The University of Portland's 2017 men's basketball recruiting class is currently ranked No. 17 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP following the fall signing period, the national recruiting web site announced on Tuesday. First-year head coach Terry Porter and his staff secured four commitments in the fall with three incoming freshmen and a junior college transfer.

"As we went through the recruiting process this first season there is no doubt that we were thrilled with the caliber of players that committed," Porter said. "I trust our staff in terms of how we evaluate talent and we thought this class was extremely talented and maybe a bit under-rated. It is nice to see some validation and recognition from people in the industry and we are excited about the potential of this group."

According to the HOOP SCOOP's rating system, all four Portland commits are rated among the Top 300 incoming players in the nation, while Tahirou Diabate and Taki Fahrensohn crack the Top 100 individually.

"This is another opportunity to get our fan-base and the city of Portland excited about Pilot Basketball," Porter added. "We are off to a great start this season and people around the country are taking notice. Our phones are ringing off the hook with people wanting to learn more about us and we have a great window of opportunity to showcase how we run our program during this year of transition. I think recruits, high school coaches and AAU coaches are starting to see what we are capable of building."

The HOOP SCOOP referenced Portland's ability to identify quality international recruits as one of the main reasons that the Pilots have secured the top recruiting class among all schools not affiliated with the top six basketball conferences. Diabate (Japan by way of Mali), Fahrensohn (New Zealand) and JoJo Walker (California by way of Puerto Rico) all will bring international experience to The Bluff.

Here is what the web site had to say about Portland's four individual recruits:

Tahirou Diabate from Niigate, Japan (Portland) - We're talking about a somebody with the size, athleticism, talent, and ability to put up prolific numbers, as is evident by the fact that he averaged 31.o ppg and 18.0 rpg en route to MVP honors in the Okinawa Cup. He is originally from Mali, speaks four languages, and landing him is a major coup for the Pilots.

Taki Fahrensohn from Auckland, New Zealand (Portland) -  Whether it be knocking down the outside shot or attacking the rim, what this versatile wing does best is light up a scoreboard and he did so to the tune of 33.6 ppg in the 2016 New Zealand Secondary Basketball National  Championships.

Austin Stone from USC-Salkehatchie (JC) SC (Portland) - Stone is a rapidly developing skilled 4-man who runs the floor, rebounds, defends, makes shots, and has an excellent motor.  The fact that he hasn't been playing the game very long and is still somewhat under the radar makes him an all the more intriguing catch for the Pilots.

JoJo Walker from St. Maria (St. Joseph) CA (Portland) - Not only does this 6'1 point guard have good size, excellent speed and quickness, and the ability to run the show, but he also knows how to compete, is an aggressive defender, and is capable of putting up impressive numbers,  His best days also are still ahead of him and he is a great catch for the Pilots.

HOOP SCOOP'S TOP 20 2017 RECRUITING CLASSES AFTER THE FALL SIGNING PERIOD   
1. UCLA
2. Kentucky
3. Arizona
4. Washington
5. Alabama
6. Miami
7. Xavier
8. Duke
9. North Carolina
10. Florida State
11. Louisville
12. West Virginia
13. Iowa
14. TCU
14. Pittsburgh
14. Illinois
17. Portland
17. Purdue
17. Texas A&M
20. Western Kentucky
20. Oregon
20. Auburn