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Good morning everyone! We had a lot of news unfold on Monday, so let’s get right to it.

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1. Saint Louis lands intriguing 2027 big man

Coming off a 29-win season and NCAA Tournament Round of 32 appearance, Saint Louis is riding high as a program. Its recruiting has benefited as a result.

The Billikens already have four-star class of 2027 guard Jimmy McKinney III committed. On Monday, they added 7-foot big man Totu Akuentok to their 2027 class, one of the top prospects in Canada.

Akuentok is a skilled prospect with a high ceiling. Over the summer with Brookwood Elite on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, he averaged 5.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg. Fort Erie Prep coach Steve Houston, who’s coached the big man for the past four seasons, provided his take on Akuentok’s skillset and his fit with the Billikens.

“He’s an incredible kid and worker,” Houston said. “He started out at 6-5 here as a freshman and is now leaving as a 7-footer with a ton of skill and feel for the game. He can shoot it, pass it, finish with both hands — on top of becoming a great vocal leader. With how coach Schertz runs his program and the modern style of offense they like to play, it’s a seamless fit for Totu.”

As Saint Louis moves on from the Robbie Avila era at center, they landed former top-100 prospect and Marquette transfer Sheek Pearson, among other transfers this offseason. The hope is that Akuentok will give them depth next season before potentially becoming their next star frontcourt piece.

Another team that made a move on Monday was Texas State, landing its first 2027 commit in Jayden Hopkins, a top-150 prospect from Kansas. The 6-2 playmaking guard had interest from other programs such as Wyoming, Eastern Michigan and Kennesaw State before landing with the Bobcats.

2. Top Big East basketball dates + more schedule news

The Big East was the latest conference to announce its league schedule. The first conference game is Saturday, Dec. 12, with Butler taking on Providence. It’ll be the first Big East games for each team's first-year head coach.

The following Saturday gives us four more matchups, headlined by Villanova going on the road at Creighton. Saturday, March 6, will then be the Big East regular-season finale with five total games.

All in all, there should be plenty of big days filled with compelling Big East action, especially with the double round-robin format. Here’s a look at the five biggest Big East days to circle on your calendar.

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