Matas Buzelis, VJ Edgecombe dominate the storylines from the NIBC
Greenville, South Carolina – The Pete Hollis Invitational featured eight teams from the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference, known as the NIBC for short, playing on the campus of Bob Jones University.
The teams came to the upstate of South Carolina from all over the country, many playing for a coveted spot in the Geico Nationals. Every game was competitive, which was good to see. And the courts featured numerous players among the various On3 150 rankings.
READ Saturday’s takeaways from the NIBC
On3s Jamie Shaw was courtside for the weekend, and here are some of the takeaways.
Some real hype starting to surround VJ Edgecombe
VJ Edgecombe has built a lot of hype for himself this season. The Long Island (NY) Lutheran shooting guard has displayed a highlight reel of exciting plays throughout the season. Putting eyes on the 6-foot-4 junior, you see the appeal.
Seeing Edgecombe live, you notice the patience he plays with. On highlights, you see the aggressive straight-line drives to the rim, but his game is played with pace. He has a natural scoring feel, especially when it comes to shot selection.
The 6-foot-4 junior finished 10-of-20 from the field and 3-of-6 from three on the weekend. He will need to continue to work on his footwork and keep getting comfortable with his spots on the floor and getting there. The natural makings and natural ability are there.
Matas Buzelis continues upward trajectory
At the end of the day, 6-foot-10 players do not move as Matas Buzelis does. He has a fluidity to his gait that enables him to slip through narrow areas and maneuver around defenders on the break. The most notable development for Buzelis, in my eyes, is his aggressiveness in looking for his shot.
The No. 3 player in the 2023 On3 150 has an array of counters on the offensive end, both off the bounce and with the shot. While it can still be upright, his handle is tight, and he has learned how to attack space off the bounce. His footwork in the mid-post, both off drives and on posts, is crafty with a lot of feel.
Matas Buzelis finished Saturday’s game with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He was 8-of-16 from the field.
There is no denying that Buzelis will need to continue adding weight, and the hope is that will add to his explosiveness, but it appears the senior has started to turn the corner. He has committed to signing with the G-League Ignite program after high school.
Has Micah Robinson taken the next step?
Micah Robinson made his way into the 2024 On3 150 with his abilities as a connective piece. The native of Texas has always been a tough-nosed wing who can handle, pass, and defend. A guy who may not carry a team, but one who will help a team win a lot of games.
While Robinson still carries those traits, his confidence on the offensive end has expanded. He was forced into a role with this Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy tea to be a go-to scorer. The 6-foot-6 Robinson has responded in kind.
In his final two games this weekend, Robinson led the way with 25 points and 17 points, respectively. He went 11-of-11 from the free throw line and 14-of-29 from the field. Robinson continued to guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player, and he also padded the secondary stats, averaging 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists
This was a good weekend for Robinson. It will be interesting to see how he carries this momentum into his summer play with the Southern Assault program on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit.