Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl would like to be working on the advanced stages of the new system the Vols are installing this season.

That's not the case.

"Basic fundamentals of defense is what we're working on, and it's what we're lacking,'' Pearl said Monday. "We'll teach it, we'll put it out, and hopefully we'll improve on it.''

Pearl emphasized the word "hopefully'' because the Vols are just three short days away from their season opener against East Tennessee State at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Net.

Pearl said UT improved in all areas in its 106-73 victory over Division II Carson-Newman on Friday night, but the Vols are hardly polished.

"For 10 minutes, Carson-Newman played with us ... that's where we're at,'' Pearl said. "Is that a concern? Sure it is. That's why we have to continue to improve and get sharper. I'm absolutely concerned.''

Transition defense is Pearl's biggest area of concern.

"We worked on it very hard today,'' Pearl said. "Not very effectively, but we worked on it hard.''

Pearl has targeted support behind the ball on the press.

"When that ball is coming down the floor, if our defense looks like Moses and the parting of the Red Sea, (ETSU standout) Tim Smith is going to drive right to the basket,'' Pearl said. "But if we're away from our man, toward the ball, and we have good vision and good support off the ball, it won't be as easy for them to get to the basket.

"All four guys who are not on the ball, the guys on the shooters and the post, have to see the ball so they can be in position to help.''

Pearl said it's a matter of effort and discipline, and while the hustle is there, teaching proper fundamentals and awareness can take time.

"It's something that's got to be engrained,'' Pearl said. "Transition defense is a very difficult part of the game.''

Plus-Minus: One of Pearl's favorite stats is one he came up with at Southern Indiana, the "Plus-Minus.''

The statistic is a measure of how the team fares with each specific player on the court.

Against Carson-Newman, C.J. Watson had the best plus-minus at 32. That means when he was in the game the Vols outscored the Eagles by 32. UT won by 33 points, so that means when anyone else but Watson was running the point, the Vols outscored C-N by one.

Pearl said he was being flippant following Friday's game when he said Watson's game was on "cruise control.'' Watson had 15 points and three assists.

"It was an off-the-cuff comment,'' Pearl said. "He didn't take a lot of shots and he didn't have a lot of assists, but he was plus-32 ... so it's not fair to be critical of C.J.''

End Of The Bench: The two scholarship players who have seen the least amount of playing time are guard Jordan Howell and center Damion Harris. Harris played one minute in the exhibition opener against Southern Indiana and didn't play against Carson-Newman. Howell didn't play against Southern Indiana and was limited to eight minutes against C-N.

Pearl said there's a possibility that Harris could be redshirted, while Howell is making some progress.

"I'm not going to waste him (Harris) by playing him a minute here and a minute there,'' Pearl said. "But with our scholarship limitations right now, and our roster being what it is, I may not have that luxury (of redshirting him).''

Harris is still bothered by a quadriceps injury.

Howell, who was minus-1 against C-N, is battling Dane Bradshaw and JaJuan Smith for the few minutes available at the point behind Watson.

Patterson At 3: Pearl added small forward to Andre Patterson's repertoire Monday. Pearl has two players at each front line position: centers Major Wingate and Patterson, power forwards Bradshaw and Ryan Childress and small forwards Stanley Asumnu and Patterson.