One Last Shot – Tornado KM–Metga Sets Its Sights High!

2026 rugsėjis 28 d., pirmadienis

2009 | U18

The 2009-born Tornado KM–Metga team is heading into a special season – this year, the boys will compete in their final Lithuanian Youth Basketball League season, playing in the U18 age group.

Last season brought the team plenty of positives, but also some disappointment. During the regular season, the Tornado players spent a long time among the leading teams and entered the playoffs from fourth place in the standings. There, they faced a very tough opponent that had been crowned Lithuanian U16 champions the year before. It took all three games to decide the winner of the series, but in the decisive match, luck was on the opponents’ side – Tornado KM–Metga ended the season after losing the series 1–2.

This season, the team roster remains unchanged, while a large part of the squad will also gain valuable experience in men’s basketball by competing in the Regional Basketball League B Division. In their final MKL season, the goal is clear – to achieve something this generation has not yet managed and break into the top four teams in Lithuania.

– Last season, the team came very close to taking another step forward, losing a hard-fought playoff series 1–2 against a very strong opponent. What would you like the players to carry from that series into this season?

– I would like us to maintain the same level of fighting spirit, discipline and concentration throughout the entire season that we showed in that playoff series. There is still a lot of disappointment left from that result, but I believe that with our final attempt, we can finally earn a place in the Final Four.

– The core of the team has remained almost completely unchanged. In which areas do you now expect not only individual improvement, but also more maturity and responsibility on the court?

– In all of them. This is our final year in the youth basketball system and we are gradually approaching men’s basketball, so maturity and responsibility on the court are the things I expect to see most compared to last season. In particular, I would like to see better decision-making, because that is directly reflected on the scoreboard.

– What do you think could be the key factor that allows this team to finally take the step that has been missing so far and reach the top four teams in Lithuania?

– The core of our team has remained unchanged for three years now – we have no new players and no one has left the team, so I believe that is one of our biggest strengths. Of course, this season the core of this team will also compete in the RKL B Division. That experience in men’s basketball should give us an additional boost in the MKL championship.

“We are hungry and thirsty for victories.”