Hearts 2 Hands Invitational: Top Performers

<p>The Hearts 2 Hands Invitational played their final set of games on Sunday at Johnson Regional High School. Some of the top teams and players from the state came out to play five exciting games for a great cause. Over the full slate, the fans in attendance saw some incredible individual performances. Here are the top performers from the final day of Hearts 2 Hands.</p> <p><strong>C.J. Wilcher (2020) | Roselle Catholic</strong></p> <p>Wilcher might be the most gifted scorer in New Jersey. His game looks effortless. The Xavier commit can score from anywhere on the floor and does not shy away from any shot. Wilcher finished with 29 points in Roselle Catholic’s win over Olympus Prep. He knocked down four three’s and showed off his sneaky athleticism with an alley-oop dunk. This team is loaded. The Lions are once again Tournament of Champions contenders, if not favorites. It all begins with Wilcher and his ability to put the ball in the basket.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cliff-omoruyi/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cliff-omoruyi/">Cliff Omoruyi</a></a> (2020) | Roselle Catholic</strong></p> <p>Omoruyi is the most dominant player in New Jersey and it may not be close. He is ranked in the top 50 of ESPN’s Top 100 recruits for the Class of 2020, and for good reason. Omoruyi finished with 21 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks against Olympus Prep. He had a countless amount of dunks of all varieties. Omoruyi is considering five schools for next season including in-state Rutgers. With the Scarlet Knights ranked for the first time since 1979, they would love to land a player like Omoruyi to keep them there.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/rayshawn-ford/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/rayshawn-ford/">Rayshawn Ford</a></a> (2021) | St. Peter’s Prep</strong></p> <p>St. Peter’s Prep needed someone to step up in the absence of their leading scorer <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/mark-armstrong/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/mark-armstrong/">Mark Armstrong</a></a>. That player was Ford. He finished with 26 points and eight rebounds in an impressive win over Union. Ford did most of his work in the second half when his team needed it the most. He knocked down eight free throws in the final 1:30 of the game to salt it away for St. Peter’s Prep.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/elijah-barlow/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/elijah-barlow/">Elijah Barlow</a></a> (2021) | Union Catholic</strong></p> <p>Union Catholic has been very up-and-down all season. Against St. Joe’s Metuchen, they were up. The Vikings were able to hold on for a 63-60 win. Barlow led the way with 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists. St. Joe’s tried to pressure Barlow full court with their best defender but he still found ways to get open and score. Barlow is lightning quick and seems to have the ball on a strong. He is a player that can carry a team.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/amir-williams/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/amir-williams/">Amir Williams</a></a> (2020) | Linden</strong></p> <p>Linden looked like they were down for the count in this game when they trailed by five very late in the fourth quarter. That is when Williams took over. He scored five of his 20 points in the final minute to steal a victory from Hightstown. Williams had the play of the game when he grabbed a rebound and went back up plus a foul to give Linden the lead with 35 seconds left. He finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, and five steals in the win.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jamir-watkins/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jamir-watkins/">Jamir Watkins</a></a> (2020) | Trenton Catholic</strong></p> <p>Watkins showed everyone in attendance why he will be attending VCU next season. The senior scored a game-high 30 points in the loss to St. Benedict’s. Watkins knocked down four three’s and six free throws in the game. He had nearly half of his team’s points in this game. The word to describe Watkins’ game best is smooth. He is rarely out of control and knows the right play to make at all times.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/zaba-bangala/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/zaba-bangala/">Zaba Bangala</a></a> (2021) | St. Benedict’s</strong></p> <p>St. Benedict’s is a program with a long and rich history of success. Bangala is trying to keep that narrative alive this season. St. Benedict’s defeated Trenton Catholic thanks to a 27-11 advantage in the fourth quarter. Bangala led the way in the fourth quarter and throughout the entire game. He scored a team-high 21 points to lead the way.</p>