Darius Songaila was a low-feeling Lithuanian when he went to the Internet yesterday morning and read about how the Celtics had drafted him but didn't want him. Sort of.

There was much talk about how the Celts would like the 50th pick to perhaps spend a bit of time readying himself overseas before they take him onto the roster. But after much international experience and four years at Wake Forest, the 6-foot-9 Songaila believes he is ready now.

Yesterday his agent said the Celtics will change their tune once Songaila comes in and begins working out for them next week.

``Darius is an NBA player. There's no doubt in my mind about that,'' said Mark Bartelstein. ``I think the Celtics went into the draft with the idea that maybe they'd take somebody in the second round who needed to go overseas for a while. Then again, I don't think they expected Darius to be available there.''

Nor did Bartelstein or Songaila. They had pretty much been assured that he would not get past Sacramento with the 28th and final pick of the first round. But the Kings ended up taking point guard Dan Dickau in a prearranged deal that sent him to Atlanta.

``So all of a sudden the Celtics see Darius there and they can't pass him up,'' Bartelstein said. ``He's too good a player. And I think once they spend time with him they're going to be very happy he doesn't want to go overseas.

``You're talking about a guy who I think is a perfect fit for the way Jim O'Brien likes to play. He likes big men who can step outside and shoot. Darius can shoot 3s effortlessly, but what makes him different is that he can also go inside and bang. You tend to find guys who like to float around the perimeter and don't like to bang, but Darius is a very physical, knock-your-chin-off type of guy. I think he's going to be a real good pro.''

No rest for Papile

Hours after he got home from the draft, Celtics player personnel director Leo Papile was headed to the airport for a 6 a.m. flight to Detroit to coach the BABC in the 16-and-under nationals. He and the C's are in the process of dealing with free agents - both their own and those on other teams who may come with a ``friendly'' price tag.

``I think it behooves anyone in my position to think long-term even though you're having current success,'' said Papile, whose BABC group is the defending champion in the Motown event. ``And I think through the dark ages here one of the things I always felt is that we weren't that far away. I thought we were athletically challenged, and I think we've addressed that to a degree. But I think the new rules of the league allow you to be less athletic and more successful. It's a little like college basketball with the team defense allowing you to be better on the help side. That erases you having an eraser.

``Now I think the challenge is to develop a JV team to get ready to play varsity some time next fall. Our JV team - Kedrick Brown, hopefully Mark Blount's back with us, Omar Cook, Joseph Forte - we have to get those guys to where they can be counted on as rotation players. It may take something happening to a regular to have one of those guys get into one of those roles, but they have to be ready nonetheless. You have to still think long term: What do we have currently here that can become rotation players and what is around the league as far as minimum free agents? We've had a good run with the short money guys like (Bruce) Bowen, Adrian Griffin, Damon Jones, Mark (Blount) - guys like that who have contributed. I hold a lot of hope out for Cook, Brown and Blount.''

Potapenko on mend

Songaila will have company when he shows up at Healthpoint next week to work out. Among others, Brown will be in, and Vitaly Potapenko is there rehabbing from his ACL surgery.