Big East Early Signing Period: Villanova reigns again
With the early signing period coming to a close this week, most committed prospects have put pen to paper and made things official. It’s also a perfect time to evaluate the week that was with a conference-by-conference look at the work being done on the trail. Below, Rivals.com discusses some of the more notable developments in the Big East.
*****
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD REVIEW: Big Ten | ACC | SEC | Pac-12
MORE EARLY SIGNING PERIOD: Early period winners | Which unsigned prospect is the toughest to predict? | Three programs that could finish strong | Early Signing Period blog | How things stand with final eight 2021 five-star players | Which class outside the top 15 could surprise? | Florida Man blog
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
*****
BEST CLASS - Villanova
Villanova landed both the No. 39 and 40 players in the 2021 class in forward Trey Patterson and guard Jordan Longino respectively. The duo provides the bedrock for an impressive haul that stands to become even more lethal should the school manage to beat out Duke for five-star Trevor Keels.
Even as the class stands now, however, it tops the conference. Patterson provides a legitimate inside-and-out threat to go along with Longino’s long-term upside, spot shooting and ability to create off the dribble. The Wildcats’ class is rounded out by four-star center Nnanna Njoku and three-star guard Angelo Brizzi.
SECOND BEST CLASS - UConn
Connecticut’s three-member class is led by No. 51 overall prospect, Rahsool Diggins, who does a little bit of everything. A hard-nosed guard, the four-star prospect doesn’t mind going to the rack and scores through contact relatively well for a player of his limited stature. He’s joined in the class by fellow guard Jordan Hawkins, from powerhouse DeMatha High School, whose strength is his shooting. Head coach Dan Hurley also signed 6-foot-9 center Samson Johnson, the No. 100 player in the class.
TOP-RANKED SIGNEE - Trey Patterson
The Big East’s top-ranked signee, Patterson shoots the ball well from the perimeter as well as from mid-range and is effective in the post despite not having a massive build. He handles the ball relatively well for a prospect of his length. His versatility is his strength, and there’s a reason the Wildcats had to beat out Indiana, UConn, Florida and Tennessee for the four-star combo forward.
SLEEPER CLASS - Creighton
Beating out Illinois for Ty Ty Washington during the early period gave the Bluejays class a nice boost, as Washington has been one of the offseason’s major revelations. The well-rounded guard has proven he can score in bunches to go along with his court vision and joins fellow top-100 guard Ryan Nembhard, whom the program landed over Florid and a handful of other major programs. The Jays also hold a letter of intent from sharp-shooting three-star John Christofilis.