By Kostas Psimoulis

 

The NIJT in Belgrade started on Friday morning and plenty of scouts, coaches and agents are here to evaluate talent. The event stands at a very good level talent-wise, with many well known prospects doing interesting stuff from a performance standpoint. The likes of Mazalin, Glisic and Stojanovic were expected to showcase their talents, that’s why on that piece we’ll try to take a first look at some guys who haven’t had the reputation of the ones mentioned above but performed very well on the court. 

Norbert Janicek - Canarias Basketball Academy - PF/C - 1996 

The forward /center from Slovakia was probably the one who stood out the best way during the first day of the event. Janicek possesses a nice touch around the rim being able to find angles to finish using the backboard. He can turn off of either shoulder while having the ability to shoot over the defense using both of his hands. Additionally, Janicek has a nice feel for the game, knowing how to pick his spots wisely without wasting moves or taking bad shots. Janicek runs the floor really hard and fights for position on the blocks, once he gets to a preferable spot he can finish shots with high percentages. The young big man of CBA has nice offensive tools, coordination and craftiness for a player his size. He’s clearly someone we should keep an eye on as the tournament progresses. Janicek shoots 75 % from the field (18 - 24). 

Nikola Pavlovic - Mega Vizura - SF/PF - 1996 

Pavlovic showed a variety of skills during the first day of the event. In the first game against Canarias Basketball Academy he dominated the boards showing good feeling for the ball and toughness. Later on the day, against Cedevita, Pavlovic showcased his abilities to run the floor after a defensive rebound (made a few coast to coast plays), finish around the rim and make passes to cutters or guys who are popping out . He also showed that he has range on his shot which extends to the three point line. Pavlovic brings energy while being vocal and intensive during the games. Pavlovic averages a double double after the first two sessions with 17.5 and 10. 

Jovan Starincevic - Zemun - PG - 1996 

The point guard of Zemun put up two impressive performances the first day of the NIJT in Belgrade. Starincevic is a steady guard who’s capable of getting into the paint and either finish or make the right play. He’s aggressive enough and has a nice feel for the game, while being more than solid in terms of passing and handling the ball. He performs as the leader of the team and tries to make his team better by trying to score or distribute the ball. He’s shooting form looks good and his pull up jumper very promising. Starincevic may end up being one of the best point guards of this year’s NIJT tournament in Belgrade. Starincevic is not the quickest point around, nor he has excellent size for the point guard position, nevertheless he looks like someone who knows how to play and lead a team. He averages 18.5 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds and has turned the ball over just three times over 70 minutes of action. 

Aleksandar Novosel - Buducnost Voli - PG - 1996 

Novosel is also one more interesting point guard who showed flashes of very good talent during the first day. He holds his head up in order to see movements, plays the PNR well and has a nice feel for the game. The young guard from Montenegro has seen plenty of minutes with youth and junior national team squads over the past years, and that has helped his ability to play the game at a level far beyond his age. However, Novosel tries to do too much for his team, and even though he averages 20 points per game , he’s coughed the ball up 13 over the first two games. 

 

Twitter of the author: @Gus_bball