Auburn basketball signee Mantas Rubštavičius has withdrawn his lawsuit against the NCAA and will no longer play for the Tigers, according to Nathan King from Auburn247. The Lithuanian wing was fighting to receive eligibility, but new information recently came to light that ended those hopes.
According to King, Rubštavičius was enrolled in college courses while in Europe, and Auburn general manager Brian Kloman was the only member of Auburn's coaching staff who knew. The newly discovered information made it unlikely the NCAA would clear him or that he would win his case, and caused Auburn to fire Kloman after he failed to tell the rest of the staff. Auburn hired Kloman in March of 2026, poaching him from the Louisville Cardinals.
Rubštavičius released
a statement confirming that he will be returning to Europe, where he has played professionally for the past eight years.
"Rather than continue with the uncertainty associated with my ongoing lawsuit, I have decided to pursue an opportunity in Europe," Rubštavičius said. "I want to thank the Auburn administration, Coach Pearl, and my teammates for all their support during my time here. I wish them all success."
Rubštavičius officially signed with Auburn on June 23 and was expected to be a key member of the team. The 6-foot-6 guard played for Žalgiris Kaunas in the Lithuanian basketball league last season, averaging 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Mantas Rubštavičius will not play for Auburn, Tigers fire GM
