LEXINGTON, Ky. — Five-star basketball recruit Matas Buzelis committed to the G League on Friday, picking the NBA developmental path over the Kentucky Wildcats and three other finalists.
UK hosted Buzelis for an official visit in December and made his final list — along with Florida State, North Carolina and Wake Forest — but the G League emerged over the past few weeks as his most likely destination. The versatile, 6-foot-9 wing from Chicago is the No. 6 player in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Buzelis is the first five-star prospect in the 2023 class to pick the G League, which emerged two years ago as a more realistic option for top high school recruits. Over the past two NBA drafts, three players — Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Dyson Daniels — have been top-10 picks after going the G League route, with Scoot Henderson almost certain to join that group in 2023.
Others have had less success, however. The latest example was Jaden Hardy, who was long considered a top-five recruit in the 2021 class but went No. 37 overall in Thursday’s draft after picking the G League over Kentucky and other college suitors.
Another Kentucky target, Robert Dillingham, is expected to announce his college decision Friday night, and UK is viewed as the heavy favorite in that recruitment.
