Top Class?
Picking the top overall class in the Big Ten was a close call.
But a decision has to be made, so we’ll go with the group Bruce Weber has headed to Champaign, slightly over Ohio State’s class.
Weber and his staff bought into recruiting the talent in the state of Illinois and they reeled in four guys within the states borders.
Mike Shaw, who committed two weeks ago, is Illinois highest rated recruit at No. 66. A strong rebounder, Shaw is a versatile four-man that has good mobility and athleticism. Nnanna Egwu, a top 100 guy, will bring a post presence and help Shaw on the interior.
The first to commit to Illinois was Tracy Abrams. A tough, hardnosed lead guard, Abrams should get the opportunity to handle the point guard duties early in his career. While Mychael Henry will provide scoring, athleticism and rebounding from the wing spot.
Other Winners
OSU’s class consists of a pair of lengthy wings – LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson – as well as true lead guard Shannon Scott and 6-foot-8 Trey McDonald.
Ross, who was once thought of as a top 10 prospect, is a hybrid forward with an impressive overall skill set. Throw in Thompson, an exceptional leaper that can play a handful of positions, and Ohio State will have some talent on the wings.
OSU’s point guard signee – Scott – is the son of former North Carolina Charlie Scott. A skilled guard, Scott has terrific leadership qualities and knows how to run a team.
“We are going to do whatever we can to get to the top," Scott told Scout.com when asked about OSU’s 2011 class. "I think if we all keep working on our game we should be in the top ten."
McDonald, a big man out of Michigan, had a strong summer and will help provide depth on the interior.
Michigan State and Wisconsin also built strong classes.
Tom Izzo’s biggest coup was top 25 standout Brandon Dawson. Known as the best rebounder in the nation, Dawson is a tough wing prospect that will provide instant impact in East Lansing (Mich.). Joining Dawson is three-star recruits Travis Trice, Dwaun Anderson and Brandon Kearney.
Bo Ryan’s group consists of four-star prospect Jarrod Uthoff and a trio of three-star recruits – Frank Kaminsky, George Marshall and Traevon Jackson.
How did the Big Ten stack up?
There aren’t many elite prospects heading to the Big Ten, but they still managed a solid overall recruiting year.
Dawson is the only top 25 prospect the Big Ten conference was able to bring in, but 12 four-star prospects and 10 three-star players are headed their way.
<![CDATA[<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=180a4b18-9658-40b1-afad-966d17594a11" target="_new" title="">Scout: Big 10 Recruiting Recap</a>]]>