Auburn coach Bruce Pearl felt like a winner two days before his team even plays its first game.The Tigers assured themselves one of the nations top recruiting classes when the early signing period began Wednesday. It is headlined by No. 17 prospect?Austin Wiley, whose parents both starred for Auburn, and includes four-star prospects Davion Mitchell and Chuma Okeke.This class is historic, said Pearl, who is trying to bounce back from an 11-20 mark in his second season with the Tigers. It started with Austin Wiley, about a year and a half ago, committing to us prior to his junior year.He had offers from everywhere, but he wanted to be an Auburn man.Wileys mother, Vickie, was an All-American for the Tigers. His father, Aubrey, was a star rebounder.But Austin could have gone anywhere in the country, Pearl said. More importantly, he wanted to lead even before he got here. He knew that his verbal commitment might attract others.Now hes going to come here and add to the history and legacy of his father.Wiley, Mitchell and Okeke sent in signed letters of intent on the first day prospects are allowed to do so. Some of the biggest names in this years class have yet to make their decisions.Unlike in football, where signing day usually represents the finish line, it is merely the starting line in college basketball. The early period doesnt end until Nov. 16, and some will wait to see how things shake out at other schools before signing a letter of intent in the spring.In other signings around the country,?Notre Dame?coach Mike Brey signed 6-foot-6 guard?D.J. Harvey Jr.?from Bowie, Maryland, to play for the Fighting Irish next season.Harvey averaged 15.4 points, seven rebounds and four assists last season as a junior at DeMatha High School, the same school Brey attended and where he later taught and coached.Brey said he has been recruiting Harvey for three years, describing him as athletic and a strong shooter with a great stroke. Brey said Harvey is becoming a better passer.Also on Wednesday, LiAngelo Ball signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at UCLA next season, along with fellow high school seniors Jaylen Hands, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley.?Elsewhere, the early period provides some barometer for where schools are in their recruiting efforts:DESERT SWARM: Top-ranked prospect DeAndre Ayton, a 7-footer from Hillcrest Academy in Phoenix, leads?Arizona?coach Sean Millers star-studded class. Miller was expected to land letters of intent from three more top-100 recruits in Brandon Randolph, Ira Lee and Alex Barcello, and hes in the running for five-star swingmen Lonnie Walker and Brian Bowen, top guard Hamidou Diallo?and big man Brandon McCoy.PAC-12 POWER: Arizona might top the early returns, but its conference as a whole has been tearing up the recruiting trail. Oregon landed five-star guard?Troy Brown Jr.,?despite overtures from Kansas, Georgetown and Alabama, while five-star forward?Michael Porter Jr.?headlines a five-deep class at Washington.Porter will be joined on coach Lorenzo Romars floor by four-star guards Jaylen Nowell and Daejon Davis, St. Louis-area forward Mamoudou Diarra and North Carolina guard Blake Harris.CHAMPS RELOAD: Villanova coach Jay Wright?has reeled in 6-foot-6 forward?Jermaine Samuels, who appears tailor-made to replace senior Josh Hart. Wright also hooked Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, a somewhat undersized post player from Philadelphia, who had offers up and down the East Coast.Villanova is also in the running for Walker and Philly guard Quade Green.BLUEBLOODS HUNTING: Duke has only one commitment in Georgia guard Alex OConnell, Kansas has one in Dallas guard Marcus Garrett?and Kentucky has yet to land its first commitment for next year.That might sound ominous for now, but just wait until things shake out.The Blue Devils are in the mix for top-10 prospects Wendell Carter and Gary Trent Jr., who some believe could be a package deal, along with top-100 players Matt Coleman, Kevin Knox and Mohamed Bamba. The Jayhawks are pushing hard for guards Collin Sexton and Trae Young and forward Billy Preston.The Wildcats are also coveting Young, a 6-foot-2 guard from Oklahoma, while five-star prospects P.J. Washington and Nick Richards are expected to sign letters of intent with Kentucky later this week.BIG TENS BEST: Illinois coach John Groce has started what could be a make-or-break season by landing a four-man class headlined by St. Louis-area forward Jeremiah Tilmon -- though its unclear when he will sign his letter of intent.Michigan State hopes the combination of Jaren Jackson and Xavier Tillman is only the start of another talented class in East Lansing.They played together on the same AAU team. They kind of fit together, Spartans coach Tom Izzo said of his two new power forwards. And were not done. Hopefully, we can add one, two, maybe even three more, but we have a great base, a base people want to play with guys like this.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Morten Andersen Saints Jersey .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. Ted Ginn Jr Womens Jersey . The scientists believe the small earthquake during a Marshawn Lynch touchdown was likely greater than Lynchs famous "beast quake" touchdown run three years ago, which also came against New Orleans during a playoff game. http://www.saintsrookiestore.com/Saints-Drew-Brees-Jersey/ . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. Sam Mills Saints Jersey . "It was nerve-wracking, but we pulled through," said Collaros, who threw four touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts (8-4) to a 33-27 win over the Calgary Stampeders (9-3) in front of 28,781 fans at McMahon Stadium. Thomas Morstead Saints Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne.DOHA, Qatar -- Ecuador striker Christian Benitez died of heart failure, according to his Qatari club El Jaish on Wednesday, without adding further details. The 27-year-old striker died on Monday, a day after playing his first match for his new club. "The official medical reports were issued by official state entities and stated that the sudden death was caused by heart failure," the club said in a statement. The club added that his body will be repatriated on a private plane. On Tuesday, Ecuador football federation president Luis Chiriboga said the 27-year-old Benitez had been taken to the hospital with sharp stomach pains, developed peritonitis and died of cardiorespiratory arrest. Benitezs body is expected to be flown back to Ecuador on Thursday following a ceremony that will include family members at Doha airport. The plane is set to leave Qatar for Ecuador at 2300 GMT, Ecuador politician Ricardo Patino tweeted.dddddddddddd. The flight should take about 18 hours. A funeral was planned for Thursday in Quito, along with separate tributes to the player. Anibal Fuentes, head of the provincial sports authority for Quito, told Radio Sonorama that "the coffin will make a stop at the Casa de la Seleccion (the national team training centre) for a small ceremony, and will then be transported to the General Ruminahui coliseum" sports arena, which has been set up to receive the family and thousands of fans. Benitez was a powerful striker who helped former club America to win the Mexican championship last season. The father of three, who also played for Birmingham, scored 24 goals in 58 appearances for Ecuador and was on the countrys World Cup team in 2006. ' ' '