Prienu Vytautas coach: LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball 'will play a lot of minutes'
The Lithuanian coach who is set to welcome LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball this week told ESPN that he expects the brothers to "play a lot" once they get on the court.
Virginijus Seskus, the head coach of Prienu Vytautas, said that he has watched plenty of footage of the Ball brothers -- on YouTube and also highlights sent by their agent, Harrison Gaines.
"They are young, but I can promise that they will play a lot and I hope we will help them to get better and they will help us to win more games," Seskus said through his son, Edvinus, who is a guard on the team.
"We are waiting for them," Virginijus Seskus said. "Don't worry, they will play!"
LiAngelo, 19, and LaMelo, 16, are expected to arrive in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Wednesday and make their debuts on Jan. 9. Seskus said that with a thin roster because of injuries, the plan is to play the brothers in both Baltic and Lithuanian league games.
Vytautas will host Tsmoki-Minsk on Jan. 9 in a Baltic league game -- which is considered lower-level than the Lithuanian league contests. The first Lithuanian league game in which LiAngelo and LaMelo are expected to appear in will be on Jan. 13 at Lietkabelis.
"They will play, but how many minutes it depends how they will play in the game," Virginijus Seskus said. "But still they will play, and they will also play in the Lithuanian league."
LaVar Ball pulled LaMelo from Chino Hills High prior to his junior season and then LiAngelo withdrew from UCLAin early December. LiAngelo was serving an indefinite suspension for shoplifting in China just prior to the start of the Bruins' season.
LaVar said that the goal was to find somewhere overseas where both of his sons could play on the court together.
"How much they will play depends the opponent, and what the strategy will be," he added. "But both will play a lot of minutes so that means that they will play for sure on the court at the same time."
One of the major concerns that loom is the relationship between Seskus and the Ball family. Seskus admitted that his English is "not very good," but that he isn't concerned about the language barrier being an issue in being able to coach the brothers.
"I can speak English, not very good, but still I understand," Seskus said. "I know in Europe a lot of coaches who don't speak English, but it's not a problem. There is ''basketball language."
The younger Seskus said that most of the players are able to speak English, and that he is excited about the arrival of the Ball family -- even though it could cost him some playing time.
"I understand that I will lose some playing time," Edvinus Seskus said. "But I am still happy that they are coming. Maybe more scouts and agents will watch our games because of them and we will have a better opportunity to show our talent even if some of us will lose playing time."
He added: "I am waiting for them. And all of Lithuania is waiting for them. Everybody wants to see how good they are."
