Tasha Butts will not make a basket. She will not grab a rebound or throw a pass for the Tennessee women's basketball team this season.

Yet she's a prime candidate for Lady Vols' MVP: Most valuable presence.

The former player has returned as a graduate assistant. She's planning to be a coach someday. In the meantime, she'll play adviser to some of her ex-teammates.

Butts, a key member of last season's Final Four team, is experienced in what's commonly known as leadership. She calls it, "the dirty work." She began preparing Loree Moore, Shyra Ely and Shanna Zolman for duty last season. Butts is back, in part, to help see the job through.

"I'm not going to say they don't have an idea,'' said Butts, who recently finished her rookie season in the WNBA with the Minnesota Lynx. "But it probably won't hit them until they go through it.''

To their credit, the apprentice candidates have been bracing for the blow.

Junior guard Zolman already has asked coach Pat Summitt to come down hard on her when she's not speaking up.

Senior forward Ely, mindful of her reputation as the silent type, has been heard from in preseason conditioning.

Senior guard Moore, who Butts calls "her little baby'', sounds like she's undergone a Zen-like transformation.

"I feel like my mind is clear,'' she said. "I have to make sure I do everything in my will and power to do what's asked of me.''

The greatest demand on the trio's time, energy and spirit is establishing what Ely aptly described as "a common attitude" It's all about setting a standard and enforcing it. Sounds easy, but it's not. Why else would sophomore Sidney Spencer, who will talk to anyone, say: "There are older players that are better communicators.''

In other words, let the veterans say something that a teammate doesn't want to hear. It's bound to happen. Sooner or later, this season's leaders will get the idea. Things will get messy.

Butts recalled such a moment last season, during a game at Vanderbilt. UT's LaToya Davis was being out-rebounded by Dee Davis. During a timeout, Butts grabbed Davis by the chin and yelled, "She's kicking your butt. What are you going to do?''

Butts said that Davis initially recoiled, rather than face the confrontation. Still, she responded on the court.

"I felt bad for yelling at her,'' Butts said. "But it got results.''

OK, who wants to be confrontational? Anyone? Someone better be ready to do it.

"You need one person on the court who isn't afraid to yell at someone in practice or in the game,'' Butts said. "Not to yell at someone to frustrate them but to pull something out of them.''

Whoever steps forward, Butts advises, better have a strong work record. Fall practice starts Saturday, and leaders can't afford to be slackers.

During group workouts Tuesday, Zolman was warming up for the work ahead. She bellowed, "No stance, no chance" during a defensive drill.

In order to truly mean what she says, Ely realizes the first person to hold accountable is herself.

"I'll be competing with myself,'' she said.

To her credit, Moore no longer will be competing with Summitt. Coach and point guard have been known to clash. But before last season's game at Duke, the game in which Moore went down for the season with a knee injury, she initiated a truce.

"I pulled coach to the side and said, 'I'm here for you. I'm ready to do anything you ask. No questions asked,' '' Moore recalled. "She's been wanting to hear that from me forever. It was a relief.''

Once creditability has been established, Butts said, the other important talking point is discretion.

Butts knew she could aim a sharp verbal volley at Davis, but not at then-freshman Tye'sha Fluker.

"You have to take the time to learn your teammates,'' Butts said. "You have to build some type of relationship with everyone on the team, everyone.''

Two weeks ago, Ely noted that sophomore Dominique Redding was having a tough time and responded accordingly.

"I'm talking to her a lot,'' Ely said. "Last year, I might have said a couple things.''

Butts would nod approvingly toward such a kind, useful gesture.

She also might be inclined to grab Ely by the chin and exclaim: Keep it up! But she won't. Since she's not on the court with the Lady Vols, it's not her place anymore.

It is somebody else's turn. The dirty work awaits.

Dan Fleser covers Tennessee women's basketball. He may be reached at 865-342-6288 or fleser@knews.com.