Vols ready for smash-mouth basketball

Playing Oklahoma State at 6 tonight in the All-College Basketball Classic presents 23rd-ranked Tennessee (6-0) another opportunity to answer that question.

"This non-conference opponent here is the one that has the best chance to expose our weaknesses,'' said UT coach Bruce Pearl, whose team is a four-point underdog against the 7-3 Cowboys in tonight's clash on ESPN2. "Defense and rebounding wins championships. That's our weakness.

"Oklahoma State will play four kids 6-foot-8 or bigger 20 to 25 minutes, rotating fresh bodies in. We won't be able to wear them out.''

Pearl, however, still plans to run full-court pressure with hopes of forcing turnovers.

"The press needs to be effective and be a factor for us,'' Pearl said. "They're shooting 49.6 percent, and half of their misses, they go and get.''

Pearl explained how Oklahoma State's guards differ from Texas' in that they penetrate, which in turn puts players in position for rebounds.

"(Coach) Eddie Sutton plays smash-mouth basketball,'' Pearl said. "They set diabolical screens. Their big guys will pick (C.J.) Watson and (Chris) Lofton.

"Then, JamesOn Curry will come off those screens and shoot. Others come off the screens and penetrate.''

Pearl said the Cowboys are just as physical and aggressive on defense.

"They play tough man-to-man; they'll likely foul us every possession, but they (referees) won't call it every time,'' Pearl said. "We need to be ready for contact on every possession.''

Pearl liked the fact his players declined to watch film of the 95-78 win over Texas.

"That was a good sign,'' he said. "We never got challenged or threatened against Texas. This one will be all we want.''

And that's why Pearl scheduled the Vols to play in Oklahoma State's backyard in the nation's oldest college basketball tournament.

"This is as close to being in a hostile SEC environment as we'll get before the league schedule,'' Pearl said. "So let's see what this will be like.''

Pearl seems to hunger for a challenge, and he believes Sutton is just the man to do it.

Sutton, in turn, paid his respects to the Vols in an article published by the Oklahoman newspaper.

"If they play like they did in Austin, they're far and away the best team we've played,'' said Sutton, second among active coaches with 788 wins. "They're better than Boston College. They're better than Gonzaga.''

Pearl was appreciative but wary of the praise.

"Oklahoma State over the last three years is the winningest program in the Big 12 and have been to two Sweet 16s and the Final Four,'' Pearl said. "Last time I checked, we haven't been to the tourney in a while.

"There's no way with one big win over Texas that our program can go from the hunters to the hunted.''

Foggy: The Vols lost practice time after their charter flight was re-routed from Oklahoma City to Tulsa. The Oklahoma City airport was fogged in Wednesday morning, resulting in UT showing up 30 minutes late for a two-hour scheduled practice at Ford Center.