What Jonathan Kuminga’s Reclassification does to the 2021 Class

<p>The Patrick School’s <strong>Johnathan Kuminga </strong>was the top player in the 2021 class throughout the 2019-20 season. The 6’8 forward battled injury, but was still a Second Team All-State selection after leading the Celtics to the Union County Tournament Title. Kuminga reclassified into the 2020 class, making him one of the top available prospects.</p> <p>His move up makes Rutgers Prep’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850499" first="Trey" last="Patterson"]</strong> the top player in the 2021 class. The 6’7 small forward was already the top player in the class before Kuminga’s decision to transfer to the Patrick School. The Argonauts will play a national schedule in 2020-21, which should give Patterson a chance to rise up in the rankings.</p> <p>Patterson was not the only small forward affected by his decision as <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850506" first="Zach" last="Hicks"]</strong> moves into the top five. The Camden Catholic star has a smooth offensive game and can score from all three levels. Hicks poured in a little more than 20 points per game while leading the Irish to their third consecutive Non-Public A South title game appearance.</p> <p>St. Thomas Aquinas’ <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850510" first="Tristan" last="Jeffries"]</strong> was also impacted as he rounds out the top 10 for the 2021 class. The Gill St. Bernard’s transfer had to skip the first month of the season due to state transfer rules, but he was the perfect tertiary scorer for the Trojans. They will Third Team All-State selection <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850329" first="Quadry" last="Adams"]</strong>, but Jeffries and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="787644" first="Jaquan" last="Harris"]</strong> are ready to lead the charge as Roselle Catholic transfer <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850512" first="Josh" last="Rivera"] </strong>becomes eligible.</p> <p>The Patrick School was hit hard as the Celtics lost Kuminga and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850500" first="Adama" last="Sanogo"]</strong> to reclassification. The Celtics still have <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850516" first="Samson" last="Johnson"] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900303" first="Chris" last="Jiao"]</strong> in the frontcourt, but they need to replace four of their top players from last season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901943" first="Dionte" last="Johnson"]</strong> is primed to run the offense next season, but he will need someone to assist him in the backcourt.</p> <p>Kuminga’s departure from the 2021 class allows for some of the other top wing players in New Jersey to get more recognition. St. Benedict’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900302" first="Zaba" last="Bangala"]</strong> had a strong season for the Grey Bees and is in store for a monster 2020-21 campaign. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850508" first="Jerome" last="Brewer"] </strong>may not be the focal point of Camden’s offense, but the 6’6 small forward is capable of scoring the basketball and will be one of the leader’s for the Panthers in 2020-21.</p> <p>Union Catholic’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="900353" first="Isaiah" last="Hill"] </strong>will be a shooting guard at the next level, but he is one of the top wings in the 2021 class. The explosive 6’3 guard can finish above the rim, but is also capable of getting hot from behind the arc. Hill missed the majority of the 2019-20 season due to injury, which should make him hungry for a strong final varsity season.</p> <p>St. Augustine’s <strong>Matt Delaney</strong> is more of a stretch-4, but his ability to handle the ball on the perimeter gives him the ability to play on the wing. The 6’6 forward has a good low post game and works hard on the glass. Delaney helped lead the Hermits to the Non-Public A South title last season and wants to end his high school career with another state title. </p> <p>Kuminga’s reclassification hurts the overall star power of the 2021 class, but it is still filled with players who should make a big impact on the next level.</p>