As usual, Huey Hinkle was the first to break the story: Auburn University is facing more lawsuits in the wake of Coach Tommy Joe Eagles fondling scandal, and may be forced to replace both its head coach and athletic director at the end of the season.

In his TelePyschic Recruiting Hotline dated August 24^th, Hinkle reports that since last December, when accusations first surfaced that Coach Eagles had attempted to fondle reserve center Russ Schmelzer on a return plane trip from a Florida basketball game, at least one former player and several former Auburn ballboys have come forward with similar accusations. Several accusations date back to Eagles’ first tenure as Auburn coach in 1992, and may explain why Eagles was quietly dismissed despite three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Eagles was relieved of duties as basketball coach by Auburn athletic director David Housel in 1993. He coached the Auburn volleyball team in 1994, and then was mysteriously reassigned to the fencing team in 1995. Housel is also named as a defendant in several of the lawsuits.

"Auburn’s search for a new coach has quietly begun," reports Hinkle. "They’ll start, like they did two years ago, with Gary Caplan. They think they might get him this time. They’ll try to convince him that it’s easier to win at Auburn than it is at Florida. If Caplan declines to interview, they do have a ‘B list.’ Floyd Risings reached the Sweet 16 at MIT. He has earned an SEC job, but might not want this one right now. Eddie Schwartzkopf, now in his 3^rd year at South Carolina, has made no bones of the fact that he’d love to return to the SEC, but his record has been disappointing with the Gamecocks. Mark Gadis showed his ability to develop big guys as an assistant at Kentucky. He left last year but might like to return to the SEC as a head coach. They might inquire whether Maurice Gaynor (former LSU assistant, now at Georgia Tech) or Warren Peace (UCLA) might want to return to the SEC.

"And finally there’s Norm Sloan. Some Auburn boosters are said to favor Sloan because then they, the boosters, can run the program and recruit the way they see fit. If Caplan rejects Auburn’s overtures, look for John Henry Sloan to start the thawing process."

In other coaching news, Buster Coombs, who has won just 4 SEC games in five-plus seasons at Mississippi State, has been granted a 4-year contract extension. Buster is rewriting the SEC coaching record book, having lost 58 consecutive league games between 2000 and 2003. His Bulldogs are 1-89 in conference play since February of 2000.

And yet Coach Buster Coombs remains loved at Mississippi State. "Buster is very well liked around here," explains State AD Rocco Trittico. "The victory over Florida in 2003 was a great one, as was the win before that … over Vanderbilt back in 2000. People here in Starkville are still talking about those games. We think Buster can get us another win. If not this year, then certainly next."

Indeed, Buster has been recruiting well. This year’s freshman class of Richard McKenzie, Buddy Hobbs, Pat McNeeley and Horace Dubree was rated 5^th best in the conference by Huey Hinkle. "This freshman class looks good," explains Trittico. "And last year Buster recruited well. And the year before that, with Ponce Granger and Alberto Augusto, that was a good class. And the year before that was Ox Knox, our biggest recruit in a decade. That’s four strong recruiting years in a row. A couple more like that, and we should win some games."

After two December setbacks, Georgia is running on all cylinders. The Bulldogs are ranked #4 in the AP Top 25, but many believe that come March, David Maxfield will have as good a chance as any to win a national championship. Kansas (#1) and UConn (#3), which both beat Georgia in December, are also in the top 5, along with two-time defending NCAA champion Duke, and Maryland. Other SEC teams in the Top 25: LSU is ranked #8, and Ole Miss is #16.

How good are things for David Maxfield right now? His Bulldogs are threatening to become the SEC’s first undefeated team in 8 years; he has great young talent in the program ready to step in next year, and he is on the verge of a monster recruiting year. Not only is Maxfield heavily favored to sign the nation’s top recruit, 6’1 Gus Justice, and his state’s other top player, 6’5 Quadre Dixon, but some think he could hit the trifecta by landing either 6’7 South Carolina 2G Wesley Neagle or 6’10 German star Heimey Deutsche. Neagle will be a McDonald’s All American. He may be the top shooter in the class and reminds many of former Auburn great Eric Essom (before the sideburns and sequins). Huey Hinkle believes that Neagle will end up in the ACC, but Georgia will get a campus visit. Deutsche burst onto the recruiting scene with a stellar performance at Hinkle’s summer camp in July. Ole Miss and Vanderbilt are rumored to be the favorites, at least within the conference, to land the German native, but Georgia can be a factor due to the presence of a German already on its roster. Gustav Pfaadt will help David Maxfield recruit Deutsche. "I’ve talked to Gustav," explains Deutsche. "He says it’s my decision. I asked him for advice, and the only advice he would give me was that if I go to T World, stay away from Hick Island."

