Tennessee senior forward Andre Patterson spent Thursday morning alone in the recreation center dribbling, shooting and reflecting.

The rest of the Vols were working out in the weight room from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. while Patterson found himself playing one-on-none, suspended.

"I was upset I couldn't practice, and I felt disappointed,'' Patterson said. "I shot a lot, maybe 500, 1,000 shots. I took out a lot of frustrations.''

Patterson's mood could be traced back to a situation that unfolded Saturday night and carried over to Monday morning.

The way the story goes, Patterson and football player Daniel Brooks got into an argument at a party Saturday night. According to UT running backs coach Trooper Taylor the discussion involved a female.

Monday morning, Patterson and Brooks got into another argument on campus. Basketball player Jemere Hendrix came upon the two and words were exchanged. Hendrix, according to a witness, threw a punch at Brooks.

Brooks, already on his last legs with the football team after several off-field incidents, did not fight back at that time. A source said that Brooks did follow Hendrix, Patterson and UT basketball assistant Ken Johnson when they drove away in a golf cart.

UT sports information requested Patterson not comment on the specifics of the altercation leading to his suspension.

"I've called everyone and told them I'm sorry what I've put the team through,'' Patterson said. "I embarrassed them, my family, my coaches and the university.''

UT coach Bruce Pearl won't say how long Patterson's suspension will last, but the guess here is he won't return until after the exhibition season has gotten underway Nov. 3.

"Andre will have an opportunity to be evaluated outside the team,'' Pearl said. "I'll evaluate him on academic performance, off-court behavior and how well he maintains his training outside of the team.''

Patterson shook his head when asked how he got caught up in the altercation involving Brooks and Hendrix.

That is, former football player Brooks and former teammate Hendrix.

Brooks and Hendrix have been kicked off their respective teams, their coaches tired of the distractions they brought.

"I probably shouldn't have even been there (at the party) to begin with,'' Patterson said. "I'm not a guy who brings trouble or looks for trouble.''

And that is why Patterson is getting a second chance.

"It's like a new life,'' Patterson said. "It's a new attitude. I appreciate things a lot more.''

Pearl's Take: Pearl said the 6-8 Hendrix will be missed, but with what had already transpired, he had no choice but to remove the senior forward from the team.

Hendrix was serving an indefinite suspension after being charged with possession of marijuana and driving without a license on Aug. 13 in his hometown of Covington, Ga.

"I'm disappointed because Jemere had made a lot of strides on the court and was excited about playing,'' Pearl said. "But he couldn't' translate that excitement into discipline off the court.

"We have reasonable standards, and when they're not met ... well, I'm patient, and somewhat tolerant, but if it's not headed in the right direction, I have to make a change.''

Pearl is embarrassed by the negative publicity that's been generated by the incident.

"But this sends a message to my basketball team and the rest of my coaches and the athletic department,'' Pearl said. "We're going to fix this.''

Moving On: Pearl said he's moving on with nine scholarship players with hopes Patterson returns to make it 10.

"This means we'll have to play smaller, and smaller can be better sometimes,'' Pearl said. "We'll have to scratch where it itches and do some things differently. Dane Bradshaw, at 6-4, may be playing some power forward. It will be a little unusual, but it gives us another good ball handler and a guy who can extend the defense, because he'll be a threat outside.''

As for Patterson, Pearl said he "hopes that over a period of time, Andre will demonstrate to me, and his teammates and the university, that he wants to be a part of it and have a great senior year.''

Tryouts: Walk-on tryouts will be held Oct. 15 following the Vols' second practice of the season at the Stokely Athletics Center.

"We'll have these tryouts every year,'' Pearl said. "It just so happens that this year there may be more of an opportunity.''

Visitors: Two players will be on official visits at UT this weekend: They are Josh Tabb, originally from Carbondale, Ill., and who is at Harmony Christian Academy (prep School) in Cincinnati, and 6-6 forward Jeremy Williams from Memphis Hamilton.

Tabb, a 6-2 combination guard, originally committed to Southern Illinois and was ranked as one of the top five players in Illinois.

Williams, a top-150 player, has visited Colorado, UAB and Mississippi State. UT is his final visit.