UNC Basketball Recruiting: Matas Buzelis trending toward Tar Heels?

A commitment from five-star wing Matas Buzelis could make the UNC basketball recruiting class of 2023 one of the best we’ve ever seen.

One of the highest-rated and most sought-after high school basketball players in the class of 2023, Matas Buzelis has become a household name among coaches and scouts in the summer leading up to his senior season at Brewster Academy.

A 6-foot-9, 190-pound wing that can dribble, drive, pass, shoot, and run the floor, Buzelis is currently ranked seventh overall in his class and has scholarship offers from nearly two-dozen schools.

Along with North Carolina, Buzelis’ list includes Arizona, Duke, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, Syracuse, UCLA, and Wisconsin. It’s North Carolina and Kentucky, however, that many believe are moving to the top of his esteemed list.

He talked about the Tar Heels in a recent interview with On3Sports, touching on some of the things he likes about the school and coaching staff, as well as the players from his class that are already committed to UNC.

"“I just talked to some of their commits, Simeon Wilcher and GG Jackson, most of the time,” Buzelis said. “But I talk with pretty much every coach on staff, Coach Hubert (Davis) a lot. They played great in the tournament, everyone thought they would be a no show, but they played fast and loose and made plays.”"

G.G. Jackson, in particular, has been recruiting other players from his class since committing to North Carolina in late April. Buzelis is one of them, and the interest in playing their college ball together — which could easily end up being just one season for the both of them — seems to be mutual.

"“I think GG and I would fit really well beside one another,” Buzelis said. “We’re both big wings; I can get it to him, and he can shoot it. We can both run the floor and handle and shoot.”"

Buzelis still has some time left in his recruitment, and a commitment from him shouldn’t really be expected any time soon. We’ll continue to follow his recruitment and keep UNC fans apprised of all the latest on him and the Tar Heels’ 2023 class.

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