Providence at top of strong Big East

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No team in the Big East created more of a recruiting stir than Providence. First year head coach Ed Cooley hit the ground running landing top 10 prospects Ricardo Ledo and Kris Dunn, who will likely man the backcourt from Day 1. Joining these two elite guards is sharpshooter Joshua Fortune, giving Providence the top recruiting class in the Big East and the No.6-ranked class in the nation.

Pittsburgh is the other national top 10 class in the Big East. The Panthers went across the globe to land elite big man Steven Adams out of New Zealand. Steady four-star point guard James Robinson will also bring his winning ways to Pittsburgh.

Syracuse, Villanova and Notre Dame are stacked up in the national recruiting rankings at No. 15, 16 and 17 respectively. All three schools have a couple four-star prospects in their recruiting classes.

The final team in the national rankings is Georgetown, which boasts the fourth five-star prospect coming to the Big East D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera.

Best recruiting battle

Many prognosticators had Kris Dunn pegged for Connecticut with Louisville as a top contender as well.

Dunn, who is out of New London (Conn.) High School, shunned his in-state school and instead opted for the fledgling Providence program headed by its new coach Ed Cooley.

Perimeter scorers

There is no lack of players who can fill it up from the outside who are headed to the Big East. Three of the four five-star prospects coming into the conference - Ledo, Dunn, and Smith-Rivera - are lethal perimeter scorers.

Top 30 prospect Cameron Biedscheid, who is headed to Notre Dame, can put up points in bunches as can Connecticut-bound four-star prospect Omar Calhoun.

Robinson and Villanova-bound Ryan Arcidiacono are both poised point guards who can score when called on.

Also, St. John's wing scorer Darrick Wood and Jodan Price are known for their feathery touch from the outside.

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