According to ESPN's own rankings both Gerard Coleman and Joe Young are top 100 players. Coleman is graded a 94, Young a 93, and Ron Giplaye an 88.
Looking for a comparable class that did make the top 25? How about Michigan? ESPN has Michigan's three man class ranked 24th in the country with commitments from Evan Smotrycz, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Jon Horford. Like PC's class, the three players grade out to a 94, 93, and 88.
What seperates Michigan's class? It's unclear. The grades mirror each other and if we're going on ESPN's national rankings it looks as follows:
54 - Coleman
80 - Smotrycz
92 - Hardaway Jr.
99 - Young
Oddly, they have both Giplaye and Horford showing as the 76th rated power forward in the country. Perhaps Michigan gets the nod for bringing in more size. It certainly wasn't because Smotrycz outplayed Coleman over their prep careers.
Purdue gets the nod for "on the cusp" for a four man class without a top 100 signee or a player ranked as highly as Coleman or Young.
16 of the top 25 classes in the country have two or less ESPN top 100 players, putting Providence in elite company with their recruiting efforts this year
