Starting Five: Weatherspoon huge for Mississippi State

It was a big weekend for commitments, with the biggest being top-30 combo guard Nick Weatherspoon picking Mississippi State. National analyst Eric Bossi takes a look at Weatherspoon, other major weekend commitments and some list movement in the latest edition of the Starting Five.

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All along, Mississippi State was considered the prohibitive favorite for combo guard Nick Weatherspoon, the No. 28 player in the class of 2017.

A local prospect whose older brother, Quindarry Weatherspoon, already plays for Ben Howland, Weatherspoon insisted that he would take multiple visits. As it turns out, he did what most of the recruiting world expected and committed during his official visit on Sunday.

Just because it was expected doesn't take away from how significant of a win Weatherspoon is. Capable of playing point or shooting guard, he's a potential McDonald's All-American and projects as an instant impact player in Starkville.

Weatherspoon is also another indication of the recruiting power by Howland and his staff. Since taking over the job in the spring of 2015 they have landed eight four-stars and one five-star.

Minnesota and VCU each landed the top target on their boards over the weekend by adding four-star point guards Isaiah Washington and Lavar Batts.

We'll start with Washington, a 6-foot New Yorker who is headed to Minnesota. He's a hard-charger who gets into the lane at will and shows little fear on the floor regardless of who he is facing.

Equally dangerous as a scorer and facilitator, Washington is a guy that Richard Pitino and the Gophers have prioritized for the better part of the last two years. He will need to get a bit stronger and continue to get more consistent with his jump shot, but Washington has the ability to step in and play major minutes, if not start, from the moment he arrives on campus.

A big-time athlete who is at his best in the open floor and attacking the rim in transition or halfcourt sets, Batts would appear to be an ideal fit for Will Wade and the Rams at VCU.

Batts is not yet a major threat with the jump shot, but he makes up for that with his ability to put pressure on opponents with his driving ability. A huge bonus is that Batts has just as much potential as a defensive player. He has long arms, exceptional quickness and is an anticipatory (rather than a reactive) player whose instincts usually serve him well.

Needing to load up on big men in the class of 2017, Providence and Iowa both took care of business over the weekend.

In a bit of a surprise, four-star Nate Watson picked Ed Cooley and the Friars during an official visit. Figured to be a lean to either Maryland or N.C. State, the 6-foot-8 forward from Virginia saw the opportunity to make an instant impact and jumped on it. Watson won't overwhelm anybody with his athleticism, but he will impress with his skill level. He's an old school low post who uses fakes, jump hooks, finishes with either hand and hits jumpers out to mid-range. Watson is Providence's second four-star big man from the class of 2017. He'll join long and athletic center Dajour Dickens, who committed during the spring.

Meanwhile, in Iowa City, Fran McCaffery and his Iowa staff landed their top two remaining targets in Rivals150 center Luka Garza and power forward Jack Nunge. A big and strong post player, Garza is a scorer who can operate on either block and uses his angular shoulders to hold off defenders. He can also space the floor with legitimate three-point shooting range. Nunge needs to add a pretty significant amount of strength, but once he does the three-star forward has huge upside. He runs the floor very well, he shoots with easy range to the three-point stripe and he is a good shot blocker. He's a potential matchup problem down the road and somebody that we'll be watching very closely throughout his senior season.

Five-star small forward Kevin Knox and four-star point guard Matt Coleman have each cut down their lists to five programs.

A 6-foot-8 small forward from Tampa (Fla.) who ranks No. 9 overall in 2017, Knox announced via his Twitter account that he's down to Duke, Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. Knox hasn't yet set his official visit dates and has said in the past that he will wait until the spring to sign, but so far signs point to Duke and Florida State ultimately battling things out.

Duke is also looking to make a big move with Coleman. The 6-foot-2 floor general at Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill, who ranks No. 32 in 2017, included the Blue Devils in a final group that also includes Kansas, Stanford, Syracuse and Texas. For much of his recruitment the Longhorns have been considered the team to beat, and they are slated to get a visit in late October. However, since an offer a little over a week ago the Blue Devils have emerged as a major player. They and the Longhorns appear to be ahead of the other three programs. Coleman has plans to visit all five schools during September and October.

Three-star combo guard Elijah Joiner from Chicago (Ill.) Curie is taking major steps in his recruitment.

A tough off-the-dribble scorer who can get hot from three-point land, Joiner is a physical performer with versatility. He visited Illinois State officially and is looking to take some more trips.

Missouri is the most recent to offer and he'll trip to Columbia on the weekend of Sept. 23. The next weekend he is expected in Ames to visit Iowa State. Joiner is also tentatively set to visit UAB on the weekend of Oct. 13 and is hoping to have his decision in time for the early signing period.