BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl was as charming as ever in his first SEC Media Days appearance.

But Pearl, playing to a different crowd, was also more realistic about his expectations Thursday morning.

Things might not look as good as they sound when it comes to the new system Tennessee plans on bringing into the SEC this season.

"We are going be the aggressor, we are going to attack, we are going to be more physical, and there are some nights that we're going to get run out of the house because of it,'' Pearl said. "I'm sure the rest of the coaches are anxious to get the ball upcourt and beat our press. They're probably already tired of hearing about this new style.

"We haven't invented anything; we just copied from Nolan (Richardson), or Rick (Pitino), or Tom Davis and Jim Calhoun.''

Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, who held court with seven reporters while Pearl was swarmed by 20, appeared mildly agitated to spend time answering questions about a team picked to finish fifth in the SEC East.

"Most teams try to do some form of pressing and fast breaking,'' Smith said. "If I could play that way (uptempo and pressing) the whole game, I would. Either I'm not that smart or I don't have the talent to do it.

"You know, there is another team out there playing against you that gives you a problem.''

Pearl is hoping Tennessee can give Kentucky a problem; he reasserted his goal at Tennessee is to make the Vols' the Wildcats' top rival.

"Whatever I do in the SEC at Tennessee, it will be to try to beat Kentucky, because they're the best team in the conference,'' Pearl said. "And if you can't figure out a system or recruit players to beat Kentucky, the rest of it just doesn't matter.''

Smith indicated a 94-foot pressing game might not be the best way for Pearl and the Vols to go about it.

"I think we have a hard team to press; we have talented players on the perimeter,'' Smith said. "We work against the press every day in practice, so we'll try to attack it.''

Florida coach Billy Donovan wasn't as combative as Smith.

But Donovan, who plans to employ more pressing himself this season, was somewhat dismissive when asked about Pearl's "Controlled Chaos'' system.

"I would say Bruce Pearl and myself, we press totally different,'' said Donovan, who was basing his opinion on what he saw from Pearl in the NCAA tournament. "We're going to try to get multiple traps in the backcourt. They are picking up full court, and once the ball comes inbounds, they're making one trap and then going back down the floor ... I don't know if that's necessarily pressing.

"Maybe that's just one of his presses. I don't know Bruce's system inside and out.''

Pearl said he might need to make adjustments, but the framework of his system will remain the same.

"I have to go on with some preconceived notions (about pressing),'' Pearl said. "But I've got to scratch where it itches and make adjustments.

"We're not talented enough to dictate things to anybody. I'll guarantee you, Tubby Smith isn't losing any sleep over Bruce Pearl or Tennessee.''

And Thursday, neither Smith nor Donovan was wasting much breath.