As expected, recent Baylor castoff Dave Bliss has been hired as an assistant coach at Tennessee. He is The Professor’s new Academic Coordinator, replacing Willie Cutts, who violated terms of his parole and is headed back to prison. Speaking of Baylor, the Bears have been added to the field for next year’s Coaches Against Compliance Classic, joining Cincinnati, Tennessee and probably UNLV, although tournament organizers might send an invitation to Missouri.

Recruiting is heating up! No one is getting more attention that Gus Justice, the nation’s top recruit, who has been recently been called "the best Southern high school player since Leodis Lee," by none other than Huey Hinkle. Justice is entertaining offers from LSU, Duke, Arizona and Florida (his favorite team since childhood), but few expect him to leave the state of Georgia. "I suspect that if it’s not Georgia, then he’ll leave the conference," observes Hinkle. "The Duke and Carolina programs have a great pull." Justice reports that all the recruiting attention is dizzying, but that nothing has surprised him, "except that Tennessee assistant, who keeps coming in here and waving a watch in my face, telling me I’m getting sleepy. What’s with that guy?"

Gabriel Coulter is generally considered the best center prospect in the class, and he’s getting lots of attention. Vanderbilt has long been the assumed destination for this Tennessee native. Coach Sharon Maxfield has recruited him long and hard. But as his game has developed, so has interest among the big boys, notably Kentucky and LSU. "In my crystal ball, I envision LSU 3-keying on Coulter," predicts Huey Hinkle on his Psychic Hotline. "The Governor needs a big guy, and Coulter has got his eye right now. The Governor will not admit it, but I think he prefers Coulter, a little, to Koy Johnson, right now. He’s got an ‘in’ with Johnson – current LSU sophomore Levator Robinson grew up in Detroit with Johnson - but Alabama looks strong with Johnson, and the Governor thinks offense first, and Coulter just makes more sense right now. The Governor’s mind might change though, and if he does, I’ll know it before he does."

Koy Johnson is known to be a top priority for Alabama’s Bradley Maxfield. Alabama’s frontline is depleted, particularly after the tragic death of Abubukar Abukar, and Maxfield needs to sign at least two quality big men. Johnson is a highly regarded national recruit. Michigan and other Big Ten schools will certainly be a factor, but Bama is generally considered to be the frontrunner for this skinny shotblocker. Maxfield would love to sign Johnson and 6’8 JuCo force Antonio Stone, to bolster the Crimson Tide frontline, which is thin, but includes promising 6’9 PF Brennan Scott. Stone is an Alabama native, but signed with Tennessee out of high school, and the Volunteers are going all out to sign him again out of junior college.

Florida’s 6’7 freshman center Oden Curry is expected to recover fully from the knee injury he suffered last month. Coach Gary Caplan is pleased with the development of the young bruiser and would like to add more beef to the Gator frontline. Caplan is working the recruiting trails extremely hard, and is probably encountering more football than basketball coaches as he works the living rooms of his top targets. Caplan loves bruising 6’9 Antone Bruce, an all-state defensive end at Louisville’s Male High School, and the feeling is said to be mutual. Bruce, who Huey Hinkle has called the "best rebounder in the class," has made it clear that he’ll play only with the round ball in college. The same may not be true of 6’3 Jamiah Brown, of Hagerstown Maryland, who is sifting through dozens of scholarship offers in both sports. Georgia’s David Maxfield is said to also like Brown, but not as such a high priority. Huey Hinkle predicts Caplan will find more success in his second year on the recruiting trail: "Bruce should end up at Florida. Kentucky will offer, but Bob Boyd prefers Coulter and Runge. Jamiah Brown would be a great get for Florida, and Caplan has a shot -, but let’s not sugarcoat it – Caplan had a great shot at Buck Tucker last year, and he couldn’t sign him. Caplan remains bitterly disappointed."

Kentucky’s Bob Boyd has made it perfectly clear that 6’8 PF Nat Runge is his top recruit. Runge is from Tennessee, but appears to prefer the Wildcat program to either of the two in-state SEC programs. Gabe Coulter will probably be his 2-key, but with Joseph Bumba (outstanding 6’11 sophomore) redshirting, and planning to stick around another two years before trying the jump to the NBA, Coach Boyd might look for a 2G instead, such as Wesley Neagle or Marshall Long. In that scenario, Coulter would be his 1-key. Huey Hinkle agrees: "Bob Boyd signed only Ian Ware last year. He missed out on Craig Bingham and Xalvador Wainwright, and he is feeling pressure to sign a strong and deep class this time around. He’s working hard."

