FSU basketball: Noles make top five for 5-star Matas Buzelis (2023)

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 13: Head coach Leonard Hamilton of the Florida State Seminoles speaks with his team under a timeout during the first half of the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament championship game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Greensboro Coliseum on March 13, 2021 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 13: Head coach Leonard Hamilton of the Florida State Seminoles speaks with his team under a timeout during the first half of the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament championship game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Greensboro Coliseum on March 13, 2021 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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FSU basketball recruiting doesn’t have any commits for the 2023 recruiting cycle. FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton looks to rebound after the worst season since the 2014-15 year.

Hamilton went into the 2021-22 season with a young team, losing multiple starters from the 2020-21 team that made the Sweet 16 the previous year.

Hamilton has offered 16 players in the 2023 recruiting cycle, one of them is five-star small forward Matas Buzelis.

Buzelis visited FSU basketball last September and said the visit was good. He’s not a guy of many words and chooses to keep his recruitment close to the vest.

However, Buzelis announced his final top five list Thursday afternoon:

Buzelis lists 6’10” but moves like a much smaller player. He attends Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and ranks as the No. 7 player nationally.

It’s an interesting top five, with North Carolina being the only college he has yet to visit from his list. I’m not sure how much of a shot the Noles have here, as I’d have to say Kentucky, North Carolina, or the G-League would likely have the edge at this point.

However, if Leonard Hamilton landed the five-star, he’d be an immediate contributor and a sign the Noles still carry weight on the recruiting trail after a disappointing season. The Noles signed two top 100 players in 2022, but Buzelis would be the highest-rated recruit signed since Scottie Barnes (No. 7 overall) in the 2020 recruiting class.

Obviously, Barnes had a great single year at FSU basketball, winning ACC Sixth Man of the Year before becoming a lottery pick and winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

It doesn’t sound like Buzelis is in a big hurry to announce a commitment, but stay tuned to Chopchat for all the latest surrounding FSU basketball.

Next. 12 Blue-Chip Players That Could Commit To FSU (2023). dark