--- title: "Ukraine U-20 Forward Maksym Hryshchuk Leaves Niko-Basket: US College League vs. Two-Year Contract" description: "Niko-Basket and Ukraine U-20 forward Maksym Hryshchuk is leaving the club early: he received an invitation from the University of Southern Indiana and will continue his career in the US college league. At the same time, three more players have left the team." date: 2026-08-27T14:04:02.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/maksym-hryshchuk-leaves-niko-basket-usa tags: [ukraine-basketball, niko-basket, maxym-hryshchuk, ncaa, university-of-south-indiana, euro-u20, basketball-transfers] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ukraine U-20 Forward Maksym Hryshchuk Leaves Niko-Basket: US College League vs. Two-Year Contract ![Maxym Hryshchuk in the Ukraine U-20 national team jersey during a training session with his coach before moving to the US college league](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/27/maksym-hryshchuk-pokidaet-niko-basket-ssha/maksym-hryshchuk-pokidaet-niko-basket-ssha-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Maksym Hryshchuk is leaving Niko-Basket early, despite his active two-year contract, to join the University of Southern Indiana (USA). - At the U-20 European Championship in Division B, Hryshchuk averaged 16.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, with the best efficiency rating on the national team — PER 21.1. - Niko-Basket also lost Kyrylo Neamtsu (retinal tear, surgery), Dmytro Lykhyi (moved to Kyiv-Basket), and Anton Sturov (reason undisclosed). Nikolaev's Niko-Basket has lost one of the most promising players in its development system. Club forward and Ukraine U-20 national team player Maksym Hryshchuk is officially leaving the team and will continue his career in the United States next season. This became known from a comment by the head coach of the Nikolaev side, Valentyn Berestnev, who shared the information on Sport RBC.UA. According to the coach, Hryshchuk notified the club of his decision immediately after returning from the U-20 European Championship in Division B, where he played as part of the national team. ### Invitation from the University of Southern Indiana “Maksym informed us that he will continue his career in the United States. He received an invitation from the University of Southern Indiana and wants to try himself in the college league. Despite the fact that we had a two-year contract with him, he made this decision and will not play with us next season,” Berestnev said. Thus, the 20-year-old forward decided not to wait for his current agreement to expire and took the opportunity to move to the American college system, which is traditionally considered one of the best springboards for young basketball players aspiring to reach the professional level. ### A Key Player at the U-20 European Championship Hryshchuk's decision is all the more notable given his outstanding performances with the Ukraine national team at the recent U-20 European Championship in Division B. In seven tournament games, the forward averaged 16.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. His efficiency rating (PER) was 21.1, the best result on the national team. It was these figures, most likely, that attracted the attention of scouts from the American university, who offered the young player a spot in their program. ### Mass Player Exodus from Niko-Basket Hryshchuk's departure is not the only personnel loss for the Nikolaev club ahead of the new season. The team was also left by Kyrylo Neamtsu, Dmytro Lykhyi, and Anton Sturov. At the same time, the reasons for parting ways with each player differ significantly. Dmytro Lykhyi officially changed his club affiliation and recently became a player for Kyiv-Basket. The situation with Anton Sturov remains unclear: Niko-Basket has not yet revealed the reason for ending its cooperation with the basketball player, promising to provide additional clarification in the near future. ### Neamtsu Fights for His Vision The most dramatic of all the personnel changes was the story of Kyrylo Neamtsu. The reason for his absence from the club's lineup was serious health problems. The player personally addressed his followers on Instagram, sharing a difficult diagnosis. “I recently was diagnosed with a retinal tear in my left eye and early retinal detachment in my right eye. I need surgery to preserve my vision and avoid further complications,” Neamtsu wrote. The basketball player also revealed that the total cost of the necessary treatment is 60,000 hryvnia, and announced a fundraising campaign for the surgery. Niko-Basket expressed solidarity with the player and wished him a speedy recovery. ### Club Reaction and Wishes for the Future Despite Hryshchuk's early departure, the management and coaching staff of Niko-Basket treated the forward's decision with understanding. Berestnev emphasized that the club is satisfied with the progress Maksym has made during his time with the Nikolaev team, and wished him success at the new stage of his career in the US college league. For Hryshchuk himself, the move to a university program means the opportunity to play at a higher level of competition, receive quality physical and tactical training, and be involved in games broadcast to a wide audience. In turn, this could become an important step on the path to top-tier professional basketball. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Continues career in the US: Superleague club loses 20-year-old forward](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/basketball/prodovzhit-kar-eru-ssha-klub-superligi-vtrativ-1787836382.html) - Официальный комментарий тренера Валентина Берестнева подтверждает уход Грищука в университет Южной Индианы. Статистика на Евро U-20, информация об отходе Неамцу, Лихого и Стурова также подтверждены в том же материале. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why is Maksym Hryshchuk leaving Niko-Basket? **A:** Hryshchuk received an invitation from the University of Southern Indiana and decided to try himself in the American college league. Despite his active two-year contract with the Nikolaev club, he made the decision to leave. ### Q: What stats did Hryshchuk post at the U-20 European Championship? **A:** In seven tournament games in Division B, the forward averaged 16.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks. His efficiency rating (PER) was 21.1 — the best on the Ukraine national team. ### Q: Who else left Niko-Basket? **A:** The team was also left by Kyrylo Neamtsu (serious vision problems, surgery required), Dmytro Lykhyi (moved to Kyiv-Basket), and Anton Sturov (reason for parting not yet revealed). ### Q: What happened to Kyrylo Neamtsu's health? **A:** Neamtsu was diagnosed with a retinal tear in his left eye and early retinal detachment in his right eye. He needs surgery costing 60,000 hryvnia, for which the player announced a fundraising campaign.