Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Brewster target ridiculously long, highly skilled

The big-time scholarship offers keep on pouring in for Syracuse basketball 2023 five-star target Matas Buzelis, who also continues to see his national rankings skyrocket.

The 6-foot-10 Buzelis, who can suit up at both guard positions and on the wing, recently jumped from No. 43 to No. 4 overall within his class, according to updated national rankings from 247Sports.

He is a consensus top-30 prospect, although the bevy of recruiting services these days have Buzelis in the top-10 nationally. The junior at the powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., is likely to contend for the No. 1 overall rating in the 2023 cycle.

Orange coaches, who recently visited with Buzelis at his prep school, offered him nearly a year ago. His offer list has significantly grown in recent months, with suitors such as Duke, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, North Carolina, Kansas, Illinois, Florida, Purdue, Oklahoma, Arizona, UCLA, Maryland and Connecticut, among others.

A national analyst has provided an evaluation of Syracuse basketball prospect Matas Buzelis.

Jerry Meyer, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, recently published a scouting report of Buzelis that provides some insights into this stellar 2023 prospect’s all-around game.

"Meyer wrote, “At 6-10 has exceptional length for a highly developed skill set. Has a very thin build but can absorb contact. Is a smooth athlete with wiggle and capable of scoring around defenders. When not euro stepping to finish, prefers to finish off two feet. Shoots the ball well from outside but does have a low release at this point. Midrange scoring is an area for development where there is great potential. Handles the ball extremely well. Has a high dribble but it is on a string. Sees the floor and has feel for passing. Needs to gain strength as a rebounder but has a nose for the ball and has extremely sure hands. Lateral quickness can improve but has a feel for using his length as a defensive weapon. His competitive nature bodes well for his future development.”"

In Meyer’s article, he noted that his 247Sports colleague, national basketball director Eric Bossi, has likened Buzelis to a young Toni Kukoc.

That’s some pretty select company for Buzelis, as Kukoc was a star forward who won multiple NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

We’ll obviously continue to monitor Buzelis’ recruitment. I’d love to see him take an official visit to the Hill at some point. The ‘Cuse likely faces an uphill battle to pick up Buzelis, although Syracuse basketball coaches have fared well in recent years landing prospects from the Brewster Academy.