Monmouth basketball: Ukrainian big man aids family in war-torn homeland

WEST LONG BRANCH – As he moved to his right and slipped a no-look pass in traffic to Monmouth teammate Klemen Vuga in the lane during practice Wednesday, Nikita Konstantynovskyi looked like any other student-athlete getting ready for next month’s basketball season-opener.

And in many ways he is - working hard on the court and getting straight A’s in graduate school since transferring from the University of Tulsa after last season, while holding down a job on campus.

That’s where the comparisons end.

The gym where he spent countless hours honing his game growing up in Kyiv, Ukraine was bombed out by a Russian missile shortly after the invasion began 20 months ago, with Konstantynovskyi sharing before-and-after photos on social media.

Money earned in his spare time is sent to his mother, Natasha, with bills piling up since his father, Roman, developed a heart condition and died in 2022, with Konstantynovskyi tying his death directly to the stress of spending weeks in a bomb shelter and trying to provide for his family in a war zone.

And Konstantynovskyi, a triplet, recently sent money to his brother, Denys, to purchase potentially life-saving military equipment as he prepares to ship out to one of the many hot spots after recently completing a month of military training.

“There was a chance I would go back but I decided to stay here and help support my mother with certain things,” he said.

“I’ve been trying to help out as much as I can. I needed to find some revenue to help put some of that on my shoulders, as well. So it was a hard decision to stay on the court, trying to hold things together in my head. But I think the Ukrainian people are very strong.”

On the basketball court, Monmouth hopes the 6-10 big man will grab a ton of rebounds and be a nightly presence in the paint. But that seems rather inconsequential in the big picture.

“The way he sees the world, he’s just a special young man,” Monmouth head coach King Rice said.

Nikita Konstantynovskyi's basketball journey - and perspective

The dates will forever be etched in Konstantynovskyi’s memory, along with the events of what would be six glorious days in Kyiv, months before the bombs started dropping.

More: 'Culture can win': Monmouth women's basketball rising after historic run to March Madness

“It was Aug. 7 to Aug. 13, 2021. Yes, I remember exactly the dates when I was last home. Those were good days,” he said.

It was always part of the plan that Konstantynovskyi, one of Ukraine’s top young prospects, would be in this position.

Playing for the Ukrainian team W Power in 2018-19, he averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds. After competing for his country in the 2019 U18 World Cup in Mongolia, he made the move to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a junior college where he played two seasons before transferring to Tulsa.

During the 2021-22 campaign, Konstantynovskyi played in 29 games for the Golden Hurricanes, starting nine, averaging two points and 2.7 rebounds, including an eight-rebound effort against Memphis. He redshirted last season due to an injury.

Now at Monmouth, the 22-year-old is providing both muscle inside and perspective for a team trying to rebound from a 7-26 season.

“The Ukrainians have stood up and fought and are still fighting. It’s incredible," Rice said. "When I first met him I said, ‘are you mad at the Russian people?’ And he said, ‘not at all, coach. I’m not mad at all the Russian people, just their leaders.’  Right then, he taught me a lot because at that time I was mad at the Russian people, and I have nothing to do with it.”

Monmouth coach King Rice: 'Nikita really fit everything we wanted to do'

It’s no secret why Konstantynovskyi is here. Monmouth was last in the Coastal Athletic Association in defensive rebounding last season, and next-to-last in combined team rebounding.

“Nikita really fit everything we wanted to do,” Rice said. “I knew the coach who recruited him and he said he could really, really play, and he got hurt last season. He’s a really good passer, and he can score on the block. He’s just not the most athletic dude vertically, but everything else he can really do.”

Konstantynovskyi could form a solid frontcourt alongside 6-9 senior Klemen Vuga from Serbia, who played the best basketball of his career over the final 10 games last season.

“They’re both a long way from home so they’ve already got a spirit together,” Rice said. “As soon as Nikita got here they kind of bonded. And him playing alongside of Vuga gives us more options. We can go with two bigs.”

“In addition to both being away from home, I think it reflects our games,” Konstantynovskyi said. “I love to play with European players because, even if you are from different countries, you’re IQs are different than players here, so I can do some different things with Klem. I think it’s a big plus when you have that connection.”

Regardless of your college hoops allegiance, or how things go in what will likely be a roller-coaster ride of a season, everyone will be pulling for Konstantynovskyi. Because few, if any, college basketball players have more on their plate than he does, giving added meaning to every rebound, blocked shot or point he scores in the coming months.

Stephen Edelson is a USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey sports columnist who has been covering athletics in the state and at the Jersey Shore for over 35 years. Contact him at: @SteveEdelsonAPP; sedelson@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth's Nikita Konstantynovskyi aids his family in war-torn Ukraine