JEROD_HAASE.JPG

UAB Coach Jerod Haase signals his team during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Wednesday, March. 6, 2013. Alabama's impressive haul of Class of 2014 recruits could be a big part of UAB's future under the second-year coach. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)

-- UAB basketball fans can allow themselves to get a little fired up about a not-so-plausible scenario.

Their Blazers could just be assembling a potential recruiting bonanza in the second year of the Jerod Haase era. The word "potential" should not be overlooked in that statement.

First, a little background. The

is big. Beanstalk big.

It appears to be even better than

(Bledsoe, Cousins, Johnson, Swing, Watford) in terms of prospects. That's because the depth of this year's senior class sets up as the state's top group in at least the last 13 years.

There's obviously not two players as talented as the Eric Bledsoe and DeMarcus Cousins tandem that spent one year in Lexington amid their fast break to the NBA. So it is a little light on lottery picks.

North's Justin Coleman steals the ball from South's T.J. Lang during Sports Week boys basketball in Montgomery, Ala., on July 17, 2013. The rising senior at Wenonah is considered one of the state's top basketball prospects for the Class of 2014 by anyone's measure. (Dennis Victory/preps@al.com)

That said, the

like Wenonah's

, Hokes Bluff's Isaac Haas, Carver-Montgomery's Demetrius Houston, Dallas County's William Lee and Albertville's Riley Norris all showing up on national Top 100 and Top 200 recruit lists.

nationally for the Class of 2014.

Each of those prospects has multiple SEC offers, including offers from one or both of the state's flagship SEC programs. The 2009 in-state class did not have that depth.

Coleman, the showman point guard, said

were thinking of taking their talents to the same school. He mentioned the "Fab Five" classes at Michigan and said the state's top players this year would like to repeat that in Alabama.

It may not happen, but it could happen. A top-tier offer to any of those guys from a Duke, Kentucky or North Carolina would likely wreck that strategy.

But if it does happen, the most likely destination appears to be at UAB.

Why? Well, the AAU culture that high school coaches worry so much about could benefit the Blazers in this instance. The state's top players have grown close from their years on the AAU circuit playing in camps and showcase events.

Coleman noted a strong chemistry among the state's top players and the versatile talents of Coleman, Norris and recent verbal Lewis Sullivan do mesh well together on the floor.

North's Isaac Haas blocks the shot of South's Brandon Murphy during Sports Week boys basketball in Montgomery, Ala., on July 17, 2013. (Dennis Victory/preps@al.com)

Haas, the 7-foot-2 giant,

among schools like Purdue, Texas A&M and UCLA. He also brightened up considerably at the thought of playing college ball with Coleman.

Then there was this comment about UAB.

"I believe that if we can get the right recruitment and the right people to step up and play for UAB then I believe we can get the 'Fab Five' and go all over again and put UAB back where it used to be," Haas said.

The Blazers have the ability to sign five players in their 2014 class. Alabama and Auburn do not appear to have that many open slots on their rosters.

It won't be a complete sweep of the state's top players, of course. Houston

this month.

UAB also has netted two talented commitments in

and

Those two are just outside of all those national Top 150 lists, but they rank among the state's top players for the Class of 2014.

Calhoun led the Birmingham metro in scoring at 25 points per game last season . Sullivan, the 2013 Class 6A Player of the Year,

after the North team's 96-70 humbling of the South.

They also help to build momentum.

Haas said Coleman's decision about where to play would have a "little bit of impact" of his final decision but ultimately said his decision would be the best program to fit and shape his talents at the next level.

Coleman also kept that spark alive with his thoughts on a "Fab Five" in Montgomery.

"It is a real good chance of you know everybody coming together to play with each other but we have to see how it all plays out," Coleman said.

Sullivan said he's been working on the state's top players all going to the same school.

"I talk to those guys almost every day so we could have a 'Fab Five' or whatever you call it," Sullivan said. "So we can build something great at UAB."

Sullivan wasn't sure about Lee or Norris, but felt the strongest about the potential of Coleman and Haas joining him and Calhoun. He said Haase's recruiting approach was making a difference with the class.

"He tells us the stuff we need to hear instead of just the stuff the players want to hear about playing time and getting better," Sullivan. "He's not like we want you here so you can do this and do that. Coach Haase wants us at UAB so we can focus on academics at a good school and also doing the right things on and off the court."