Author: Boris Karebin

“Mariia Ignatchenko has signed with Oregon State University to compete in NCAA Division I for the 2026-2027 season. We have follow Maria’ development since here earlier age in a Sport School #4 city of Nikolaev, Ukraine under coach Tereshenko” told Boris Karebin President of BkCentre.

Nate Altenhofen, CEO of AbbA LLC, had initial conversations regarding Mariia with Oregon States coaching staff in the summer of 2024, advising them to strongly consider Ignatchenko as a future prospect.

Altenhofen also told Ignatchenko in the Spring of 2025 that Oregon State would be an ideal location for Mariia to continue her basketball development.

“Boris & I have had a huge history of success finding ideal D1 locations for European post players. Latvian Aija Putnina at Colorado, Lithuanian Iveta Marcaiskaite, the University of Illinois and now Mariia to Oregon State University”, Altenhofen said.

BkCentre wishes Ignatchenko the best of luck this upcoming season & again we thank Nate for his continued success helping all European players find new homes.

Lithuania U20 National Team player Gustė Dziatkauskaitė, who recently represented her country at the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship in Klaipėda, Lithuania, is looking to continue her basketball career at an American college with the goal of competing at the NCAA Division I level.

Currently playing for Aistės-LSMU Kaunas, Gustė has established herself as one of Lithuania’s promising young guards. She is known for her outstanding motor, high basketball IQ, reliable three-point shooting, and unselfish style of play. Rather than focusing on individual statistics, she consistently puts the success of her team first—an important quality highly valued by NCAA coaches.

According to the BK-CENTRE scouting staff, Gustė possesses significant long-term potential. With the right coaching staff, the right university, and a system that fits her strengths, her development could accelerate rapidly. Her combination of basketball intelligence, work ethic, and team-first mentality gives her an excellent opportunity to succeed in the American college basketball system.

An important role in Gustė’s development has been played by Head Coach Andrius Vaicekauskas of Aistės-LSMU Kaunas, whose guidance has helped her reach the Lithuanian U20 National Team. Lithuania continues to demonstrate why it remains one of Europe’s leading basketball development countries, producing talented players through exceptional coaching and player development.

BK-CENTRE believes Gustė’s next objective should be earning an opportunity to compete in NCAA Division I. With the proper academic and athletic environment, she has every opportunity to continue improving and build a successful international basketball career.

We look forward to following Gustė Dziatkauskaitė’s journey and watching her continue representing Lithuania on the international stage. Her future is bright, and we are excited to see the next chapter of her basketball career.

BK-CENTRE is proud to support the future of Gustė Dziatkauskaitė and wishes her every success on her journey toward NCAA Division I and beyond.

As the FIBA U-18 Women’s European Championship approaches, one of the talented young players preparing to represent Ukraine is Nika Zhdanova, a member of the Ukraine U-18 National Team and a player for Kozachka Zaporizhzhia.

Nika continues to develop as one of Ukraine’s promising young prospects. Competing at the European Championship will provide another important opportunity to showcase her talent against some of the strongest young players on the continent.

At the same time, Nika is preparing for the next major step in her basketball journey. Following the European Championship, she is expected to continue her career in the United States, where she will play for an American college or university. This transition will allow her to combine a high-level education with one of the strongest women’s basketball development systems in the world.

Everyone at BK-CENTRE wishes Nika great success at the European Championship. We also extend our best wishes to the coaching staff and every player representing the Ukraine U-18 National Team. We hope the team enjoys a successful tournament and proudly represents Ukrainian basketball on the international stage.

We are equally confident that Nika’s transition to American college basketball will be smooth and successful. We believe this experience will help her continue to grow both as a player and as a person, opening the door to a long and successful career in Europe and professional basketball.

Good luck, Nika! We look forward to following your journey and celebrating your future achievements both in the United States and on the professional stage in Europe.

The Latvia U18 Women’s National Team continues its final preparations for the upcoming FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship. As part of its training camp in Kaunas, Lithuania, Latvia faced Turkey in another important exhibition game before the start of the tournament.

The coaching staff approached the game with great seriousness, knowing that every remaining test is an opportunity to evaluate the team’s readiness. Throughout the contest, the coaches rotated a large number of players, giving everyone valuable minutes while assessing individual form, chemistry, and the best possible rotation for the European Championship.

The game was highly competitive from the opening tip. Latvia started well, but Turkey gradually gained control as the game progressed. Despite the result, the primary objective was preparation, and the coaching staff collected valuable information ahead of the championship.

Santa Ozola once again demonstrated her shooting ability, knocking down four three-pointers and providing an offensive spark for Latvia. Her confidence from beyond the arc continues to make her one of the team’s key perimeter threats heading into the tournament.

Every Latvian player competed with great determination, fully understanding the importance of these final preparation games. The roster appears well balanced, with six or seven players capable of making significant contributions throughout the championship. That depth could become one of Latvia’s biggest strengths.

As the European Championship begins, attention from NCAA and junior college coaches will naturally shift toward the tournament, where many of Europe’s best young prospects will be competing. Should Santa Ozola continue performing at this level, she is expected to attract interest from college programs looking for talented international players.

The entire Latvia U18 squad has shown encouraging progress during its preparation, and the coaching staff appears to be moving in the right direction with its player rotation and team development.

We wish the Latvia U18 Women’s National Team, its players, and coaching staff the very best of luck at the FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship. The hard work has been completed—now it is time to compete on one of Europe’s biggest youth basketball stages.

“We are very excited for Henrijs and his future,” said BK-CENTRE President Boris Karebin. “This is a tremendous opportunity for him to continue his development both academically and athletically. Our mission now is to make sure that coaches and scouting staffs from the top NCAA universities and colleges have the opportunity to evaluate his performances throughout the upcoming season.

We also hope Henrijs will earn a place on Latvia’s youth national team in the near future and continue progressing toward his ultimate dream of representing the Latvian Senior National Team. We believe that an outstanding college career in the United States can become the foundation for a successful professional career in Europe. With his talent, character, and commitment to improvement, Henrijs has every opportunity to compete at a high level after college graduation, including in the EuroLeague or other top European professional leagues.”