Brother Rice’s Kevin Salkauskas wasn’t going to let an injury derail his larger objectives.
The 6-foot-7 junior center, while dealing with complications of a back injury caused by a herniated disc, decided to definitely use the time off in a novel, effective way — by making the most of it.
“I missed about a month,” he said. “I sat at the end of the bench and started to dig deep, focus and visualize what we were doing. Even though I was out, I worked on my game, on my post moves.
“So sitting out was actually a good thing.”
Salkauskas made a comeback statement Sunday afternoon, producing 10 points and seven rebounds for the Crusaders in a 62-43 win over Lemont at the Oak Lawn Shootout.
Brother Rice (16-9), which had scoring contributions from 11 players, was led by senior guard Zach Grabowski with a game-high 17 points. Senior guard Charlie Wizgird added 10.
Junior guard Zane Schneider scored 15 points for Lemont (14-10). Senior guard Ryan Crane had 14.
Salkauskas, meanwhile, is a transfer from Stagg who has emerged as a two-way force for the Crusaders with his ability to score underneath the basket and protect the rim on defense.
“Kevin was a big factor in this win,” Grabowski said. “He’s one of the biggest guys out there and he’s really hard to stop at the rim.
“It was tough coming into unfamiliar surroundings and having a bad injury, but you could see his skill level.”
Senior forward Joe Niego called Salkauskas the perfect complement to his own game.
“That was one of our best offensive games of the year, but it started with the defense Kevin was playing,” Niego said. “It’s great to have him back in the game, especially in the paint, where we are almost like a wrecking ball and very hard to move the ball against.”
The background of Salkauskas is rather atypical, beginning with the fact he was born and spent the first month of his life in Paris, France.
Iveta Marcauskaite, his mother, was a standout at Illinois who played professionally in Europe. The 6-3 center was her son’s primary coach until Salkauskas turned 12 years old.
“She taught me a lot about the post because she also played there,” he said. “I learned how to take advantage of my size with spin moves and polishing those actions against my teammates.”
His younger brother, Daniel, a 6-6 sophomore, plays on the lower levels at Brother Rice. Their father was a tall, lanky marathon runner. All of his parents’ family are in their native Lithuania.
If his size and power mandates he plays closer to the rim, Salkauskas refuses to be typecast.
“I think the biggest part of my game is how unpredictable I am,” he said. “I think my passing and playmaking are my best qualities. I can drive to the rim and then pass off to the weak side or make a hook pass to the other corner.
“I just always want to be big in the post.”
Basketball is just one outlet for the cerebral young center. His fondness for video games and music make him a prototypical teenager.
But he also has shown a knack for building and creating things from scratch.
“This might sound kind of nerdy, but I’m really into technology,” he said. “I just built my first computer this year. I’m helping my brother build his first computer.
“I’m pretty shy and I’m not really going to be the first one to start a conversation.”
With his return to the court, Salkauskas is ready to make his own statement.
“I just love playing, scoring and seeing my teammates support me,” he said. “I want to be on top, play with my guys and really led them to a state championship.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
