Matas Arvidas Buzelis, a Lithuanian-American professional basketball player, is known for his impressive skills on the court. Drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2024 NBA Draft, he quickly made a name for himself in the NBA.
Beyond his basketball career, there’s interest in his family, particularly his sister. While Matas shines in the NBA, his sister’s life and pursuits remain a point of curiosity for many fans. The Buzelis family, with their Lithuanian-American roots, has always been close-knit, supporting each other’s endeavors and maintaining a strong bond amidst their individual successes.
Who is Matas Buzelis’ Sister?
Matas Buzelis’ sister, Sophia Buzelis, is making her mark in the world of sports, but in a different field than her brother. While Matas thrives in basketball, drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2024, Sophia excels in lacrosse.
A star player at Furman University, Sophia was a standout midfielder in high school, earning three-time All-American honors. At Furman, she has continued to shine, contributing significantly to her team with impressive stats, including 23 goals and eight assists in the 2023 season.
Majoring in communication studies, Sophia is also gaining experience through an internship with Game Seven Agency, highlighting her multifaceted talents. Sports run deep in the Buzelis family, with both Sophia and Matas’ parents having been professional basketball players in Lithuania before moving to the United States.
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Matas Buzelis Demanded a Spotlight in Basketball
Matas Buzelis demanded a spotlight in basketball, and he got it. The G-League Ignite star’s stock is on the rise ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. However, he is not the only talented athlete in his family. Besides him, his sister Sophia Buzelis also shares Lithuanian ancestry and competitive genes. Let us dive deep into how the lacrosse star is slowly but steadily making her name in the sporting world.
Sharing the birthplace with her brother, Sophia Buzelis is the older sister of Matas Buzelis. She was born on May 23, 2003, in Willowbrook, Chicago, Illinois, to Aidas Buzelis and Kristina Jankauskaite.
The couple also has another son named Vincas Juozas Buzelis, who is the youngest of the nest, born on April 3, 2007. The siblings have shared similar paths in their childhood. Just like Matas, Sophia was also a swimmer before anything else. In fact, in high school, she signed a letter of intent in swimming as well.
Her mother Kristina was a top prospect in basketball and played for Lithuanian youth basketball national teams. Sophia’s father, Aidas, also played basketball in various clubs of the Lithuanian Basketball League. In fact, her grandparents were former basketball players and coaches.
This is how Matas Buzelis gained his innate basketball skills and chose to play for Lithuania’s national team over America’s, where the family has reigned from.
Currently, the 6-foot athlete is majoring in Communication Studies at Furman University, South Carolina. Sidelining from her family linked to sports, especially basketball, Sophia took another route. She is an excellent lacrosse player and plays for the Paladins.
The 21-year-old went to Hinsdale Central High School, located on the outskirts of Chicago. The head coach Matt McNiff has made the place one of the lacrosse feeder programs in the Midwest as it stands atop the fourth rank in the region. The Paladins also rank top 50 in the entire United States of America.
Sophia Buzelis: A Lacrosse Star in the Making
In high school, Sophia Buzelis earned respect by sweeping the All-American honor thrice. She won 15 consecutive games and had a 38-9 record in two seasons. She went on to become a runner-up in the state championship in her final two seasons with the Red Devils.
As a senior, she became the captain of her team and won All-State and All-Conference awards. Sophia wrapped up her high school career with 48 ground balls, 27 goals, and caused 20 turnovers in her final year.
The midfielder chose to go to Furman to get a degree and begin her NCAA journey. She started all but one of the 16 games in her freshman season. Damaging the opponents heavily, she amassed 10 points, 4 assists, and 21 ground balls and draws. The 6-foot lacrosse player also caused 16 turnovers in the 2022 season.
Sophia continued to give great outputs in her sophomore year as well. However, she only started 6 of 18 games in the season. As of the 2023 season, she was sixth on the team leaders list. Matas Buzelis’ sister had 31 points, 23 goals, and 8 assists. Sophia also added 32 ground balls and 17 draws. The talented athlete also caused 8 turnovers in her second year with the Paladins. She logged multiple career and season-high stats.
This year as well, Sophia Buzelis is pushing her team with some great numbers. On the other hand, Matas Buzelis is locking down his name to finally shift into the NBA from the G-League.
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Where is Matas Buzelis Headed?
Many consider the 6-foot-10 hooper one of the top prospects for this year’s draft for a few reasons. First is his mental strength. Matas Buzelis skipped college and directly placed his feet in the G-League. While it is not the professional level, it is also not NCAA.
In fact, by moving directly to the Ignite of the NBA G-League, the 22-year-old hooper had to learn how to cope with the physicality of strong opponents. Hence, he already understands how to work around the physicality of NBA players and will possibly have a quicker transition than other draftees.
Another reason is that this year’s draft class is not as mind-blowing as the previous ones. Talking about previous draftees, Matas Buzelis actually ruined the 2023 first-overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s introduction into the league by winning over his G-League team.
While he may have learned some qualities of the professional world, he still needs to improve on some of his skills. Nevertheless, he averaged 18.8 points per game and 9 rebounds in March this year.
Hence, ESPN has placed him as the fifth overall pick in their mock draft. Accordingly, he is more likely to go to the Detroit Pistons. The match might come in place perfectly as he has good rim protection and perimeter shooting abilities. However, the team is struggling with some front-office drama and has not found a replacement to fill the shoes of the president of basketball operations yet.
