Tennessee senior forward Andre Patterson returned to practice Monday for the first time since being suspended Oct. 3 following an altercation involving former Vols' football player Daniel Brooks and former basketball teammate Jamere Hendrix.

"It's been four weeks, and the punishment has got to fit the crime,'' UT men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl said. "He will not play against Southern Indiana.''

The Vols open their exhibition season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night against the Screaming Eagles, a Division II power.

Patterson has worked out on his own since Pearl removed him from the team indefinitely after he and Hendrix got into a physical altercation with Brooks on campus. The incident was the result of an argument that occurred the previous Saturday night at a party.

Pearl kicked Hendrix off the team because he was already 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.

Pearl, who's down to 10 scholarship players, said Patterson is far behind his teammates when it comes to knowing the Vols' new system.

"He's with the scout team right now,'' Pearl said. "He's way behind. He'll continue to be penalized (until the exhibition), but from that point on he can work to get his way back into the rotation.''

Sophomore guard JaJuan Smith sat out Monday's practice with a hip pointer, but Pearl said he expects him to be ready to play Thursday night.