Duke basketball recruiting target cuts Blue Devils from contention

Matas Buzelis is no longer considering Duke.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer (Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports)

Brewster Academy (N.H.) small forward Matas Buzelis, a smooth five-star recruit who ranks No. 7 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite, announced his five finalists on Thursday. And the list does not include his Duke basketball suitors.

However, the list does include the Blue Devils' chief rival: UNC. The other four destinations still in play for Buzelis' services are Florida State, Kentucky, Wake Forest, and the G League Ignite team.

Seeing that three of those finalists are ACC schools, there's a decent chance that Duke will have to face the 6-foot-10 versatile playmaker one or more times the season after next.

The 247Sports Crystal Ball for Buzelis, who has not set a timeline for his decision, does not yet contain any predictions.

A stacked Duke basketball recruiting class nonetheless

Although the Duke recruiters entered the fray with an offer to Matas Buzelis back in October, they have since reeled in a pair of 2023 five-stars at his position in Sean Stewart and Mackenzie Mgbako. They rank No. 11 and No. 3 overall in the class, respectively.

With that in mind, it makes sense that Buzelis would no longer be interested in playing for Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer.

Following the announced reclassification of NBA Global Academy (Australia) five-star point guard Tyrese Proctor to Duke's 2022 class on Thursday night, the 2023 collection is down to four prizes.

But with Stewart and Mgbako in tow, in addition to five-star shooting guard Jared McCain and five-star point guard Caleb Foster, the class remains No. 1 in the country — for now, anyway.

At this point, Scheyer and his crew seem to be pursuing only one uncommitted 2023 prospect: five-star center Xavier Booker. He received a Blue Devil offer last week.

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