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Projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft Matas Buzelis signs with G League Ignite – Basketball Insiders

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4 months ago

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Born in 2004, young Matas Buzelis jumped from being a five-star high school prospect, to participating in the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game in March, to just recently signing for the NBA G League Ignite, as it has been announced by the team’s General Manager Anthony McClish this Wednesday. 

“It’s a dream come true to join Ignite,” Buzelis said with excitement. “I have the opportunity to develop in a professional system as I continue to strive toward my goal of playing in the NBA. I look forward to joining the team in Henderson and getting to work.

“I want to thank my coaches, trainers and teammates for preparing me for this opportunity. I also want to thank my family for their endless love and support throughout my journey.”

Check out some of the 18-year-old’s highlights in his path to the G League:

The Chicago native, who’s parents both played professional basketball in Lithuania, is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft as he was selected to be a part of the World Team for the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit and awarded the Most Valuable Player of the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp this past February.

Back when he was in high school, he played his senior year at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, and was crowned the Player of the Year after averaging 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 43.1% from the deep, and 53.7% from field goal shots.

The rising star guided his squad to the Final Four of GEICO Nationals with a 22-8 record.

Buzelis will be a part of a Ignite’s roster that is star-packed for the 2023/24 campaign, joining prospects like Dink Page, London Johnson, Babacar Sane and Thierry Darlan. The G League team has been a platform that has exported great players into the NBA, like Jalen Green to the Houston Rockets (No. 2 pick in 2021) and Jonathan Kuminga to the Golden State Warriors. (No. 7 pick also in 2021).

The Ignite has been one of the most succesful programs of recent times, as they’ve had a total of six NBA Draft picks in the last couple of years.

Top prospect Ron Holland also announced he will be a part of the G League Ignite next season

The No. 2-ranked senior in the class of 2023 for high school basketball has also shared the news recently that he’s joining the G League Ignite this summer. Ron Holland told the press that it has been quite the journey.

“This process was not easy,” the young talent told ESPN. “At times it was scary because at times I had no idea where I would be.”

However, Holland is now certain he has made the right decision, as the Ignite has proved to be the best trampoline towards professional basketball.

“The G League will help me reach my potential as a basketball player and prepare me for the NBA,” he said. “To have a long career, I need to prepare my body and improve my skills as I continue to try to win games. They have a program to help develop my body and my game.

“I know I have to work on being a more consistent shooter, along with my footwork and ball handling, so I can score in space on the perimeter against a set defender.”



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Cooper Flagg to See Huskies vs. Duke Football at UConn Visit

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6 hours ago

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September 23, 2023

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5-star basketball recruit Cooper Flagg has began his official college visits. There is a buzz around the number one player in the class of 2024 as prestigious programs, including Duke, UConn, and Kansas, vie for his commitment. His first visit this weekend to UConn comes with a twist as he will watch UConn vs. the No. 18 ranked Duke Blue Devils on the gridiron.

Flagg Heading to UConn to Take in Dinner and Football (vs. Duke!)

This weekend, Flagg is visiting UConn, the defending college basketball National Champion. UConn’s program, rich with five national championships since 1999, is stepping up its game, pulling out all stops to woo Flagg.

The young star will experience the Huskies’ culture, attend a football game, and dine with head coach Dan Hurley. Interestingly, Flagg’s visit to a UConn football game features an intriguing twist as the Huskies are pitted against Duke, creating a unique dynamic.

This match-up has caused a ripple of excitement amongst Duke fans, who hope that witnessing Duke’s football program will sway Flagg’s preference.

Flagg’s admiration for Duke is well-known, with the youngster openly referring to the Blue Devils as his “dream school.” Duke is currently leading the race, and fans are optimistic about reinforcing Duke’s allure during his UConn visit.

Kansas and Duke Visits on the Horizon

Post-UConn, Flagg will grace Kansas with his presence on October 6 before heading to Duke on October 20. His final visit to Duke aligns with the program’s Countdown to Craziness, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the life of a Blue Devil.

These visits will play a crucial role in shaping Flagg’s decision, anticipated to unfold in November or December.

Pivotal Moment in Recruitment Journey

The battle for Flagg’s commitment is reaching its climax as he embarks on these official visits. UConn hopes to leverage its proximity to Flagg’s home in Maine and its recent National Champion title to make a compelling case. The visits present a golden opportunity for each university to showcase how seamlessly Flagg could integrate into their respective programs.

Meanwhile, Duke fans are hoping their football team can lend a helping hand to their basketball program by thumping UConn and showing Flagg he could be at a school with multiple top-level sports programs.

The race for Flagg is heating up, and we are close to seeing who emerges as victor.

