Editor's note: Every week in "Starting 5," we'll roll out five stories, themes and nuggets from the basketball recruiting world to set the table with the stories that need to be told and give you a leg up on the watercooler conversations around the office.
This week's edition of "Starting 5" includes No. 4 junior Trey Lyles returning to the court; what Purdue is getting in Dakota Mathias; a breakdown of top-20 junior JaQuan Lyle; Chris Chiozza shooting up the point guard ranks; and what makes Ohio State commit Jae'Sean Tate special.
1. Trey Lyles is back, believe it
Elite junior power forward Trey Lyles (Indianapolis/Arsenal Tech) took the court this past weekend at the Bill Hensley Memorial Run-N-Slam for the first time since injuring his knee during a state playoff game in March. The plan was to watch his minutes and make sure everything was all good with the nation's No. 4 prospect in the 2014 class.
Put it this way: If Lyles had any doubts in his mind about the status of the knee, it sure didn't look that way. Aside from a somewhat cumbersome knee brace, Lyles looked closer to top form than the later stages of recovery. He was the best player and prospect I saw the entire weekend -- and make no mistake, there was good talent at Spiece Fieldhouse in Fort Wayne, Ind.