Inside the play of new Badgers’ 2026 big man target Dominykas Daubaris

The Wisconsin Badgers have begun to apply more pressure to the international recruiting trail with a specific recruit in mind.

Dominykas Daubaris, a 6-foot-9 forward from Lithuania, caught the eye of the Wisconsin recruiting staff months ago in Serbia. Daubaris had a breakout performance during the FIBA U18 Eurobasket tournament which quickly led to the Badgers keeping close tabs on the recruit. Assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft managed to book an official visit with the 2026 class recruit which took place this past weekend as programs like Indiana, BYU, and Cincinnati have all been in contact.

How Can the Wisconsin Badgers Potentially Utilize Dominykas Daubaris?

Daubaris is a versatile player on the court and there is certainly no doubt about that. However, with plenty of different ways the staff could potentially utilize Daubaris on the court, there are also some strengths and weaknesses the big man presents.

On the court, Daubaris could certainly be considered a new age big man given his stretch capabilities and passion for outside shooting in particular. Daubaris loves to shoot three-point shots and remains a controlled shooter despite wanting to take every opportunity from outside. The forward shot 42.9% from long range during the FIBA U18 Eurobasket tournament earlier this year, which Wisconsin was in attendance for.

Daubaris is more than just a shooter from outside as well as the big man is a valuable asset in pick n’ roll and pick n’ pop scenarios. The big man has shown a great amount of flexibility in his game as well, providing outside shooting off the bench when needed or playing with his back to the basket when the team needs him to do so.

When playing as the main forward during the FIBA U18 Eurobasket tournament for Lithuania, Daubaris went 11-for-19 shooting mainly from the paint. The ability to bounce between both playing styles is still a developing trait, however, as the forward is not the most technically sound player with his back to the basket yet.

For the Wisconsin Badgers, utilizing Daubaris could be a relatively easy thing to do as his outside game is arguably already prepared for college basketball. The forward would be a great big man to pull off the bench and take tough outside shots much like Carter Gilmore previously did for the team.

During his time with Zalgiris II, the same time current Badgers’ forward Aleksas Bieliauskas played for, Daubaris shot 30.5% from three-point range in 20 games.