NJBCA Tip-Off Showcase More Standouts

Now a firmly entrenched premiere event on New Jersey's high school basketball calendar, the NJBCA Tip-Off Showcase made its annual return to Montgomery High School in Skillman, NJ, ushering in the opening weekend of action across the state. Saturday's slate of highly competitive matchups highlighted not only several of New Jersey's premier programs, but also an impressive group of prospects—ranging from established college-level talents to promising underclassmen with intriguing long-term upside. With that in mind, here's another look at some more standouts from last weekend's action.    An overall skilled forward with a versatile inside outside game, [player_tooltip player_id='2107943' first='JP' last='Skoric'] got going by putting pressure on the rim out of a number of Bosco's different actions— putting the ball on the floor attacking off the bounce out of his perimeter face up game. Skoric leveraged his size and length to finish with efficiency— showing good touch on a number of soft touch floaters and runners from different angles while also showcasing his ability to finish with strength through contact. Skoric also flashed his floor spacing ability, particularly off the catch as a spot up shooter.     A Swiss Army knife player who night in and night out stuffs the stat sheet and does it all for St. Peter's on both ends of the floor, [player_tooltip player_id='1595680' first='Mason' last='Santiago'] was much of himself Saturday afternoon— a fearless and versatile guard who made high impact, difference making plays all over the court. Santiago was highly effective initiating offense and creating scoring chances for his teammates, both in the half court and in the open floor. Santiago also provided steady scoring— strong downhill attacks off the bounce, leveraging his strong frame and physicality to finish through contact and with crafty touch in the paint all while also displaying his spot up shooting ability from three point range.     [player_tooltip player_id='2683649' first='Michael' last='Simborski'], a young and productive wing with notable and intriguing upside, showcased his ability to affect the game in multiple areas—most notably in the different ways he found to score the basketball for Montgomery Saturday afternoon. Simborski lived at the rim, attacking early and often as a downhill driver, showcasing strong speed off the bounce coupled with sharp footwork and decisive change of direction, and excellent touch around the rim from different angles in traffic. SImborski was also extremely active on the defensive end of the floor, playing the passing lanes with excellent anticipation and quick hands to turn defense into offense and finish at the rim on the other end.     A extremely skilled guard with a high level of confidence and aggressiveness on the floor, [player_tooltip player_id='2504780' first='Infinite' last='Sincere-AmenRa'] displayed his smooth and fluid shotmaking ability. A versatile shot maker with legitimate dynamic ability, Sincere-AmenRa thrived at knocking down outside shots from three point range— highlighting his spot up shooting ability along side his ability to shoot it off the dribble, getting to his spots out on the perimeter off the bounce and knocking down smooth pull ups, with range too. In the midst of consistently knocking down outside shots, Sincere-AmenRa exhibited a lot of intangibles that make shooters even more dangerous— consistently being shot ready, sprinting to the corners in transition, and relocating and moving well without the ball in half court sets.     A deadly three point shooter with a smooth and effortless release, [player_tooltip player_id='2305481' first='Jaylen' last='Lewis'] was much of himself throughout the course of Saturday's action— hunting his shot from the perimeter and knocking down open three point looks. The left handed sniper displayed the fluid and compact shooting mechanics that allow him to confidently impact the game from three point distance, with plus range too— ultimately demonstrating his ability to shoot it just as well on the move as he does as a spot up shooter.     A fundamentally sound basketball player with excellent body control and solid feel for the game, [player_tooltip player_id='2421360' first='Tom' last='Diomedi'] stood out with how well played within himself—efficiency in not only his movements but also from the field. Diomedi was effective scoring out of his perimeter face up game, attacking driving lanes to get in the paint and utilizing different footwork and converting on a number of two foot finishes. Just as effective off the ball, Diomedi also flashed his perimeter catch and shoot ability.     Already looking comfortable in a larger role and more than ready to be a dependable contributor, [player_tooltip player_id='2858267' first='Oscar' last='Martinez'] strung together some bright moments that suggested his ability to do so. A seamless fit offensively, Martinez possesses natural ability to score efficiently in the flow of St. Peter's offense as a strong finisher with nice touch around the basket and dependable shot making ability off the ball, while also exhibiting an ability to be a sound decision maker. Couple those skills on the offensive side of the ball with the physical tools and measurables that translate to being a versatile defender, and Martinez figures to continue being an impactful wing that can guard multiple positions.   After St. Peter's Prep's 62-35 victory over Colonia, Martinez received an offer from Wagner over the weekend.     Operating as Montgomery's lead guard and responsible for a lot of their offensive production both as a scorer and facilitator, [player_tooltip player_id='1790209' first='Ethan' last='Lin'] shined in the ways he found to be an overall playmaker. Highlighted by his ability to create off the bounce and initiate contact, Lin got to the free throw line routinely— where a large portion of his scoring came from. As dangerous a shotmaker as anybody in the entire state and capable of burying open looks at any given moment, Lin countered the rim pressure he generated by converting on a pair of open looks from three point range— exhibiting his ability to be a lethal spot up shooter off the ball and a dynamic shot maker off the bounce. Lin allowed the different defensive coverages he saw to alleviate some of that pressure off himself and create clean scoring chances for his teammates over the course of Saturday's action.

Now a firmly entrenched premiere event on New Jersey's high school basketball calendar, the NJBCA Tip-Off Showcase made its annual return to Montgomery High School in Skillman, NJ, ushering in the opening weekend of action across the state. Saturday's slate of highly competitive matchups highlighted not only several of New Jersey's premier programs, but also an impressive group of prospects—ranging from established college-level talents to promising underclassmen with intriguing long-term upside. With that in mind, here's another look at some more standouts from last weekend's action.