Here's a team that could fill Stokely Athletics Center, maybe even Thompson-Boling Arena.

When I asked readers last Sunday to vote for an All-Vols basketball team of the past 20 years, I wasn't confident it would fly in July. What a relief to open the e-mail file Monday morning and see that some of you out there were in a hoops frame of mind.

By week's end, more than 30 ballots came in. Thirty-one Vols received votes for the 13-man team. Your starting lineups included 19 different suggestions. One, Allan Houston, was unanimous except for one tongue-in-cheek (I think) ballot.

The thought several voters put into their teams was impressive and appreciated.

Without further delay, here's your starting five.

Houston, of course.

"The greatest offensive player in the 20-year period,'' wrote Oscar Moser.

Houston's 2,801 points stand second only to Pete Maravich in SEC history.

"How many points would he have made on a good team?'' asked one voter.

Sharon Crisp Kraushaar wrote, "He has achieved Ernie/Bernie/Dale status.'' Enough said.

Tony White.

The "Wiz" scored 2,219 points, third-best in UT history, a school-record 51 of them in one game.

"A scoring machine,'' wrote Chuck Gentry, "and he always had a smile on his face.''

Ron Slay.

Slay, the 2003 SEC Player of the Year, collected 23 votes as a starter, second only to Houston.

"His will to win was unparalleled by any Vol,'' wrote Kenne Teffeteller.

"I loved his intensity,'' wrote another voter. "Refs gave him a raw deal because of his theatrics.''

Dyron Nix.

"The best scorer/rebounder combo,'' wrote Jerry Haskew.

He was that, at least in this post-Bernard King era. Nix led the SEC in rebounding and scoring in the late 1980s.

"Also had a bit of attitude to his game,'' noted one voter. "Slay and Nix would have been fun to watch.''

Steve Hamer.

"An excellent big man that didn't have a supporting cast,'' wrote Bryan Timby.

Hamer, the only legit 7-footer of the era, spanned the Wade Houston to Kevin O'Neill transition and never played on a winning team.

"It was amazing to watch his overall progression in his four years at UT,'' wrote Brian Kaplan. "He was very raw at the onset of his career but turned into a scorer and leader on some pretty bad Kevin O'Neill rebuilding teams.''

On to the reserves.

In tabulating this team, I awarded two points for each vote a player received as a starter and one point for a vote as a reserve.

Vincent Yarbrough would be the sixth man, followed closely by Brandon Wharton and Marcus Haislip.

If Haislip had come back for his senior year, who knows what his place in UT history would be.

"Really only had one good year, but such an athlete it's too hard to keep him off this team,'' figured one voter.

"Yarbrough,'' wrote another, "was the biggest recruit in my era who's daddy wasn't the head coach.''

Wharton, who could play either guard position, was "the last of the UT accurate shooters,'' noted Alan Adkins.

C.J. Black was, "one of the most underrated Vols,'' wrote Cory Varner. "He was money from the top of the key and could throw his weight around in the paint.''

C.J. Watson earned his spot in only two years. He's got two to go.

"Maybe the best pure point guard Tennessee has had over the past 20 years,'' wrote Ben Harward.

Tony Harris was a Little Big Man. "His game was built on the Three P Principle,'' said one ballot, "Push It, Pass It, Put It up. He could do all three and play a little D.''

Harris, noted one contributor, "was under-appreciated due to 'behavorial' issues,'' an issue several other voters mentioned.

Athletic Isiah Victor and defensive ace Fred Jenkins round out the team.

"Victor was Kevin Garnett-like when he played to his potential,'' wrote Michael Gober. "Jenkins was solid every night and a clubhouse leader.''

A 14th spot would have gone to Carlus Groves, clearly still revered for his 1992 fracas with Shaquille O'Neal and Dale Brown.

Brandon Crump was also a near miss. Lang Wiseman, Doug Roth, Rob Jones and Clarence Swearengen are waiting in the wings in case there's an injury.

"Anyone,'' wrote one Roth fan, "who can bomb a 3 and then flip off all Florida fans gets my vote.''

Aaron Green got several "sparkplug" mentions.

The biggest surprise to me was Greg Bell only getting one vote. Corey Allen and Ian Lockhart would have been hard to leave off my ballot.

"Corey Allen, I loved this guy,'' wrote Kaplan, who is on the same page with me.

And Travis Henry, they haven't forgotten you.

"He beat the Russians!!!'' wrote brothers Bill and Bob Bayne.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.