Saint Louis lands 2018 top-10 prospect Carte'Are Gordon

Saint Louis is off and running in the 2018 recruiting cycle, as new coach Travis Ford landed five-star forward Carte'Are Gordon on Wednesday.

"There were a lot of reasons why I chose Saint Louis, but more than anything I just felt it was the best fit for me," Gordon told Jeff Borzello and Jeff Goodman of ESPN. "Staying home will help me a lot."

The 6-foot-8, 257-pound Gordon is ranked ninth overall on the ESPN 60 for 2018.

A Saint Louis native, he's the first player to join Ford's 2018 recruiting class. His pledge comes just two days after Ford hauled in four-star forward Hasahn French for his '17 class.

Gordon's decision means that, barring a decommitment at some point before he signs his letter of intent, the heralded prospect will play in the Atlantic 10 Conference instead of under the bright lights of a Power 5 conference.

"I'm hoping this starts a trend," Gordon said of his decision to remain in his home state.