The Iowa men’s basketball team won only 11 games last season, but that hasn’t stopped head coach Fran McCaffery’s recruiting.

McCaffery’s three 2012 recruits made up ESPN.com’s No. 21 class in the country, the website announced on Wednesday. Iowa sits two spots ahead of Wisconsin and three ahead of defending national champion Connecticut.

As of now, the jewel of the class is Nebraska native Mike Gesell. The 6-1, 185-pound point guard is a four-star recruit (Rivals and Scout) and is the No. 74 player in the 2012 ESPNU 100.

“Gesell is tough and competes on both ends of the floor,” an analyst said on the Gesell’s ESPN recruiting profile. “He looks like a defensive back but has excellent skill … [he] is a treat to watch compete.”

Gesell will be joined by center Kyle Meyer and forward Patrick Ingram, both of whom are three-star prospects (Rivals).

Meyer was the first of the trio to commit, announcing his decision in March. The 6-9 native of Alpharetta, Ga., is a strong mid-range shooter and could potentially become “a handful around the basket,” according to ESPN.com.

Ingram committed to the Black and Gold on Aug. 17, just two days after he visited Iowa City for the first time. The Indianapolis native helped lead North Central High to a Class 4A state championship as a sophomore, and Maxpreps.com called the Panthers the No. 10 prep team in the country.

“Ingram is a tough, strong, and very athletic slasher and straight-line driver,” ESPN.com said. “He should fit in fine with Fran McCaffery’s system as an athletic wing.”

— by Seth Roberts