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Matas Buzelis is a prospect I go back and forth on, and have since high school. On one hand, there is no denying his unique blend of size, fluidity, skill, and touch. On the other hand, his personal production has never translated to winning, on any level. In high school, he went through a ‘big guard’ phase, and in watching him play, his handle was not tight enough, his foot speed quick enough, or his shot efficient enough to be an effective perimeter player. One year in the G-Leauge has caused me to adjust the lens of my evaluation a little. Buzelis is 6-foot-10, why not look at him as a potential post-player, a spot where he can use his unique blend of touch, fluidity, skill, and size to gain an advantage over his defender? He will need to add weight, clean up the jump shot release, and continue developing on defense, but as I continued to jump into film study, there is a clear pathway for Buzelis to find success as he continues to develop. Maybe this is a shot in the dark here, but in a draft with so many questions and capped player ceilings, this one has me intrigued.
Junior Season Highlights
3/28/23
2023 McDonald’s All-American
The thing about Matas Buzelis is the way he moves at his height. In this setting he really showcased his skill set in the 1-on-1 portion. He has good footwork with a solid handle and some counters. He will need to get stronger, and continue playing north south. He let us see the pop during the dunk contest, where he did some creative things along with the explosion. So intriguing.
3/16/22
Jamie Shaw - National Recruiting Analyst
Matas Buzelis has a lot of tools you look for in a modern forward. He has great positional size and good length. At 6-foot-10 you see he is very effective in transition with great balance and good burst. Buzelis has a good handle in the open floor. He is currently a perimeter-oriented player. He needs to tighten his handle in the half-court, to help get him to his spots better and more effectively. The jump shot is also a slow-release. He is better shooting off the catch than the bounce. He is a good off-ball cutter, finishing above the rim on backdoor cuts. He is at his best working with minimal dribbles from the mid-range/mid-post area. He needs strength and the motor runs hot and cold. The upside is high here.