This is the sprint portion of recruiting.
There's just a week left for coaches to convince high school stars to come to their campus and to make sure those who committed stay put. So as we enter the final week, it's time to look at how each Big East school stands at the moment (information and rankings come from ESPN's Scouts Inc.)
Cincinnati
Commitments: 16
Three-star and above players: 8
The buzz: This is a small class, but the Bearcats didn't lose a ton of seniors off the 2009 team. Holding onto receiver Dyjuan Lewis was big for new coach Butch Jones, who lost defensive lineman Jibreel Black and who may lose quarterback Luke Massa from the class.
Connecticut
Commitments: 21
Three-star and above players: 5
The buzz: Randy Edsall has never cared about star rankings, but he is bringing in more highly-regarded talent these days. UConn's recruiting map is expanding, with prospects in this class hailing from Florida, Georgia and Virginia, among others.
Louisville
Commitments: 28
Three-star and above players: 18
The buzz: New coach Charlie Strong has accomplished two major goals: adding bodies and upgrading talent. He switched a four star defensive end (B.J. Butler) from Georgia to the Cardinals as well as plucked well-regarded prospects like offensive guard Torrian Wilson and receiver Michalee Harris out of Florida. It's a promising start.
Pittsburgh
Commitments: 24
Three-star and above players: 19
The buzz: It looks like another terrific recruiting haul for Dave Wannstedt, who's been one of the best -- if not the best -- Big East recruiters in recent years. One of the highest rated players in the class, athlete Anthony Gonzalez, recently tore his meniscus playing basketball but should be back by fall camp.
Rutgers
Commitments: 17
Three-star and above players: 6
The buzz: On paper, this doesn't look like one of Greg Schiano's more impressive classes, but it features a lot of players who fill needs for the Scarlet Knights. The highest-rated commitment is safety Lorenzo Waters.
South Florida
Commitments: 18
Three-star and above players: 8
The buzz: Jim Leavitt was assembling a strong class before he was fired, and now Skip Holtz is hoping to hold onto players like ESPNU 150 defensive tackle Todd Chandler and quarterback Brion Carnes. This class has my favorite name among Big East recruits: offensive line prospect Jose Jose.
Syracuse
Commitments: 26
Three-star and above players: 8
The buzz: There aren't a lot of big names in the class, but Doug Marrone is restocking the roster. Jonny Miller looks like the quarterback of the future for the Orange.
West Virginia
Commitments: 18
Three-star and above players: 12
The buzz: The Mountaineers lost a few prospects when Doc Holliday took the Marshall job, but they hung on to quarterback Barry Brunetti this week. It still looks like a solid class, loaded with athletes like receiver Deon Long.