College basketball is sometimes like dominoes. When they're lined up and they fall a certain way, fortunes can change. And in this case of "basket-dominoes" the Big 12 is the beneficiary.

The first domino fell when Kentucky dismissed former Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie as its coach. Kentucky then hired Memphis coach John Calipari, who had signed a stellar recruiting class.

Two of those recruits - Xavier Henry and Nolan Dennis - had an agreement with Memphis that if Calipari was no longer the coach, they would be released from their national letter of intent.

On Thursday, Henry signed to play with Kansas while Dennis signed with Baylor. Henry is ranked as the No. 3 high school player in the country by ESPN.com/Scouts.Inc. Dennis is ranked No. 44. Adding those two players gives the Big 12 one of its best recruiting classes ever.

"There have been some Big 12 schools with fabulous recruiting years," Kansas coach Bill Self said Thursday during a teleconference to discuss signing Henry. "Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas State have done a great job recruiting. Now you have to throw us in the mix.

"I really think our league got better and last year we were strong. This league isn't going anywhere. People talking about the top three conferences in America, the Big 12 is going to be in that equation, year in, year out."

Using ESPN.com's list of the top 100 high school players, 21 of the top 90 prospects have signed to play with Big 12 schools. The Atlantic Coast Conference is second to the Big 12, signing 19 of the top 90 players on ESPN.com's list.

Heading into its 14th season, the Big 12 has established itself as one of the top conferences in college basketball. The league's Big Monday agreement with ESPN gives it weekly prime-time exposure each January and February. And the last three seasons, the Big 12 has had high-profile players such as Kevin Durant at Texas, Michael Beasley at Kansas State and Blake Griffin at Oklahoma.

"I don't think you can emphasize enough the significance of the television exposure we receive," Big 12 Senior Associate Commissioner Tim Allen said. "The Big Monday series on ESPN has played a major role in showcasing some of the most talented college players in recent years. The Wednesday and Saturday telecasts provide a balance of exposure for all schools.

"But Big Monday is appointment television for all college basketball fans, including high school basketball players. It is a major recruiting vehicle for our conference."

Kansas, which won the Big 12 regular-season title and reached the Sweet 16, returns its entire starting lineup. Center Cole Aldrich and guard Sherron Collins both decided to stay in school instead of entering the NBA Draft. Adding a player like Henry to the Jayhawks' roster makes KU a legitimate national championship threat. Few will be surprised if Kansas starts the 2009-10 season ranked No. 1.

"We had some needs and through our recruiting we addressed those needs," said Self, whose team has the maximum number (13) of players on scholarship. "Signing Xavier is a huge 'get' for us. I see him coming in an impacting our team by giving us a big perimeter player. There are few high school players who possess the size, strength, explosion and outside shooting ability that he has."

"Next year with our team, you'll have to defend all five spots on the floor. We should be much harder to guard."

Dennis, is a 6-5 shooting guard from Richland High School in North Richland Hills, Texas. He averaged 21.4 points and 10.1 rebounds as a senior.

"We have recruited Nolan for some time," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Nolan is one of the elite players in the state of Texas and the nation. Baylor fans are going to love his versatility and basketball talents."

The top 100 players ranked by ESPN.com/Scouts Inc. who have signed with Big 12 schools. The players are listed with their ranking on the top 100 list: