The intro today is obvious, so much so that someone else is already using it.

Welcome to the big leagues, West Virginia.

Devin Ebanks signed with WVU Sunday and not only gave headline writers heart palpitations – so many puns, so little time! — but immediately gave the program street cred. In fact, the Mountaineers suddenly have not only one of the best prospects in the country, but also one of the best collections of prospects in the country.

Evan Daniels, Scout.com’s recruiting analyst, ranked Ebanks as the No. 3 recruit in the Big East behind Georgetown-bound Greg Monroe and Louisville signee Samardo Samuels. Scout.com ranks Ebanks as the nation’s 13th-best player. Rivals.com places him at No. 11.

Ebanks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as a senior and 23 points, five rebounds and four assists as a junior.

“This takes West Virginia’s 2008 recruiting class from a solid class to a great one, probably one of the nation’s 10 best, for sure,” Daniels said. “Kevin Jones is really good and can score at (power forward) and Darryl “Truck” Bryant is a typical Bob Huggins kind of player. He’s really tough. But Devin Ebanks is different. He’s an elite-level player.”

What’s it mean? Well, it means WVU is a serious presence now. It means Pitt and Louisville aren’t alone recruiting the NYC area. It means we now value the jobs donw by assistant coaches. It means the next class of elite recruits looks at Huggins sooner rather than later. It means one colleague can no longer make the joke about WVU beating UNC-Wilmington for players. It means you cannot double-team Joe Alexander, if he decides to stay in school. If he opts for the draft, it means the void he creates is not as large. It means Alex Ruoff is going to get a lot of open looks next season. It means Joe Mazzulla is worth two more assists per game. It means Da’Sean Butler and Wellington Smith can get more offensive rebounds. It means the Mountaineers can be very good these next two years and beyond.