Day 1 Storylines from the Bob Kirk Invitational
Cumberland, Maryland – The Bob Kirk Invitational is off and running. With numerous top 100 players in the field and a handful of NIBC teams, On3s Jamie Shaw was courtside, and here are the storylines you need to know.
Liam McNeeley is finding himself
Liam McNeeley has consistently been a top 25 player in the 2024 class; right now, he is No. 20 in the 2024 On3 150. The 6-foot-7 wing led the Nike EYBL 16u Circuit in scoring through April before being called up to the Drive Nation 17u team in May.
McNeeley transferred to play his junior season at Montverde (FL) Academy. The junior has been a starter for the top five ranked Montverde team, shooting over 50 percent from three on the season. The four-star finished with a Day 1 high of 21 points in the win. He was 7-of-11 from the field and 5-of-9 from three. The wing also added seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in the NIBC win.
McNeeley’s mom played D-I basketball, and so did both of his uncles and his grandfather. His jump shot is pure, the release is consistent, and he shoots it with the utmost confidence. But McNeeley knows how to play the game, he is more than just a floor-spacing shooter. There is also the factor that he will be a multiple-year starter at Montverde, an honor reserved for the likes of RJ Barrett, Ben Simmons, and Cade Cunningham. He’s playing confidently.
I like aggressive Matas Buzelis
The fourth quarter, crunch time, is when the real players step up. The third quarter ended 55-52, with Greenville (SC) Legacy Early College storming back after making a barrage of third-quarter threes. However, calm and collected, five-star Matas Buzelis simply started attacking the basket.
At 6-foot-10, the 2023 On3 150 No. 4 player has ball skills and fluid athleticism. However, many times in the past, we have seen Buzelis settle for the jump shot or simply pass the ball off. Not in this game. Bel Aire (KS) Sunrise Christian needed a boost, and it was Buzelis who quickly attacked the front of the rim and finished the game off for a much-needed win for Sunrise.
Buzelis, who has committed to playing with the G-League Ignite program after graduation, finished with a game-high 18 points; he was 8-of-10 from the free-throw line, most of which came down the stretch. For so long, Buzelis has been tantalizing with what he could be. In this game, he started turning that potential into real, winning production.
Who is Daniel Jacobsen?
At about the three-minute mark in the first quarter, Greenville (SC) Legacy Early College subbed in a tall but skinny kid who was looking eye-to-eye with four-star John Bol. Bol is listed at 7-foot-2 on the Bel Aire (KS) Sunrise Christian roster. The new player was named Daniel Jacobsen, and with his size, automatically, there was intrigue.
Jacobsen is quite thin, there is no getting around that, but in talking with him after the game, you find out he has an April 2006 birthday. The junior is the same age as many sophomores and some high school freshmen. Watching this game, Jacobsen finished 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from three. The threes were smooth. Two were straight on, one from the wing, and then one off movement, in the corner.
Night one of the Bob Kirk Invitational was my first time putting eyes on Jacobsen. I had heard of him previously, and the Legacy staff is very high on him. However, I am not sure he could have given a more impressive, more intriguing first viewing.
Cleaning out the notebook
-Five-star PF Asa Newell continues to come into his own as a player. The 6-foot-9 class of 2024 forward finished with 9 points and 3 blocks. He moves very fluidly and plays with a lot of burst. A huge ceiling here.
-Four-star SF Coen Carr (Michigan State) continues to be one of the most productive players on the NIBC Circuit. The explosive wing had 16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and the night’s most impressive blocked shot. The 6-foot-7 wing also finished night one of the Bob Kirk Invitational an efficient 4-of-6 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.