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Here’s a neat stat for the top basketball recruiting classes of 2012.

According to ESPNU’s team rankings for the Class of ’12, the top four basketball recruiting classes all have a distinct Pitt flavor.

They are coached by, in order, a former Pitt player (and assistant), a former Pitt assistant, a former Pitt head coach and the current Pitt head coach.

Can you guess them? The former assistant coach is a tough one (it’s not the one who quickly comes to mind).

Here are the former/present Panthers who are leading the recruiting trail for next season.  

Arizona, coached by Sean Miller, is No. 1.

Indiana, led by former Panther assistant Tom Crean, has the second-ranked class.

Ben Howland-coached UCLA is No. 3.

Pitt, with 7-foot New Zealander Steven Adams and DeMatha point guard James Robinson, is the No. 4-ranked class.

Crean coached at Pitt in 1994-95 under Ralph Willard before leaving to join Tom Izzo’s staff at Michigan State. The other former Pitt assistant who usually has a top class, Kentucky’s John Calipari, isn’t ranked in the top 25 for ’12.

Rounding out the top 10 are Providence, Baylor, North Carolina, Texas, Michigan State and Villanova.