Syracuse Basketball: 5-star hears from blue-bloods a lot; what about SU?

Five-star junior Matas Buzelis, who holds a Syracuse basketball offer, recently detailed in an interview which schools he hears from on a weekly basis.

Was the Orange on his list? Unfortunately, not. Does this mean the ‘Cuse has no shot at the 6-foot-10 Buzelis, a guard/wing who suits up for the powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.? I hope that’s not the case, although I am the first to admit that I’m not a recruiting analyst, nor am I in Buzelis’ inner circle.

One thing I’ve always wondered when it comes to the recruiting processes of high-school prospects is just how important it is that a particular college team is in “regular” communication with these players.

Because a college squad may be in really great shape with a high-school prospect and not have to communicate quite as much as, say, another team that has ground to make up, so to speak, in that player’s recruitment.

In any event, when asked by recruiting guru Joe Tipton of on3.com which schools he hears from on a weekly basis, Buzelis replied, “I hear from Michigan, Florida State, Kansas, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Wake Forest.”

Syracuse basketball coaches did reportedly visit with five-star Matas Buzelis last year.

As we’ve noted in the past, Orange coaches did travel to the Brewster Academy in mid-September to visit with Buzelis and several of his prep-school teammates.

And I credit the ‘Cuse coaching staff for getting involved with Buzelis relatively early on, as Syracuse basketball offered him in November of 2020, well before his recruitment took off and his national rankings soared.

Now, is there mutual interest these days between Buzelis and the ‘Cuse? I do not know. To my knowledge, Buzelis hasn’t trimmed his list of contenders, so my hope is that the Orange remains in contention.

Buzelis is rated in the top-five across the country in his class by some recruiting services. Numerous national analysts and scouts have said he is likely to make a run for the top spot in the 2023 cycle.

Among the college groups that have either offered or have shown interest in Buzelis, besides Syracuse basketball, are Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, North Carolina, Illinois, Florida, Purdue, Oklahoma, Arizona, UCLA, Maryland, Wake Forest and Connecticut.

A few months back, he made trips to both Florida State and Wake Forest. Last month, Buzelis took an official visit to Kentucky, and he has said that he’s likely to visit Duke as well.

Some recruiting insiders believe his recruitment could come down to Duke and Kentucky, although Buzelis has an impressive cadre of suitors beyond those two blue-bloods.

We’ll continue to monitor whether the Orange is in the mix for this elite junior.