With the 11th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Matas Buzelis from NBA G League Unite team, on Wednesday, June26.
A product of Hinsdale, Illinois, Buzelis initially attended Hinsdale Central High School and played on their sophomore team as a freshman.
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, according to his bio.
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. He was also selected to play for Team World in the 2022 Nike Hoops Summit.
Buzelis transferred to Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas before the start of his senior year. 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.
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. In addition to his success as a local hero, Buzelis was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class, according to major recruiting services.
The 6’8” forward ultimately chose to play professionally for NBA G League Ignite. Buzelis had also considered playing college basketball for Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida State, and Wake Forest.
According to his bio, Buzelis parents played basketball professionally in Lithuania before immigrating to the United States and settling in the Chicago area.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