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5-Star Joson Sanon’s 3 New Offers

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11 hours ago

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September 22, 2023

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For the latest college basketball recruiting news, No. 12 overall prospect and five-star recruit Joson Sanon of the Class of 2025 picked up three other scholarship offers from Creighton, Miami (FL), and Oklahoma State.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound small forward holds other offers from Alabama, Boston College, Bryant, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Marquette, Massachusetts, Nebraska, and Providence. His current status is undeclared.

Sanon averaged 12.6 points during his freshman season at Fall River (MA) Durfee High School. Following a breakout summer with the BABC program on Nike’s EYBL 15u Circuit, the Massachusetts native transferred to Rockingham (VT) Vermont Academy.

Entering his junior year, Vermont Academy ranks as the No. 26 program in the state.

“I’m patient in my game; it’s a lot of midrange and seeing the rim,” Sanon told On3 in an interview last November. “I’ve grown a lot with my perimeter defense, and I’ve learned my spots and how to get to them. I watch a lot of Brad Beal, how he takes his time and gets to his spots.”

College Basketball Recruiting: Five-star recruit Joson Sanon of the Class of 2025 has received three more scholarship offers from Creighton, Miami (FL), and Oklahoma State

In a more recent interview, the young standout spoke with On3’s Jamie Shaw on the importance of committing to an elite program. “Loyalty will be big for me,” Sanon said.

“I also want to go to a good program, one that wins. I’d like to play in a system that has a lot of space on the floor. Maybe one big in the paint, like four around one. Two bigs are ok too, but I just want to play with a lot of spacing.”

More importantly, his age is unknown. College scouts are curious. Much is unclear about the five-star recruit’s biography.

“Joson Sanon is currently entering his junior season at Vermont Academy, but this is I believe his fourth year of high school,” 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein said.

“So, he’s in a position where he could graduate at the end of the year and move straight to the college ranks. He too has a late December birthday.”

Sanon ranks as the No. 1 small forward in the 2025 class. The Vermont Academy star will be eligible for the NBA draft in 2029, per RealGM.

Therefore, he could commit to a school soon and play in the NCAA as early as 2024. Based on ESPN’s “College Basketball Recruiting” rankings for the 2025 class, Sanon ranks No. 9 overall and No. 1 at the small forward position.

The NBA’s minimum age requirement is 19, according to the latest CBA. However, the league office is considering lowering the age limit back down to 18.

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WATCH Stephen Curry Hit Consecutive 3-Pointers For 5+ Minutes

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1 day ago

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September 22, 2023

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Watch Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry knock down 3-pointers for over five straight minutes without missing. Our team here at Basketball Insiders counted 102 consecutive 3s. For those wondering, the video is not edited or being played on a loop. This is real.

However, how come Curry can drain at least 100 3-pointers without missing while shooting only 42.7% from beyond the arc in the 2022-23 season? Well, there are no defenders, the pressure is nonexistent, and he’s not playing through any injuries here. Watch the video below.

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Golden State Warriors hold seventh-shortest odds to win next season’s championship in 2024. Check out which sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Stephen Curry, 35, makes this look so easy. The nine-time All-Star made 56 starts in the 2022-23 season, averaging 29.4 points, a career-high 6.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. The Davidson College product also shot 49.3% from the floor and 42.7% outside the arc.

On Nov. 16, in the Warriors’ 130-119 loss to Phoenix, the 14-year veteran recorded a season-high 50 points in 37 minutes of action. Plus, he shot 17-of-28 (60.7%) from the field and knocked down seven 3-pointers. Curry tied Michael Jordan for the second-most 50-point games after turning 30 years old, with six.

Watch Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry swish consecutive 3-pointers for over five minutes without missing

In Golden State’s 106-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 11, Curry extended his NBA record to 200 consecutive regular-season games with at least one made 3-pointer. His 3-point streak dates back to Dec. 1, 2018, against the Detroit Pistons.

Furthermore, Curry became the oldest NBA player (34 years, 322 days old) to record back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist games in league history last season. The two-time MVP broke Wilt Chamberlain’s franchise record for career field goals made (7,216) with 7,222.

Curry is already Golden State’s franchise leader in points (21,712), assists (5,740), steals (1,419), field goal attempts (15,222), games played (882), 3-pointers made (3,390), 3-point attempts (7,929), turnovers (2,777), and free throw percentage (90.9%).

While the guard finished just third in 3-pointers (273) last season, he also suffered a left shoulder subluxation a couple of months into the season. The injury caused him to miss 11 games from mid-December through early January.

Stephen Curry went on to miss another 11 games in February and March because of partial tears to his left superior tibiofibular ligaments and interosseous membrane, as well as a contusion.

In addition to the eight-time All-NBA member winning two 3-point shooting contests in 2015 and 2021, Curry has led the NBA in 3-pointers seven times throughout his career: 2012-13 (272), 2013-14 (261), 2014-15 (286), 2015-16 (402), 2016-17 (324), 2020-21 (337), and 2021-22 (285).

To watch other NBA-related miscellaneous videos, go to the main page.

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