This week, the first five members of Steve Lavin’s impressive 2011 recruiting class signed their letters of intent. And now Lavin’s gotten a verbal commitment from perhaps his best recruit yet: Norvel Pelle, a Compton native whose height has been reported at anywhere from 6’8” to 6’10”, and who Rivals.com has as the second-ranked center in his class (behind the awesomely named Rakeem Christmas, who’s committed to Syracuse). Pelle gives the 2011 Red Storm class the big man it had been missing — and it also gives Lavin his first five-star recruit since being named head coach, at least according to Rivals.com, which ranks him as the 19th best recruit overall in his class. (The ESPNU 100 has Pelle at No. 71 overall in his class.) In any case, Pelle chose the Johnnies over Kansas, Oregon, Washington, and UCLA. The 2010–11 St. John’s season hasn’t even started yet, but it’s hard not be excited already for 2011–12.