Garden State Outlook with Zion Cruz’s Apparent Transfer

<p>New Jersey basketball received huge news last night as <strong>Zion Cruz</strong> appears to be headed to Kanye West backed Donda Academy. While it’s not shocking for high-major players to transfer schools, he was just playing for the Patrick School in the Front Office Invitational that weekend. The Celtics will miss his contribution dearly as he ran the show for them on offense.</p> <p>Senior captain <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901943" first="Dionte" last="Johnson"] </strong>will be tasked with a larger role in the offense and is ready for it after his play this weekend. The 6’0 floor general plays with poise and is not rattled by on-ball pressure. Johnson knows how to get his teammates involved on the offensive end and makes few poor decisions with the ball in his hands.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850675" first="Isaiah" last="Griffin"]</strong> transferred in from St. Benedict’s and should provide the team with needed perimeter scoring. The 6’0 guard has a smooth release on his jumper and can knock down shots from distance with confidence. Griffin is a perfect compliment to Johnson in the backcourt, which should help the Celtics this season.</p> <p>Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1153967" first="James" last="Moore"]</strong> will be tasked with more responsibility and is ready to display his talent in a big way. The 6’9 forward is comfortable playing on the perimeter as he can put the ball on the floor and knock down jumpers from behind the arc. Moore is a strong rebounder and uses his athleticism to make a difference on the defensive end.</p> <p>Newcomers <strong>Korbyn Samuels </strong>and <strong>Chase Coleman</strong> will also be expected to provide the Patrick School with contributions from the backcourt. The former is an athletic wing who knows how to finish around the basket and will most likely be asked to play as the third guard in 3-guard sets. Coleman is a point guard prospect with a good handle and an ability to get into the lane to score.</p> <p>Bergen Catholic’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850662" first="Will" last="Richardson"]</strong> takes the top spot in the rankings with Villanova commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850664" first="Mark" last="Armstrong"] </strong>right on his tail. Both players had strong showings at the Front Office Fall Invitational and are looking to carry it over into the 2021-22 season. Richardson is now the top available prospect in the class and his recruitment will be one to watch over the next couple of months.</p> <p>Seton Hall commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="787644" first="Jaquan" last="Harris"]</strong> re-enters the top five after falling to six in the last update. The 6’4 guard has a good handle and uses his size to shoot over smaller defenders. Harris can finish around the rim in a variety of ways and is a play-maker on the defensive end.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1125586" first="Ziare" last="Wells"]</strong> is the top uncommitted shooting guard in the class and is ready for a big senior season. The 6’6 lefty wing is at his best attacking the basket and knows how to finish around the rim. Wells is a strong rebounder and has a nice handle.</p> <p>The 2021-22 season should be full of intrigue in the Garden State with Cruz moving out of state.</p>