The Big 12 is accustomed to seeing top recruiting classes that translate to talented teams on the floor. However, things are off to a slow start for the teams in the Midwest this year. According to the 247 Composite rankings, one top 50 player is committed to a Big 12 school. There are zero schools from the conference inside our top 25 team rankings. It’s safe to say the entire conference has some work to do on the recruiting trail.

Travis Ford is known for finding his specialists and putting them in situations to succeed. Just ask Phil Forte, a shooter that has made a huge impact for the Cowboys over the years. Expect the same thing in this year’s recruiting class.

Oklahoma State has commitments from guards Lindy Waters and Thomas Dziagwa, along with wing Cameron McGriff. Waters recently announced he would be a member of the 2016 class following his commitment. He will be the jewel of Ford’s 2016 class, but McGriff and Dziagwa will be nice pieces, where Tuesday evening's commitment of Gojok Gak pushes the Cowboys at the top spot within the Big 12.

Oklahoma has the only commitment from a top 50 player in the Big 12. Kameron McGusty, a 6-foot-5 scorer, will replace Buddy Hield in the lineup for Sooners head coach Lon Kruger next year. McGusty caught the eye of many coaches, and some people within basketball circles believe he could be one of the best shooters and scorers in the 2016 class. Kristian Doolittle, a 6-foot-5 wing, and Matt Freeman, a 6-foot-10 big man, join McGusty in Oklahoma’s class.

Shaka Smart is getting the ball rolling on his first season at Texas. Since being hired in the spring, the former VCU head coach has made some in-roads on the recruiting trail. While he doesn’t have the top class in the conference yet, Texas very well could be sitting atop the conference when things are all said and done. That is a testament to the work Smart and his staff have put in to this point.

The Longhorns received a commitment from point guard Jacob Young at the end of June. The scoring guard was a nice start for Smart, but their second commitment was huge – literally. La Lumiere big man James Banks made his verbal commitment a few weeks ago. The 6-foot-10 center has as high a ceiling as any post prospect in the country, and with several post players set to graduate, the playing time is there for the Georgia native.

Where does Texas go from here? The Longhorns are very much in the picture with several top prospects. Jarrett Allen and Andrew Jones have received a lot of attention from the staff and are ones to watch for Texas fans. However, it won’t be easy, as Kentucky and Kansas are both in the picture.

West Virginia has a class full of sleepers. International big men Sagaba Konate and Maciej Bender could be the real steals in this class. The two were under-recruited and could rack up a number of starts in Morgantown. Point guard Brandon Knapper brings Texas toughness to the backcourt. 

Steve Prohm is also in his first year at Iowa State and he isn’t hurting on the recruiting trail. In fact, as far as numbers are concerned, he may be doing the best in the conference. The Cyclones have commitments from four players right now. Solomon Young and Jakolby Long are two of the most underrated prospects on the national scale, while Junior College products Donovan Jackson and Emmanuel Malou will help with depth and experience following the transition from Fred Hoiberg to the Prohm era.

Over the years, Baylor head coach Scott Drew has done a great job of identifying physical, athletic guys that fit his system and pursuing them. Nothing is different this year, as they have a great physical specimen in wing man Mark Vital. The 6-foot-6 wing has been committed to the Bears since his sophomore year of high school. His athleticism and play above the rim will keep the fans in Waco on their toes. Expect to see him on SportsCenter every now and then. They also attacked the JUCO ranks with a commitment from forward Nuni Omot of Indiana Hills Community College. Expect them to reel in more top-shelf talent as the year goes on, too.

Garrett Tucker’s take: As I mentioned earlier, the lack of top-tier talent heading to Big 12 country is thin. That’s not a good sign for the conference as a whole. One top 50 commitment is unheard of for the Big 12, and, honestly, it may not get much better than that. Kansas and Texas are involved with some top guys, but there is no guarantees right now. With other Power 5 conferences surging on the recruiting trail, should Big 12 fans be concerned? It’s a question that needs to be asked.

Biggest recruiting story: The biggest story from the Big 12 has to be Kansas’ recruiting class (or lack thereof). Power forward Mitch Lightfoot is the only player currently committed to the Jayhawks in this cycle. Yes, they are involved with several top prospects, including Josh Jackson, Marques Bolden, Jarrett Allen, Udoka Azubuike, and Andrew Jones, but still, things are a little concerning for Kansas fans. Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina will get their top guys, but this is unusual territory for the Jayhawks. It should be an interesting signing week in Lawrence.

BIG 12 TEAM RANKINGS

1. Oklahoma State
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. West Virginia
5. Iowa State
6. Baylor
7. Kansas State
8. Kansas
9. TCU
10. Texas Tech 

BIG 12 CLASS SUPERLATIVES