Kentucky expected to have one of 2023’s biggest breakout stars on campus this week
One of the fastest-rising players in all of high school basketball is expected to be on Kentucky’s campus for an official visit this week.
Matas Buzelis, an intriguing talent with point guard skills and post player size, is due in Lexington for a trip centered on this week’s UK game, another milestone in a recruitment that has taken off over the past few months. Following a stellar showing on the grassroots circuit during the spring and summer, Buzelis was one of the biggest risers in the junior class recruiting rankings, jumping from four-star territory to the very top of the national list.
In its October update, 247Sports moved him from the No. 43 spot all the way to No. 4 overall.
“He is a really impressive talent,” 247Sports analyst Travis Branham told the Herald-Leader. “He’s long, he’s athletic, he’s got some toughness to him. He’s really skilled, can make shots and has a handle.”
Buzelis is listed at 6-foot-10, but don’t mistake that height for someone who dominates in the post. He’s actually classified as a small forward, and his passing ability is one of Buzelis’ defining traits as a prospect. He’s much more comfortable playing a perimeter game — shooting the ball well enough to keep defenses honest and possessing the ability to get past defenders off the dribble. He has the IQ to get his teammates good looks and the athleticism to finish around the basket himself.
That size and versatility make him an intriguing target for college coaches and a player who could potentially play multiple positions at the next level.
“He’s a stretch ‘4,’ mismatch ‘4’ man that can really face up and attack bigs off the bounce,” Branham said. “That’s where I like him the most. But because he’s so skilled, he’s capable of playing the ‘3.’ Defensively, that’s going to be dependent upon how much he develops physically. How strong he gets. He’s a versatile — kind of hybrid — forward.”
Adding strength to his frame will be a key area of Buzelis’ development, and that’s something he’s already concentrating on with two more seasons of high school ball ahead of him. 247Sports lists Buzelis at 175 pounds, but he just turned 17 years old in October and still has plenty of time to put on weight and muscle before he gets to college. He’s shown an ability to block shots and defend in spurts, but Branham said he’ll need to add more consistency on that end of the floor, especially when it comes to playing through contact and matching up with stronger players.
That progress should come in time. For now, there’s no doubting Buzelis’ unique-for-his-size basketball skills, and college coaches have clearly been just as impressed as the recruiting analysts.
Buzelis has already accumulated scholarship offers from Duke, North Carolina, UCLA, Michigan, Michigan State, Arizona and several other schools, including Florida State and Wake Forest, the only other programs that have hosted him for official visits heading into this week’s Kentucky trip.
UK hasn’t extended a scholarship offer yet, but John Calipari has already watched him play this high school season, and the Kentucky coach has shown a pattern over the past few months of bringing 2023 recruits onto campus for official visits and extending offers while they’re in town. So it won’t be a surprise if Buzelis lands his sometime later this week.
There’s also a tie between the emerging star and the Kentucky program. Buzelis’ breakout summer came while playing for the Chicago-based Mac Irvin Fire program that UK assistant Chin Coleman coached with before getting his first college job. Coleman still has close ties to that program and a terrific reputation as a recruiter in the Chicago area. (Buzelis plays his high school ball for Brewster Academy (N.H.), the alma mater of the late Terrence Clarke).
Buzelis is a first-generation American whose parents were both born in Lithuania before moving to the Chicago area about 20 years ago. His father was a former professional basketball player in Europe and has more recently been a staff member with the Lithuanian National Team.
Branham said it was too early to read too much into Buzelis’ recruitment, but there is already some buzz around possible frontrunners, a list Kentucky could possibly join with an offer this week.
“Obviously, Duke is involved. They have already offered, so expect them to be a factor all the way until the end,” Branham said. “Another team I would say you need to keep an eye on is Arizona.”
Though Buzelis was born in the United States, his family obviously has deep international basketball ties, and Arizona Coach Tommy Lloyd — previously the top assistant at Gonzaga — has proven to be an accomplished recruiter of foreign players.
“As everybody is well aware, Tommy Lloyd is the most well-connected coach in all of college basketball when it comes to the international landscape,” Branham said. “And he’s had an incredible amount of success with those types of players. So I would not cross them off the list, by any means. I actually think that they will be strong contenders for Matas, at the end of the day.”
This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
