Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | October 13, 2004
Nationality | Lithuanian / American |
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
Listed weight | 209 lb (95 kg) |
Career information | |
High school |
|
Playing career | 2023–present |
Position | Small forward / power forward |
Career history | |
2023–2024 | NBA G League Ignite |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Matas Arvidas Buzelis (born October 13, 2004) is a Lithuanian-American professional basketball player who last played for the NBA G League Ignite of the NBA G League. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class.
Buzelis grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Both of his parents played basketball professionally in Lithuania before immigrating to the United States and settling in the Chicago area. [1] In his childhood Buzelis attended gymnastics school with his brother and sister, later in the same school he attended swimming and had the best results among under–10 and under–12 breaststroke swimmers in the state of Illinois. [2]
Buzelis initially attended Hinsdale Central High School and played on their sophomore team as a freshman. [3] He transferred to Brewster Academy, a boarding school in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, midway through the start of the first semester of his sophomore year after Hinsdale Central's basketball season was postponed due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. [4] As a junior, Buzelis was named the New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. [5] He was also selected to play for Team World in the 2022 Nike Hoops Summit. [6]
Buzelis transferred to Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas before the start of his senior year. [7] During his senior year, he averaged 15.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field, 42.4 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line. [8]
Buzelis was selected to play in the 2023 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. [9] He also took part in the Basketball Without Borders camp during the 2023 NBA All-Star weekend and was named the camp's MVP. [10]
Buzelis was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class, according to major recruiting services. [11] He ultimately chose to play professionally for NBA G League Ignite. [12] [13] Buzelis had also considered playing college basketball for Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida State, and Wake Forest. [14]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matas Buzelis SF | Chicago, IL | Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | — | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 93 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 4 247Sports: 7 ESPN: 5 | ||||||
Sources:
|
On May 31, 2023, Buzelis officially signed with the NBA G League Ignite. [15] [16]
On July 21, 2022, Buzelis officially committed to the Lithuania men's national basketball team for International competitions. [17] [18]
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
One of Buzelis grandfathers, Arvydas Jankauskas, is a former basketball player and coach, while his other grandfather, Petras Buzelis, also is a former basketball player who debuted in Žalgiris Kaunas at 19 years old, later became Žalgiris Kaunas captain and won six Lithuanian League titles and three USSR Premier Basketball League bronze medals. [2] One of Buzelis grandmothers, Elena Buzelienė, is one of the all-time greatest Lithuanian handball players who won two European Champions Cups. [2]
Buzelis's mother, Kristina Jankauskaitė, played for Lithuanian youth basketball national teams and was one of the most promising basketball players of her generation. [2] Buzelis father, Aidas Buzelis, is a former basketball player who played for multiple Lithuanian Basketball League clubs and also worked as a massage therapist of the Lithuania men's national basketball team. [2] [19]
In 2022, Lithuanian Basketball Federation registered Buzelis in FIBA system as a member of the Lithuanian national team. [20] In 2023, Buzelis expressed his desire to play for the Lithuania men's national basketball team in the future and said that he chose it over the United States men's national basketball team. [21]
The Lithuania men's national basketball team represents Lithuania in international basketball competitions. They are controlled by the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, the governing body for basketball in Lithuania. Despite Lithuania's small size, with a population of less than 3 million, the country's devotion to basketball has made them a traditional force of the sport in Europe.
Kęstutis Kemzūra is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player who last coached BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League. During his playing career, at a height of 1.91 m (6'3") tall, he played at the point guard position.
Jonas Valančiūnas is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. At the 2019 trade deadline, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. In the 2021 offseason he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
BC Juventus, also known as Uniclub Casino Juventus for sponsorship reasons, is a Lithuanian professional basketball club based in Utena, Lithuania. Founded in 1999, the club currently plays in the Lithuanian Basketball League.
Domantas Sabonis is a Lithuanian-American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Lithuanian national team. Son of the Hall of Fame player Arvydas Sabonis, Sabonis is a two-time All-NBA Team member, three-time NBA All-Star, and has led the league in rebounds twice.
Edgaras Ulanovas is a Lithuanian professional basketball player and the team captain for Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague. He primarily plays at the small forward position.
Artūras Gudaitis is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Alvark Tokyo of the Japanese B.League. Standing at 2.08 m, he plays at the center position. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 47th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.
This page tracks the progress of the Lithuanian national basketball team participating in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Egidijus Mockevičius is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Tainan TSG GhostHawks of the T1 League. He played college basketball for the University of Evansville.
Kai Zachary Perlado Sotto is a Filipino professional basketball player. Listed at 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) and 232 pounds (105 kg), he plays the center position. He is tied with Raul Dillo as the tallest Filipino professional basketball player ever. Sotto and Dillo are also the second-tallest Filipino men, behind only William Biscocho, who stands at 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m).
Laurynas Birutis is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Žalgiris Kaunas of Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague.
Basketball is the most popular sport in Lithuania. Lithuanian-American basketball coaches and players in the 1930s helped the Lithuania men's national basketball team win the last EuroBasket tournaments prior to World War II, in 1937 and 1939, causing a massive impact in Lithuanian society and a basketball popularity spike. Since then, despite Lithuania's small size, with a population of just almost 2.9 million, the country's devotion to basketball has made them a traditional force of the sport in Europe.
Arnoldas Kulboka is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Prometey of the Latvian–Estonian Basketball League. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 55th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. Standing at 2.06 m, he can play at both forward positions.
Martynas Echodas is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Rytas Vilnius of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL).
The 2018 A Lyga was the 29th season of the A Lyga, the top-tier association football league of Lithuania. The season began on 25 February 2018 and ended on 11 November 2018.
The 2019 A Lyga was the 30th season of the A Lyga, the top-tier association football league of Lithuania. The season began on 2 March 2019 and ended on 27 November 2019.
Jonathan Malangu Kuminga is a Congolese professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A consensus five-star recruit and the top small forward in the 2021 class, he chose to forgo his college eligibility and reclassify to the 2020 class to join the NBA G League Ignite. Kuminga finished his high school career at The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey.
Justė Veronika Jocytė is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Lyon ASVEL women's club of the Ligue Féminine de Basketball and its youth academy. She plays at the shooting guard and small forward positions.
Isaiah Todd is an American professional basketball player who last played for the NBA G League Ignite of the NBA G League. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best power forwards in the 2020 class. A former Michigan commit, Todd chose to forgo his college eligibility to become the first player in history to sign with NBA G League Ignite. He finished his high school career at the Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Ąžuolas Tubelis is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Neptūnas Klaipėda of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL), on loan from Rytas Vilnius. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats of the Pac-12 Conference. A power forward, he was named first-team All-Pac-12 twice with the Wildcats.
Būtų labai smagu žaisti Lietuvos rinktinėje. Aš noriu atstovauti šaliai, iš kurios kilę mano tėvai. Lietuva yra nuostabi. JAV rinktinė irgi gera, bet aš pasirinkau Lietuvą", – patikino Buzelis.