NCAA Basketball: Ranking top conferences by 2019 recruiting classes

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 08: A Pac-12 basketball logo is displayed on the court after a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the Stanford Cardinal and the UCLA Bruins at T-Mobile Arena on March 8, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bruins won 88-77. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 23: Brandon Clarke #15 and the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrate after their win against the Baylor Bears in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 23, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

8. West Coast Conference

Impact recruits: Drew Timme (Gonzaga), Anton Watson (Gonzaga), Oumar Ballo (Gonzaga), Pierre Cockrell (Pacific), James Jean-Marie (San Diego)

Only six of the 10 teams even had a recruiting class to speak of in the WCC but Gonzaga’s group by themselves was good enough to warrant a top-8 ranking. Ranked No. 13 overall, it’s the best group of incoming prospects that the program has had since the 2016 class that featured a trio of now-NBA players (Zach Collins, Zach Norvell Jr, and Rui Hachimura).

Drew Timme is the top mid-major recruit in the 2019 class, ranked No. 43 overall. The 6’10 skilled big man left the state of Texas to come all the way to Spokane, looking to be the next frontcourt player for the Bulldogs to dominate the conference. Top-50 forward Anton Watson didn’t have to travel far due to being a local product but could very well end up being the most impactful freshman on the roster this season. Two more frontcourt players join the group in four-stars
Pavel Zakharov and Oumar Ballo, giving the program a ton to work with inside for future seasons.

There are other WCC newcomers to watch out for, including Pacific guard Pierre Cockrell and JUCO transfer James Jean-Marie. Considering how much talent the respective programs lost this offseason, these two could very well start games and get plenty of minutes to begin their D-I careers. But like how it’s been on the court for the last two decades, this class was about the Bulldogs.

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