Since the Big Ten hasn’t had a ton of one-and-done freshmen go to the draft, the recruiting classes tend to stick around for at least a couple of years. 

But the Big Ten has two of the top-15 recruits in the country in Mitch McGary and Gary Harris. Their commitments to their respective schools put them at the top of our top-five incomings classes for 2012.

1. Michigan State

Tom Izzo was actually standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier preparing for the Carrier Classic when prized recruit Gary Harris phoned in his recruitment. The No. 1 shooting guard in the nation is the highlight of the Spartans' class, mostly because of Harris’ driving abilities. While he is 6-foot-4 and could potentially play a littl point guard, Harris is seen as a slasher who is a consistent outside jump shot away from being a terrific overall player.

The other three players in Michigan State’s class are four-star recruits, so it’s clearly not just Harris. Lansing native Denzel Valentine is an athletic tweener who has a similar style to the departing Draymond Green. Forward Kenny Kaminski and center Matt Costello round out the group.

Without Harris, Izzo had a good, but not overwhelming class. With Harris, Izzo puts the Spartans in a position to contend for the national championship next year.

2. Michigan

Not to be outdone by his in-state rivals, John Beilein has hauled in Michigan’s best class in over a decade. Like Michigan State, the status of this group was solidified with top-ranked recruit, this time in the form of power forward Mitch McGary. ESPN has him as the No. 2 player in the country and the No. 1 power forward in all the land. McGary chose Michigan over Florida and Kentucky, becoming the Wolverines' biggest recruit since Chris Webber in 1991.

McGary has great speed and coordination for someone who is 6-foot-10, and he plays a lot like a European big man (think Mehmet Okur). His back-to-the-basket game isn’t great yet, but he is going to fit into Beilein’s system perfectly.

Glenn Robinson III and Nick Stauskus join McGary, even though the two are the same height and play the same position. They are completely different players, as Stauskus is a superb outside shooter, while Robinson III is better in open space. They both have a shot to crack the rotation next year while filling different roles.

If Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke don’t jump ship to the NBA, Michigan will have lost just three contributing players over the last two years. Beilein might add another guard, but he also might be content with a core of Hardaway Jr., Burke, McGary, Robinson III/Stauskus, and Evan Smotrycz that could not only win the Big Ten, but also make serious waves in the NCAA tournament.

3. Indiana

With a surprising start to the season and their big win over Kentucky, Coach Tom Crean has this team headed in the right direction, and his next recruiting class is only going to help.

The Hoosiers could roll out an all-freshman unit next year — they have five commits, all at different positions. The highlight is probably point guard Yogi Ferrell, who adds a nice mid-range game to go along with his awesome name.

Indiana has two other ESPN Top 100 players, power forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea and small forward Jeremy Hollowell. Two three-star recruits complete the impressive all-freshman unit.

Add the new guys to a talented group that includes stud freshman Cody Zeller, and Indiana has itself a nice core.

4. Purdue

The Boilermakers have three players in the ESPN Top 100, but they also don’t have a headliner. Center A.J. Hammons is 7-feet, is great near the rim and has all the tools to be a solid center, but his strength and conditioning aren’t there yet. Shooting guard Raphael Davis is probably the best scorer of the bunch, and point guard Ronnie Johnson is a quick lefthander. All three are talented, but nobody really stands out.

This class isn’t going to make headlines, but it’s a solid pull for the post-Robbie Hummel era.

5. Iowa

The Hawkeyes have five commits, but the big two are center Adam Woodbury and point guard Mike Gesell. Woodbury is 6-foot-11 and is great at finishing near the basket, although he is skinny at 225 pounds. He’s got all the tools to be a big time player for Iowa.

Gesell is an undersized, but physical guard that is exactly the type of player coach Fran McCaffery looks for. He won’t overwhelm with his athleticism, but he will fit into the Hawkeyes system.