Matas Buzelis played for the Bulls on Tuesday night. He threw down a sweet dunk and scored nine points in a win against the Wizards.
Forty-one miles west in Oswego at about the same time his brother Vincas was on the court for Hinsdale Central listening to a kid in the Oswego East student section yell “You will never be in the NBA.”
“There are a lot of ups and downs with having a famous brother,” Buzelis said. “People expect a lot from me. I use it as motivation. It’s funny.”
Buzelis wasn’t fazed. The South Dakota recruit scored 25 points to lead the No. 20 Red Devils to a 69-57 win against Oswego East.
The 6-4 senior is strong and athletic with a soft touch around the basket. Hinsdale Central (2-0) played smoothly and unselfish and overall looked like a well-oiled machine. That's uncommon for any team the first week of the season.
Buzelis says the goal for the season is to win the state title. That isn't as wild a claim as it may seem at first. Class 4A is wide open and Buzelis is one of the few Division I-bound seniors. Also, Hinsdale Central coach Nick Latorre, a 15-year veteran, knows how to bring a team together over the course of a season.
“Things have been flowing well since the beginning of practice and even in the open gyms before that,” Buzelis said. “We don’t care who scores, we just play as a team. The points aren’t important, the win is.”
Hinsdale Central had 13 turnovers but played notably faster than some recent Red Devils’ teams. Senior guard Dillon Dell scored nine points and Dillon Orozco added 13.
“Our game plan was just to be solid on defense,” Orozco said. “We started off slow the first game yesterday but things picked up today and we came out with a lot of energy. We’re experienced and a fast team.”
The Wolves played without star junior Mason Lockett, who may miss the first week of the season due to a minor injury. They shot 9 of 19 from three-point range and stayed within striking distance of Hinsdale Central until the fourth quarter.
“I loved that we were competing,” Oswego East coach Ryan Velasquez said. “We never gave up. We’re learning what other guys can do without [Lockett] out there. He brings a whole different element. His length, rebounding and shooting. He’s a very special player.”
Senior Torrin Ross led the Wolves (1-1) with 14 points and Lukas Adolfs added 12 points.
Hinsdale Central leads Oswego East 32-28 at halftime.
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelsobrien) November 27, 2024
Vince Buzelis scored 12, including this driving bucket late in the 2Q.
…score is actually 32-30, may be corrected at the start of the 3Q. pic.twitter.com/3hg66r4CaU
