Clan-Members » th. He is by no means a fin

Alabamas Avery Johnson and Auburns Bruce Pearl have taken their basketball programs into recruiting territory more commonly occupied by the schools football teams: The top 10.Both their latest classes include five-star prospects and are currently ranked among the nations best collections of incoming talent, even if the teams remain a long way from that kind of high ranking. The Crimson Tide beat out more tradition-rich programs like Kansas to pull point guard Collin Sexton out of Mableton, Georgia, and got Huntsville, Alabamas John Petty over Kentucky.The Tigers landed five-star center Austin Wiley, a longtime commitment whose parents both played basketball for Auburn. Its perhaps another indication of a culture change within the programs that both coaches think got started with their respective hirings and renewed efforts to lure fans back to the arenas and drum up excitement.The best way to sustain that is beefing up the talent, which both have done.We think maybe some of the kids that didnt take our (Alabamas) phone calls years ago, at least they are taking our calls now, Johnson said. If theyre taking our calls, and we can eventually get them on campus, we think weve got a great shot.Alabamas five-player class was ranked No. 3 nationally by Scout and Rival on Wednesday, the final day of the early signing period. Auburns three-player group was ranked fourth by Scout and sixth by Rivals.Its a change from previous years when many top recruits left the state, including DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe, who had stopovers at Kentucky on their way to the NBA.Johnson and Pearl have brought the players in but are still seeking the wins.Entering Johnsons second year and Pearls third, the next couple of seasons will tell how much recruiting successes the past two years will translate into success on the court. Pearl thinks there could be a reprisal of the days when Alabamas Wimp Sanderson and Auburns Sonny Smith regularly had their teams in the NCAA Tournament.I hope we can see a time (like) when Wimp Sanderson and Sonny Smith were at Alabama and Auburn, Pearl said. Avery and I are at Alabama and Auburn; and hes coached well and theyve recruited really well. Yeah, I can see that being a factor. I can see that contest that we play, the Iron Bowl in basketball, being on ESPN or maybe being on CBS. Wouldnt that be a culture change?Auburn has sold out season tickets in each of his first three seasons, a first for the program. An injury-plagued 11-20 second season didnt derail the momentum on the recruiting trail, where freshman Mustapha Heron became Auburns first five-star signee.Wiley is the second. The 6-foot-11, 255-pounder was ranked among the top 17 recruits nationally by several recruiting services. His mother, Vickie Orr, was an Auburn All-American, and father Aubrey Wiley led the SEC in rebounding in 1993-94.Redshirt freshman Danjel Purifoy, another highly rated recruit last year, said the allure is simple.Its just BP, man, said Purifoy, who wasnt cleared academically by the NCAA to play last season. BP is a good coach. He did some good things at Tennessee. When he came here, everybody wanted to be here. When I signed here, Mustapha came here, Horace (Spencer) came here and now we have one of the best recruiting classes in basketball right now.Evan Daniels, Scouts national director of recruiting, said both coaches have brought in strong staffs with good recruiting connections. That group includes former Alabama point guard Antoine Pettway and ex-Auburn All-American and NBA player and coach Chuck Person.The head coaches also carried bigger names than most of their predecessors. Johnson is a former NBA point guard and head coach, while Pearl has led 17 teams to NCAA Tournaments, mostly at Tennessee.They both appear to be recruiting at unprecedented levels at this point, Daniels said.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.orgMike Sweeney Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Dick Howser Jersey .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. 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The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead.LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas coach David Beaty still has not announced a starting quarterback for Saturdays opener against Rhode Island, and its not because he is trying to keep it a secret.He insists that he legitimately doesnt know.Ill know a lot more after today and Ill know a heck of a lot after tomorrow, Beaty said Tuesday. So were getting close. Weve got good choices.Two potential starters in Montell Cozart and Ryan Willis have had a significant amount of snaps in their careers, while the third prospect -- redshirt freshman Carter Stanley -- may be the most physically gifted of the bunch, a dual-threat quarterback not unlike former Beaty protege Johnny Manziel.There is not a hairs separation from them statistically in fall camp, Beaty said. We literally play `rock, paper, scissors to see who goes first.The quarterback carousel is nothing new at Kansas.There was quarterback controversy in 2012 with Dayne Crist and Michael Cummings, and again the next year with Cozart and Jake Heaps. The same thing happened in 2014 with Cozart and Cummings.Last season, three different quarterbacks lined up in the starting slot at least once.Cozart said he wins the most rock, paper, scissor battles during practice these days, and he uses paper as his weapon of choice. But ames aside, the captain has been a part of the quarterback mix at Kansas for four seasons, making the entire process nothing new.As a freshman in 2013, Heaps started most of the season before Cozart was thrown into the mix as the starter late in the season against West Virginia. He was the starter the next season until Cummings got a chance, just before then-coach Charlie Weis wwas shown the door.ddddddddddddLast season, Cozart started three of the first four games -- he missed one due to illness -- before a season-ending injury. Willis was thrown into the starting role as a freshman.Ive been through it before, Cozart said of the quarterback battle. Ive just got to go into the game with the mindset of when Im in there, controlling what I can, controlling the control-ables.Willis played reasonably well in eight games last season, throwing for 1,719 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His passing yardage was the best by a quarterback at Kansas since Jordan Webb in 2011, and one of the best performances by a freshman in school history.But Willis still has work to do.Hes a baby, Beaty said, referring to his youth. He is by no means a finished product, at all. If he was, he would be named the starting quarterback and hes not.With Cozart healthy, Willis enjoys the battle.We have good competition going on in the room, he said. Iron sharpens iron and this competition is going strong. The cream always rises to the top.In practice thus far, Cozart and Willis are getting the most reps, but Beaty said Stanleys dual-threat ability makes him an intriguing option in a quarterback competition still going strong.Hes got a little moxie to him thats a little bit different, Beaty said. And hes a guy that doesnt say a whole lot right now, but in the game, he is a guy, that I think hes going to have an opportunity when he does get into a football game to really show who he really is. ' ' '