How does the Class of 2022 change with Zion Cruz’s departure

<p>The 2022 class is filled with big time talent, but it suffered a huge blow over the weekend. Hudson Catholic’s star guard <strong>Zion Cruz </strong>is leaving New Jersey to play at basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. The top ranked prospect joins Syracuse commit <strong>Dior Johnson </strong>to give the Warriors the top backcourt in the 2022 class.</p> <p>His decision to leave makes Bergen Catholic’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850662" first="Will" last="Richardson"] </strong>the new top prospect for New Jersey in the 2022 class. The 6’1 guard was selected to Third Team All-State after helping the Crusaders win their second straight Non-Public A North title. St. Peter’s Prep guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850664" first="Mark" last="Armstrong"] </strong>was also named to Third Team All-State and is in contention for the top spot alongside Roselle Catholic’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="787669" first="Corey" last="Floyd Jr"].</strong></p> <p>St. Thomas Aquinas’ <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="787644" first="Jaquan" last="Harris"] </strong>joins the top five for the first time and is the highest ranked off-ball guard in the 2022 class. The 6’4 guard is capable of running the offense, which he might do with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850329" first="Quadry" last="Adams"]</strong> heading to Wake Forest. Harris is one of the best kept secrets in New Jersey and could be the prospect who benefits the most from Cruz’s transfer.</p> <p>His departure leaves the Hawks with a solid guard duo in junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850515" first="Justin" last="Glover"] </strong>and sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850675" first="Isaiah" last="Griffin"]</strong>, but they need a third guard in the backcourt to emerge to compete for the Hudson County Tournament title. Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="902741" first="Elijah" last="Gertrude"]</strong> had his moments for Hudson Catholic during his debut varsity season and looks like the top candidate to take the job. Hudson County power Marist will close its doors after the end of the academic season, which provides the Hawks with intriguing prospects in the backcourt.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900336" first="Mike" last="Jackson"] </strong>anchored the Marist attack as he was named co-player of the year in the HCIAL White Division with Snyder’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="896464" first="Corey" last="Manning-Floyd"]</strong>. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900293" first="Keith" last="Mency"] </strong>is a tough combo guard who brings it on both ends of the floor. <strong>Hassan Jackson </strong>is a Swiss-army knife who can play three different positions, while <strong>Adams Silas</strong> is a tough guard who can help a team contribute right away.</p> <p>Blair Academy’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850672" first="Kyle" last="Cuffee Jr."] </strong>is the top ranked combo guard in the 2022 class with Cruz’s departure and he is set to explode in 2020-21. He filled in admirably for Virginia commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="766053" first="Jabri" last="Abdur-Rahim"]</strong> when he went down with injury and was able to learn from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850502" first="Jaylen" last="Blakes"]</strong>. Cuffee Jr. has earned a pair of high major offers in the month of April and could easily enter the top five with a strong AAU season.</p> <p>Cruz’s move to Oak Hill Academy takes away a bit of the star power in New Jersey’s 2022 class, but it is still filled with good guards capable of playing Division I basketball. Hudson Catholic may take a bit of a step back in 2020-21, but the Hawks spent good portions of the season playing without him. The 2022 class should be fun to watch as the players battle it out to be named the top player in the Garden State.</p>