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Duke offers elite 2023 prospects Taylor Bowen and Matas Buzelis

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•10/21/21•

bykeeganpope

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(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Brewster (N.H.) Academy forwards Taylor Bowen and Matas Buzelis will form one of the country’s best tandems for the next two seasons at the high school, and Duke is hoping they’ll do the same in college.

The Blue Devils offered both on Thursday night, adding to burgeoning lists of interested suitors for two of the top prospects in the 2023 class.

Bowen, a four-star recruit and the No. 28 prospect in the 2023 On3 Top 50 rankings, has amassed more than a dozen offers. That list includes UConn, Arkansas, Kansas, Providence and LSU. The 6-foot-9 wing, originally from Vermont, has long been one of the more intriguing prospects in the class, and the Blue Devils join an already crowded recruitment.

Matas Buzelis has elite scoring potential

Buzelis, meanwhile, has jumped onto the national scene over the past months. The 6-foot-10 forward has blossomed into one of the country’s premier prospects, and he earned offers from Kansas, UCLA, Arizona and North Carolina over the summer. A four-star prospect, Buzelis sits right on the edge of reaching five-star status and likely will over the course of the next year.

On3 National Basketball Analyst K.J. Smith sees multiple traits in Buzelis that translate not only to the college level, but the NBA game as well. One of the most impressive, Smith wrote, is his ball-handling ability.

“At 6-10, Matas Buzelis handles the ball like a point guard,” he said. “In his toolbox of tricks, he has hesitation dribbles and step-back moves that are extremely hard to guard given his seven-foot wingspan. His crossover is quick and deceiving, which is rare in a player that is his size.”

Smith also believes that Buzelis has an innate scoring gene, something that pairs well with his combination of size and skill.

“Buzelis has the scoring capabilities to take over games,” Smith added. “He can shoot off the dribble and spot for 3s. Since he is 6-10 and his shooting release point is higher than any guard, his jump shot is unblockable to the average defender.”