Tennessee opens basketball practice in nine days. No more than three years from now, the Vols could be opening practice in a new facility.

Before that, though, you could be watching them play Kentucky from a luxury suite in Thompson-Boling Arena.

A new practice facility and an arena overhaul are a two-pronged plan being floated to improve the hoops culture at UT.

"It's looking pretty goodso far, but it's very preliminary in nature,'' said Mike Hamilton, athletic director for men's sports.

A practice facility to be used by the men and women would be built adjacent to the arena on the west side. That's the No. 1 priority.

Executive suites in the arena are part of the means to get it done, said John Currie, UT’s associate athletic director for external operations.

Lease a suite and you're helping build the practice facility.

"We've been having conversations over the last few years (with potential donors),'' Currie said. "It's really a process of educating people about what's out there.''

The education process for some UT donors included a visit to Florida's new practice facility last January when the Vols played in Gainesville.

The Gators have the SEC's newest and nicest facility. Kentucky is in the fund-raising stage.

Alabama and South Carolina also have practice gyms built in the past 10 years. Georgia has a no-frills facility that was a by-product of staging a couple of Olympic events in 1996.

A practice facility might appear at first glance to be a superfluous luxury. Presently, the Vols move up the street to Stokely Athletics Center when the arena is booked for another event.

Such a facility, however, can be a useful recruiting tool, demonstrating a commitment to basketball.

The executive suites will greatly change the face of oft-criticized Thompson-Boling Arena. They could be in place sooner because they aren't as complicated to build as the practice facility, Currie said.

The preliminary design calls for 26 suites in two rows of 13, replacing the upper-level seats on the north side of the arena. If you've ever been to Philips Arena in Atlanta, that's the look UT is going for.

"We're testing the waters,'' Currie said. "We feel pretty good that we have the demand to fill all the suites we can build.''

Currie isn't ready to go public with a price, but it would be a more expensive lease than the Neyland Stadium suites (which are sold out with a waiting list).

"With football, you've got seven games a year,'' said Currie. "The arena is different. You've got 32 men's and women's games and 10 or 12 concerts or tractor pulls or whatever.''

Hamilton would like to see the plan come to fruition in two to three years. But it won't get out of the starting gate -- approval by the UT board of trustees -- if the fans and donors don't buy into it.

"When you go to the board, you need to present some level of assurance on the funding,'' Hamilton said.

Hamilton will take renovation plans for Neyland Stadium to the board next month. The basketball agenda isn't ready to be pitched yet.

A few new amenities at the arena will come into play this season: ticket kiosks at the upper level of the ramps; a Sawyer's food outlet on the concourse.

Camp Time: Jackie Butler got invited to the Minnesota Timberwolves training camp as a free agent. He signed with UT last November but opted to skip college. Making Minnesota's roster might be a long shot, but Butler has Sioux Falls of the CBA as a back-up.

Seven players off SEC teams last year got invited to NBA training camps: Justin Reed (Celtics); Rashad Wright (Pacers); Matt Freije (Heat); Kyle Davis (Nets); Christian Drejer (Nets); Erik Daniels (Kings); Gerald Fitch (Wizards).

Over There: Vincent Yarbrough has signed a one-year deal with Telindus Oostende in Belgium. Clinton's Dedrick Dye has signed with Braga in Portugal. Recent SEC alumni Rolando Howell and Aaron Harper are headed to Italy.

Ex-Vol Rashard Lee has changed teams in France, to Maurienne. Ironically, Lee played against Maurienne during UT's 1997 summer tour.

Dollard To Visit: Josh Dollard, a South Carolina prep-school teammate of Damien Harris, has an Oct. 21 visit scheduled at UT. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound Dollard told Rivals.com Auburn is his leader. He also visited Virginia Tech and will visit UAB. Dollard is a fifth-year player at Prince Avenue Prep in Pickens, S.C.

As the Vols found out last week with Jarvis Hill's de-commitment, Auburn's ability to offer immediate playing time is attractive. The Tigers have only five scholarship players returning for 2005-06. One of them is Brett Howell, brother of UT's Jordan Howell. Brett was put on scholarship this year after walking on last season as a transfer from William & Mary.

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