Wing Freds Bagatskis to Join Tech Basketball Team

THE FLATS – Latvian wing player Freds Bagatskis, a member of his country’s national U20 team who has spent the last three years going to school and playing club basketball in Spain, has signed a grant-in-aid to join Georgia Tech’s basketball team. He will enroll as a freshman for the fall semester.

The 6-foot-8 wing player is known an excellent shooter with a high basketball IQ whose father, Ainars, has been the head coach of the Latvian National Team and several teams in the Euroleague, and is currently the head coach for the Ukrainian National Team. Bagatskis will play this summer for Latvia’s U20 team in the Euro Cup and played for its U16 team in the 2019 FIBA European Championships.

“We’re excited to have Freds join our program,” said head coach Josh Pastner. “He has developed well in a rigorous program in Valencia and is a great shooter with a good basketball IQ and a great work ethic. He’s an intelligent young man, serious minded, and a good student who wants to study computer science. He should fit well in our program and at Georgia Tech.”

Bagatskis, 18, moved to Valencia, Spain at the age of 14 to take advantage of superior facilities and training program for basketball while going to school. He has been a part of the Valencia Basket Club for the past three years, playing two years for its U18 team and last year for its ACB team in the LEB Senior League. In his two seasons with the U18 team, he averaged 22 minutes, 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists.

In the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championships, Bagatskis averaged 8.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists.

Bagatskis joins transfers Lance Terry (Gardner-Webb) and Ja’von Franklin (South Alabama) as new members of the Tech team for the 2022-23 season.

Bagatskis averaged 8.9 points for the Latvian team in the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championships.

 

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