

One source close to the program said that a member of the coaching staff has advised Mikalauskas to look into his other options.

If Mikalauskas chooses to continue his college career, he will likely have a handful of choices.

American University, where former Virginia coach Jeff Jones runs the show, has already expressed interest. Ironically, it was Jones who originally helped Mikalauskas come to the United States just before high school. Jones also aggressively recruited Mikalauskas after he took over the reins at American.

Southern Methodist, La Salle and Radford have also made contact with Mikalauskas. Brad Greenberg, the brother of Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg, is the head coach at Radford and Mikalauskas has extended family in the area.

One dark horse could be Belmont University, located in Nashville, Tenn. The Bruins, who play in the Atlantic Sun Conference and nearly upset Duke in last year’s NCAA Tournament, have piqued the Lithuanian’s interest.

Of course, how Mikalauskas’ appeal works out and his resulting academic standing will affect which schools he can consider.

If Mikalauskas were to transfer to a Division I school, he would have to sit out a year, per NCAA transfer rules. But if he were to transfer to a Division II school or lower, he could play immediately.

In the end, Mikalauskas — who will be turning 23 in October — may eschew all of those options and opt for a pro career, just like his good buddy Pettinella.