Can Wingate be a major contributor this season?

So Tennessee basketball fans can reasonably expect Major Wingate to turn it up a notch this year, right?

Well, yes and no.

Wingate, the 6-foot-10 sophomore center, will no doubt be a more-consistent contributor for the Vols now that he has a year of college ball under his belt.

However, that doesn't necessarily translate to Wingate averaging a double-double. Or, even trying to average a double-double.

Wingate averaged 3.6 points and 2.5 rebounds as a freshman. He moved into the starting lineup at midseason and ended up playing 16.2 minutes a game. While some Thompson-Boling Arena denizens wanted bigger numbers from Wingate, that's not how he saw his role.

His mantra: rebound, play defense and let the veterans like Brandon Crump do the scoring.

Wingate is a year older but his philosophy hasn't changed.

"I think with Andre (Patterson) coming in and the same starting lineup (as last year), I think I'll probably do the same thing this year,'' Wingate said. "I'm not trying to rush anything.''

Crump is still around. So is forward Jemere Hendrix. Subtracting Boomer Herndon, who left for Belmont, and adding Patterson, the UCLA transfer, is a swap that beefs up the Vols' inside presence. And Wingate should be good for a few more buckets, even if he's still thinking defense first.

He averaged 6.0 points a game over the final seven games of the season, after averaging only 2.2 the previous eight games. Optimists can spin that trend as a sign he was coming on at the end.

Right now, he's trying to get healthy. A hip-flexor injury resulted from an awkward landing during individual workouts.

"I don't know what's wrong with it but it keeps bothering me,'' Wingate said. "Chad (Newman, UT's trainer) has me every day getting chiropractic work. It's getting better, slowly but surely.''

UT coach Buzz Peterson would love to see a player with Wingate's size and athleticism become more assertive on the offensive end. But at the same time, the coach appreciates a youngster who believes in defense and doesn't want to hurt his team by forcing bad shots. Both are foreign concepts to many rookies.

Those who deal with the Vols on a regular basis appreciate that there is an analytical side to Wingate's low-key personality. He was in the National Honor Society in high school. He can tell it like it is.

As a freshman, he wasn't afraid to call out teammates he thought weren't giving their best effort (especially on defense). And a steady diet of getting blown out on the road was hard to swallow.

"I had never lost more than five or six games in high school and we lost 16,'' he said. "That opened my eyes. It's more of a business than anything.

"Everybody's trying to eat, just like we are. Players are trying to go to the next level. Coaches are trying to keep their jobs.''

Wingate wouldn't mind getting to the next level eventually. He's just not in any rush.

Open Scrimmage: The Vols will be on public view Saturday morning from 10:30 a.m.-noon. Football fans or anyone else can drop by Thompson-Boling Arena for a little scrimmage action.

Recruiting: The good news in the UT camp is that no one de-committed and switched to Auburn this week. In fact, if forward Josh Dollard keeps his scheduled visit this weekend, the Vols hope they have a chance to sway him away from the Tigers. Dollard says Auburn is his leader, but backed off what a couple of Internet sites reported last week as a commitment.

Times Have Changed: When Rick Pitino was at Kentucky, he wondered how all those blue-clad fans came up with tickets at road games. Entering his fourth season at Louisville, he doesn't want to see them when the Wildcats visit Freedom Hall on Dec. 18.

"If you're a corporate sponsor,'' Pitino told a tip-off luncheon audience, "please do not give any of your tickets to Kentucky fans.

"One thing I remember from when I worked for the Dark Side was that we would come into Freedom Hall with 4,000 blue shirts in the stands and I always wondered how we did that at the time.

"Now, with modern technology, we have video cameras everywhere. And if you give a seat to a Kentucky fan, your tickets will be pulled.''

After a loud ovation, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported, Pitino glanced at athletic director Tom Jurich and smiled.

"Tom, they think we're kidding,'' Pitino added. "But we're not.''

Looking Ahead: South Carolina came back from an exhibition trip to Canada feeling good about its depth. Forward Brandon Wallace and point guard Tre Kelley look ready to nail down jobs. ... Two-sport freshman Cornelius Ingram has switched from football practice to basketball at Florida. He's redshirting in football and will play small forward for Billy Donovan. ... Vanderbilt got a commitment this week from Ohio power forward Kyle Madsen. ... If it weren't for six new walk-ons from an open tryout, Georgia wouldn't have enough healthy bodies to practice. The Bulldogs, who have only eight scholarship players, head to Vancouver next week for exhibition games. ... Alabama is concerned that star Kennedy Winston's knee problems will keep him from being 100 percent until the SEC season. Freshman Ron Steele will succeed departed Antoine Pettway at point guard. ... Nebraska drew 6,000 for an outdoor scrimmage Saturday prior to a home football game. ... Vandy transfer Brian Thornton has been elected co-captain at Xavier before he ever plays a game.

Other media contributed to this report. Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.