Nothing has epitomized the “recruiting never stops” adage more than the past several months in the 2021 class.

While most of the focus in the college basketball world has been on the questions and concerns over the upcoming 2020-21 season, nothing has slowed down on the recruiting trail.

Entering the early signing period on Wednesday, 79 players in the ESPN 100 have already committed — and at this time last year, exactly 78 of the ESPN 100 were committed.

Four storylines to watch

1. Is anyone committing? Last year, there were several ESPN 100 prospects expected to commit around the early signing period, including three five-star prospects. There won’t be the same type of pop this year. As of now, there’s an expectation that perhaps only three ESPN 100 prospects will decide, with zero five-star prospects among them. We’ll dive in deeper a little later in the column.