Backbone: Will Vols prove they have one?

If bowl-game poundings in 1997 and '99 weren't enough, the Cornhuskers' 77-62 basketball victory over the Vols last December was the hardwood equivalent of a 90-yard, 11-play smash-mouth touchdown drive.

Tonight, Tennessee (6-4) gets another chance to show some backbone. Nebraska (4-4) visits Thompson-Boling Arena for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

The hoops Huskers aren't the most artistic team in the land, but they make their opponents earn every point and rebound.

"I told the guys that this is a game where they may end up with some bruises,'' UT coach Buzz Peterson said Wednesday.

Last year in Lincoln, the Vols ended up with some bruises to their confidence as well as their bodies.

Tennessee shot 11 percent in the first half and 27.8 for the game. The Vols went 15:02 between their second and third field goals.

"I give Nebraska a lot of the credit,'' said Peterson. "They did a good job of being physical with us and getting us off balance.''

It was UT's first road test of the season and the Vols flunked it with flying colors. They would go on to finish 0-8 on the road in SEC play.

"That game at Nebraska just started everything going bad for the road last year,'' said senior Brandon Crump. "We didn't play with a lot of intensity the whole game.''

Added Scooter McFadgon, "It wasn't a good way to start off. That was another bad road game for us, the first of many.''

Tonight, of course, Nebraska will be the road team. The Huskers will likely discover that Tennessee is a very different team on its home court.

The Vols have shot better than 50 percent in four of their past five games. They've converted 50 percent of their 3-point shots over the past five games. They were 13-of-15 from 3-point range before Peterson emptied the bench in their last outing, Dec. 23 against Campbell.

McFadgon doesn't think the three-day Christmas break Peterson gave the team will dull their momentum.

"In the last three days of practice,'' McFadgon said, "it seems like the shooting got even better. I don't know if people got jump shots for Christmas or what.

"I was surprised, because usually when you come back everybody's a little rusty.''

Scouting Report: Nebraska is a veteran club missing two starters from a team that finished 18-13 and won two NIT games last year. The Huskers' losses have come against respectable programs, Creighton, UAB, Minnesota and Marquette. Their wins have come against RPI bottom-feeders Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Texas Southern, Morgan State and North Carolina A&T.

Nebraska's leading scorer is freshman guard Joe McRay. He's averaging 14.4 points and has scored 20 or more three times.

Senior forward John Turek had the second best scoring day of his career (21 points) against the Vols last year.

The Huskers play a deliberate offense and shoot only 31.6 percent from 3-point range, but keep games close with physical defense. Only two opponents this season have shot 40 percent or better.

"They play physical,'' said McFadgon, "so you've just got to play back physical. You can't lie down. You've got to play like they play.''

Put on the Pads: Peterson has added a practice drill in which UT's big men take a post feed and then try to score while getting pounded by managers wielding pads.

"He's trying to get us to finish plays,'' said Crump. "You can't worry about getting fouled. You just try to go up strong and finish plays.

"I think it's helping. It gets you off balance but you've got to keep going and keep fighting in there.''

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276.