Hinsdale Central has recently been missing out on all types of games. Although fans are disappointed about being unable to go watch a game and show off school spirit, many of the players are equally, if not more, disappointed with the lack of fans at games. However, the lack of fans doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of scouts, especially not for sophomore Matas Buzelis. 

 Buzelis has already received offers from multiple schools, including University of Illinois, Wake Forest University, and Western Illinois University, to play basketball. This appears to only be the beginning of the many offers that are soon to come. Many believe his University of Illinois offer will kickstart his recruitment and allow other schools to begin keeping an eye out for his growth and success.

Buzelis has been highly recognized by the community, his coaches, as well as some other news sources including The Chicago Tribune. His varsity coach, business teacher Mr. Nick Latorre, has been supporting Buzelis and believes he will succeed in basketball. 

Buzelis began taking basketball seriously in eighth grade. He played both his years at Central, securing a spot on the sophomore team during his freshman year. This year he is starting on varsity. The pandemic has caused playing time at Central to be lowered significantly. 

“[The pandemic] has changed my schedule a ton because we do not have access to the gyms,” Buzelis said. 

Buzelis is a point guard and although he is relatively new to the game, he has skills that he is a natural born basketball player. Not only that, but his height has helped as well. Standing at a 6-foot 8-inches, he is not an easy player to guard and he constantly has a view of the court. This, as well as his dedication and passion for the game, has caused all the positive attention on Buzelis.

The pandemic has not slowed down the passion Buzelis has for basketball. He is hoping to continue receiving offers as time goes on. Some of his ideal schools he hopes to get offers from are Duke University or Memphis University. His goal is to go as far as possible in his basketball career hoping to become a professional overseas or joining the National Basketball Association (NBA). Many are confident in Buzelis’ skills and believe he will be an asset to any team he joins.