Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Matas Buzelis from Brewster down to 5 options

Five-star guard/wing Matas Buzelis, one of the best prospects coming out of the 2023 class, is now focused on five potential suitors, and Syracuse basketball didn’t make the cut, according to a media report.

On3 national analyst Joe Tipton first reported that the 6-foot-10 Buzelis has kept in the running a trio of Atlantic Coast Conference teams in North Carolina, Florida State and Wake Forest, along with recruiting giant Kentucky and the NBA’s G League.

In 2021-22, Buzelis was the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Hampshire during his junior season for the powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.

He runs on the AAU circuit with the Boston-based Expressions Elite Basketball in Nike’s EYBL league. Experts praised Buzelis for his performances during the most recent EYBL session in Louisville, Ky.

Syracuse basketball is officially out of contention for five-star Matas Buzelis.

Throughout his recruitment, Buzelis has received roughly two-dozen scholarship offers from a bevy of high-major programs. The ‘Cuse offered him in November of 2020, which was in the early stages of his recruiting process.

In revealing a top five, Buzelis has eliminated Syracuse basketball along with multiple heavyweights in the sport that had offered him, such as Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, Arizona, Michigan, UCLA, Ohio State and Purdue.

While I’m not in the inner circle of Buzelis, I have to say that I’m at least a little surprised that the Blue Devils weren’t included in his five finalists.

As we’ve noted before, he made official visits during his junior term to Kentucky, Wake Forest and Florida State. Tipton reported that Buzelis is likely to travel to North Carolina for a visit, but nothing is planned at this time.

Last September, Syracuse basketball coaches made a trip to the Brewster Academy to visit with Buzelis and some of his prep-school teammates, including 2023 four-star shooting guard Reid Ducharme, who is expected to officially visit the Hill later this month.

As the offer list for Buzelis continued to explode, and his national rankings soared, I got the sense it would prove really tough for the ‘Cuse to prevail in his recruitment.

Buzelis is an elite talent in his class. He has the height and length of a big man, but he plays like a guard/wing player. He’s a good outside shooter, has a great handle, is an excellent passer, and drives to the basket with precision.

I’m not all that surprised that Syracuse basketball didn’t make the final five for Matas Buzelis. I wish him nothing but the best.

In the meantime, Orange coaches will continue to focus on their 2023 priority targets, such as Ducharme, four-star guard Elmarko Jackson and four-star big man Joseph Estrella.