SMITHS STATION — Erika Jones was raw when she started playing basketball for Smiths Station as a freshman.

The Auburn swimming and diving team combined for 16 event wins and 12 NCAA Provision “B” cut times Thursday as the Tigers swept in-state rival Alabama in front of 1,156 fans at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center.

MONTGOMERY — Lee-Scott’s basketball teams opened the season Thursday night with a sweep of Eastwood Christian.

Nearly 728 days have passed since Soulja Boy’s debut single “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” last sniffed the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Trooper Taylor has never kept his ambitions secret.

Kyle Caldwell doesn’t cut a very imposing figure behind center for Dadeville.

Ron Nelson looked at his team’s potential draw leading into the playoffs and proclaimed, “It doesn’t look promising.”

Auburn reined in a major signing day steal Wednesday, adding a familiar name with a big basketball pedigree.

TUSCALOOSA — One of the best college football players in America knows what he would do if he had a Heisman Trophy ballot this year.

The Auburn swimming and diving team hosts in-state rival Alabama today at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center.

LANETT — Auburn High’s girls basketball team opened up the James Hardy Classic Tip-Off Tournament — and its 2009-10 season — with a 35-27 win over LaFayette at Lanett High School on Wednesday.

Opelika native Patrick Dobbins won the Walmart Bass Fishing League Regional Championship at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga., on Oct. 24, helping him qualify for the 2010 BFL All-American competition.

TUSCALOOSA — Alabama coach Anthony Grant has signed two out-of-state players in the early signing period.

The Tigers have at least one thing figured out when it comes to getting inside the head of Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green.

Darvin Adams is a natural-born contrarian.

TUSCALOOSA — Greg McElroy could prepare for the Tennessee defense, the ferocity of LSU’s front four, the tenacity of South Carolina’s defensive ends, the complexity of Jim McElwain’s playbook, the frustration of missing open receivers, even the wrath of Nick Saban.

A 3-yard touchdown pass drew R.C. Hatch even with Reeltown in the first quarter of the teams’ Oct. 23 region matchup.

Seven area girls basketball teams are starting their seasons at the James Hardy Classic Tip-Off Tournament at Lanett, which starts today and runs through Saturday.

For the first time in over two decades, Auburn University has a Rhodes Scholarship finalist on campus. Jordan Anderson, member of the NCAA champion Auburn swimming and diving program, was selected to be a District 7 finalist for the prestigious award.

Mario Fannin picked Auburn over in-state Georgia for a variety of reasons, but one of them, in retrospect, has a bit of an ironic twist.

Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson will be making a few calls to the 334-area code in his search for a new head coach, according to numerous reports Monday.

TUSCALOOSA — As besieged Southeastern Conference officials continue to get ripped for perceived poor performance, a white knight wearing a straw hat came riding to their rescue Monday.

TUSCALOOSA — Alabama coach Nick Saban said Mississippi State presents several challenges for his team this week.

The Auburn soccer team was selected to a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament on Monday night, drawing California in a first-round matchup in Tallahassee, Fla.

Just in case there was any doubt in anyone’s mind, Saturday confirmed something I was already suspecting.

Gene Chizik rattled off the reasons why Auburn and Georgia’s rivalry is a meaningful and historic one as if he were reading cue cards.

The search continues.

DOVER, Del. — The top-ranked Auburn equestrian team (6-1) continued their successful road trip defeating Delaware State (0-3) 12-8 on Sunday. The Tigers defeated the Hornets 7-3 in Hunt Seat and tied 5-5 in Western.

The Auburn women’s basketball team opened its final season at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum on Sunday with a 73-50 exhibition win over Georgia College and State University.

The astronomical numbers put up by Chris Todd and Co. weren’t the most important stats to come from Saturday’s homecoming romp over Furman.