Some think Nat Runge is the #2 player in this class. Others think Adrian McRae is. (Clarence Hood thinks Marvel Jackson is, but he’s alone in that opinion.) McRae is an athletic 6’7 Texan, who Huey Hinkle has called the "most complete running SF prospect in years." LSU seems the obvious choice for McRae. Jon Kane does not want to risk losing him, but has to believe he can 3-key on a big man and still sign McRae.

Another dilemma for The Governor is whether to offer a scholarship to 6’1 PG phenom Marvel Jackson. Marvel assumes he’ll be playing the point for LSU next year, his lifelong dream. But even those who love Jackson’s upside (he’s the most spectacular passing PG since Issy Washington) admit there is considerable risk in handing over the PG reigns to Marvel S. Jackson. But can Jon Kane risk not recruiting him? The Governor does not have to be told that in the last 10 years, he has passed over two Louisiana preps who wanted to play for LSU, but went on to become (arguably) Top 15 all-time SEC players at other programs, Joe Shoptaw at Vanderbilt and Normous Bailey at Ole Miss. Even Huey Hinkle has been hesitant to predict what The Governor will do in this one.

There is little doubt what Buster Coombs will do, as concerns Marvel Jackson. The Mississippi State coach is going all out, leaving no doubt that Jackson is his #1 recruit. Buster thinks Jackson can do for Mississippi State basketball what Issy Washington did 20 years ago. Huey Hinkle supports Buster’s strategy. "Marvel makes sense for Miss State. Everyone knows he’s got tremendous upside. The risk with Marvel is that he could be disruptive. At Mississippi State, Buster’s got nothing to disrupt. Maybe Marvel could disrupt the losing streak?" Alabama might also be a dark horse in the Marvel Jackson sweepstakes. Bradley Maxfield is interested, but also realizes his need to target frontcourt players with this recruiting class.

It should be interesting to watch the recruitment of a couple of athletic 6’8 PF’s, Chevis Howard and Tevian Cosby. There has been a lot of posturing by a lot of coaches, but in the end, who really wants these two – and how badly? Both could end up at Auburn, depending on how their coaching situation plays out. Tennessee coaches have been quite visible at Cosby’s games. LSU is watching Howard, possibly as a SF rather than as a PF. It makes sense that Bradley Maxfield would recruit one or both for Alabama, and does Howard really fit into Gary Caplan’s plans at Florida?

Much like Craig Bingham quietly climbed up the wish list of SEC coaches as recruiting night approached last year, 6’5 Marshall Long is doing so this year. The Mississippi native is getting lots of attention from Ole Miss and Kentucky, among others. Look for Marshall Long to be among the most heavily recruited prospects in this class.

"The Appliance," Ken Moore, is getting lots of attention for someone who averages just 4 pts and 7 rebs per game in high school. This ultimate space eater has caught the fancy of Ole Miss and Florida coaching staffs. Mississippi State is also offering, Georgia has shown some interest, and Kentucky might even jump into the mix.

Vandy’s Sharon Maxfield is surprised by the play of junior PG Kenny Yu, whom Huey Hinkle has called "the best Asian PG ever to come out of the state of Tennessee." Yu is among the SEC leaders in assists, and so Coach Maxfield is laying off a little on the recruitment of solid 6’0 PG Vada Murray. Florida’s Gary Caplan was at one time making a hard push for Murray, but he too has backed off, potentially opening the door for Alabama, Mississippi or Georgia to grab this underrated prospect.

The best athlete in this class is inarguably 6’3 high-octane 2G Excedric Townes. Townes has already filed papers to register his Posse at the KaneDome, but it’s not a done deal. Tennessee coach Chuck "The Professor" Maxfield will go all out (3-key?) and Auburn and Alabama could also be a factors.

LSU superstar Darrius Maddox graces the cover of Sports Illustrated again this week, his 2^nd cover in as many years.

Tennessee coaches hope to wake up reserve 2G Darian Collins this weekend. Collins contracted African Sleeping Sickness from a mosquito while visiting Ibraheem Bobatoon’s African Safari at T World last summer. He has been sleeping since. "We’ve got the coffee brewing, and a really loud alarm clock," said The Professor. "This might be our last chance." Huey Hinkle has a suggestion that might wake up Collins: "Just bring him to a Marvel Jackson game!"