Lukas Varga made his imprint on basketball along the Grand Strand while in high school at Socastee. He had many career highlights in college at USC-Aiken and then Coker - including when the Cobras won at Coastal Carolina in his senior year. Now, Varga is looking to make an impact outside of the country.
Varga, who last year was at UNC Charlotte working on a graduate degree, has regained his itch to play basketball. And just recently he signed to play with Lemvig Basket, a first division team in Lemvig, Denmark.
He recently agreed to do a Q&A to talk about the journey that is leading him to Denmark:
Q&A with Lukas Varga, Socastee High grad
Q | Explain in detail what made you decide you wanted to give professional basketball a shot while you worked on your degree at Charlotte? Also, when did you make the decision?
Lukas | While working for the Charlotte 49ers coaching staff, I began getting a lot of attention from European basketball agencies and coaches ... the itch to play in November grew as I was watching the players compete and have fun in practices and games. Only being able to watch the game from the sidelines and not having an active impact on the game became very difficult. I was always involved in team drills, which typically required me to defend the offensive players, and I never got to play offense. That's when I knew that I wanted the ball in my hands again, and I began to strongly pursue my career back on the court.
Q | When you made your decision, what were some of the things you had to do in order to get to where you needed to be in hopes of getting a job? And what was your process in getting a job and how long did it take?
Lukas | After communication picked up with agencies, my first step was to gather as much video footage into a 10-minute highlight, which displayed some important aspects of my game. I mailed my highlight, along with a player profile and DVDs of two entire games. From there, Rasmussen Agency was determined to find me a job. However, their impression was that I possessed dual citizenship in Germany and Slovakia. This incorrect information, which was listed on an online database, immediately changed the entire complexion of my marketing position. I had interest from a number of German clubs to which I could have transferred to; however my foreign nationality played a big role, since German basketball rules require three Germans to be on the court at all times. It was a setback, but I remained convinced that I wanted to return to the court. It was a state of uncertainty for me, until I got a message from my agent in June that I had received an offer from a club in Denmark. Overall the process took around approximately six months.
Q | What are your expectations for your first season in Denmark? And do you think your – and your father’s roots – to overseas basketball give you any kind of edge or at least help in knowing what to expect?
Lukas | My expectations are to contribute immediately on and off the court as I’ll be highly involved in Lemvig’s Basketball organization. My role will be mainly to control the game from the point guard spot, but I am also expected to be flexible and score when points are needed. I feel that I have jumped into a great situation and I’ll be working with great people, which I hope translates into a successful season.
Q | How did playing basketball here at the beach, and more specifically at Socastee High, prepare you for this? And how about in college at USC Aiken and Coker?
Lukas | I have deep roots here at the beach. My father made a great decision for us to move to South Carolina and to enroll me at Socastee, which was home of the best holiday tournament in the U.S as well as one of the country’s best basketball minds in coach [Dan] D’Antoni. The majority of my basketball concepts and philosophy as well as character and work ethic were formed through coach D’Antoni’s perspective of the game. Socastee was a great place for me to develop as a player and my family’s devotion toward my career created the perfect atmosphere for me to get better. My college career, on the other hand, served as a form of playground to improve game details, decision-making and playing solely at the point guard position.
Q | What is your long-term plan with overseas hoops?
Lukas | My long-term plan will likely take its course in Europe for the next few years. As new opportunities arise, I will hopefully make the right decisions that improve my career. I plan on playing as long as I possibly can and hope to have my son or daughter watch me play basketball as I watched my father. Basketball is a way of life, and after my playing days are over, I will devote myself to teach the game at the highest level possible.
Looking forward to see him play for Lemvig Basket
Regards
Tony http://www.lemviginfo.dk
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