Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big East Basketball: Analyzing early 2019 recruiting classes

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: A Villanova Wildcats basketball goes through the net during warmups prior to the game against the Seton Hall Pirates at the Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: A Villanova Wildcats basketball goes through the net during warmups prior to the game against the Seton Hall Pirates at the Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 11
Next
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 23: Coach Cooley of Providence yells. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 23: Coach Cooley of Providence yells. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

7. Providence Friars

National Ranking: No. 94

Providence has only one 2019 commit at this point but it is a darn good one. Small forward Greg Gantt is one of the top players currently signed to a Big East school as he sits at No. 60 nationally in the class. He is the fourth-ranked player out of North Carolina and it is reasonable to assume that he will be an immediately impactful player for the Friars. Head coach Ed Cooley is one of the best in the business and all it will really take is an improvement like this on the recruiting front in order to take the next step as a program.

In terms of what Gantt will bring to Providence in the future, I think there is nothing more important than his versatility. He will bring plenty of size to the wing rotation and has a wide array of moves that allow him to score both inside and out. This will allow him to fit perfectly within PC’s system as a “switch-everything” wing with the type of scoring ability needed on the wing. Gantt could be one of the most important pledges in this Big East class. While playing for Team Felton in the UAA, Gantt averaged 11.9 points (.529/.375/.784), 5.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in nine contests.

Considering Providence brought in the No. 21 ranked recruiting class in the nation last season, it is reasonable to think that they will keep bringing in top-level recruits. With Gantt and those returning sophomores on the roster for next season, the Friars will soon be back in the top of the Big East. There are so many potential stars in the program right now.

Home/Big East