Jimmy Dykes has been on the frontline of recruiting, where teams are looking to get any advantage they can.

A former assistant at six different programs including Kentucky and Arkansas, he had suspicions some coaches were immediately exploiting the FBI's announcement Tuesday that it arrested ten people in connection with an investigation into bribes and corruption within college basketball.

"I can almost guarantee you within the hour that news was being used on the recruiting trail because it is very difficult for any of those schools that are in question right now to have answers," said Dykes, an ESPN analyst. "Those recruiting battles are heated. They are extremely heated and hard-fought. And it's going to obviously play into recruiting until those situations are cleared up for all those schools right now that have at least had inquiries."

Two of the universities implicated in the probe are Alabama and Auburn. Tigers assistant coach Chuck Person was arrested on six federal charges after he was alleged to have received $91,500 in bribes during a 10-month period. Over in Tuscaloosa, Kobie Baker, a basketball administrator, resigned Wednesday after, according to a source, he was mentioned in a complaint detailing his participation in a scheme to steer an incoming Alabama player to a financial advisor.

Soon after the scandal erupted, a four-star forward, E.J. Montgomery, announced he was reneging on his commitment to Auburn.

"This hurts," said Jerry Meyer, director of basketball scouting for 247Sports. "Every school whose name comes out right now, it hurts. How bad is the long-term impact going to be? Man I don't know... I think it's going to make prospects cautious. I think we're kind of in a limbo period right here. I think everyone is sort of sitting there and watching. Let's saying you're considering an Alabama or Auburn, you're not making a decision right now."

According to 247Sports, Alabama and Auburn are among six SEC schools that have yet to secure a pledge from a 2018 Class member. With the early signing period beginning Nov. 8, both programs find themselves in uncomfortable situations.

Entering this week, the two rivals appeared to be on the rise. Last fall, the Tide landed the eighth-best crop of recruits, headlined by five-star guard Collin Sexton. The Tigers were not far behind after their class was ranked No. 21 by 247Sports. But it's unclear whether both schools can maintain the momentum.

"One of the things that hurts recruiting most is uncertainty," said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas. "Once there is certainty, I don't think it's a major issue. We're at the beginning of this so we don't know exactly where this all bottoms out."

A protracted period could unfold before there is any kind of resolution at either the FBI or NCAA levels, which could sustain the dark cloud hovering over the implicated teams.

"You want it resolved as quickly as possible," Dykes said. "But when you're talking about federal law being broken and the FBI being involved, they do not care about the timeline they're dealing with in recruiting. This is way far beyond that."

The question is whether Alabama and Auburn have the strength to weather this storm. Neither program ranks among the elite of college basketball. And they don't have the same name recognition as some of the traditional powers.

"I don't think it's any more devastating for Auburn and Alabama than it would be for the true blue bloods of college basketball because it's all relevant," Dykes said. "It's who you are recruiting and who else is recruiting that student athlete. That's a point of attack and that's where the battle is fought. But it is a question mark with uncertainty about the future right now. And they're going to have to deal with it."

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin