 Along with two other Final Eight teams that have won Europe's second club competition over the previous five years, Lietuvos Rytas will arrive to Turin, Italy with the chance to add a second continental trophy to its case. Only one player remains from the L. Rytas team that lifted the ULEB Cup trophy in 2005, versatile combo guard Mindaugas Lukauskis, one of those players who brings so much energy to the floor that all his contributions cannot be measured in statistics. Although he was injured and couldn't play on that title night back in 2005, a return to the same final two years later and playing at the last Olympic Games with the Lithuanian national team means that Lukauskis has only gained experience, and is ready to lead L. Rytas to the top in Turin. "I would love to win the Eurocup title, not as some personal challenge, but to do it for the club and our fans," Lukauskis told Eurocupbasketball.com. "Winning a trophy is the best motivation for a team to improve and reach new goals. Yes, we won it in 2005 but I didn't play. Then in 2007 I played but we didn't win. There is a Lithuanian saying, "The third time never disappoints", and I hope it is like that in Turin."
Hello, Mindaugas. Before anything else, how has been the season for your team?
"I must say we've done quite well for far. We managed to achieve the goals that our club had in the beginning of the season. We already won the Lithuanian Cup, made it to the Eurocup Final Eight and the Baltic League final four, finishing first in that competition. We are also second in the Lithuanian League and can improve this situation... we are doing well. I am happy with the job our team did so far."
Lietuvos Rytas already won the ULEB Cup title in 2005 and made it to the title game in 2007. How can those experiences help you in the Final Eight?
"I am the only L. Rytas player that was with the team in the 2005 ULEB Cup final, but I was not able to play because I was injured. The 2007 final did not go the way we planned. We were too anxious and were not able to win the competition. I think I gained a lot of experience playing for L. Rytas and playing with the Lithuanian national team last summer, and of course that can help in the Final Eight. We are improving our game all together, little by little, and will try to get the best possible results."
You are sharing the point guard duties with Chuck Eidson, your all-around player this season. What do you think about Chuck and how is he helping the team this season?
"Chuck is a very talented player. He works really hard for the team and is virtually everywhere - organizing our game, running our offense, doing all he can. He can't stop and likes to be our leader, all the time. I am very happy to have the chance to play with him."
 You play against Benetton Treviso, a traditional team in European club competitions, in the quarterfinals. What do you have to do to beat them?
"We have not spoken about the game against Benetton yet. What we are doing right now is taking care of our physical condition and practicing on court once a day. We have some Lithuanian League games before going to Turin and we are getting ready for them. I guess that we will start preparing that game closer to the trip. Of course, we will try to learn our coach's strategies and follow his orders in the best way possible."
Being a good shooter, what does it mean for you, personally, to be coached by a legend like Rimas Kurtinaitis and how has he helped you to improve your shooting skills?
"He first coached me this summer when I was with him as a member of the Lithuanian national team. I am very happy to have him as a coach. He brought a lot of new things to our game. He has given me a lot of advice, especially when it comes to mid-range and three-point shoots. Rimas Kurtiniaitis is a very good coach."
Even though you didn’t play in the 2005 ULEB Cup Final, what memories do you have from that game against Makedonikos?
"I didn't play the 2005 title game, as I told you earlier, but this is one of the most important titles in my entire career and I have great memories from that game. Even when I didn't play, I was with the team and I will always remember everything that happened before, during and after the game."
Your quarterfinal opponent, Benetton, is the only Italian team at the 2009 Final Eight in Turin. Is that an advantage or more pressure for Benetton?
"It is difficult to answer that, because both things could happen. I believe that Benetton will have a little advantage because after all, the Final Eight is in Italy and their fans will not have to travel very far to see their team. In the other hand, I am sure that our fans will also come to Turin to support us. I really believe in our fans and I am sure that the possible advantage that Benetton may get is not that important."
 How would you explain to someone that has never been there how are basketball fans – and especially those of L. Rytas - in your country?
"First of all, L. Rytas fans are really, really loyal. They are always supporting us and come to see us in each and every game. It doesn't matter if we play on the road, they are there whenever we need them. I remember when our fans came to Charleroi in 2005 and the celebration after the game! It was incredible. We hope that we will have a similar situation in Turin, even when it is a different scenario. We went straight to the final in 2005 while we are now playing the quarterfinals."
Having missed the 2005 ULEB Cup Final, and now a key player for L. Rytas, what would winning the Eurocup mean to you?
"I would love to win the Eurocup title, not as some personal challenge, but to do it for the club and our fans. Winning a trophy is the best motivation for a team to improve and reach new goals. Yes, we won it in 2005 but I didn't play. Then in 2007 I played but we didn't win... there is a Lithuanian saying, 'The third time never disappoints', and I hope it is like that. There are a good number of factors to consider, including luck, but we will give our best to win the Eurocup title. There is a Lithuanian saying, "The third time never disappoints", and I hope it is like that in Turin."
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