Recruiting for Tennessee basketball takes on a whole new twist this summer.

UT coach Bruce Pearl can't wait.

First, there's the obvious SEC Eastern Division title and a No. 2 seeding in the NCAA tournament.

Then you can toss in the possible mention of beating the national champion Florida not once, but twice.

Add to the mix a state of the art practice facility and the excitement is growing.

From day one of his hiring, Pearl talked of the importance of building a UT men's and women's basketball practice facility.

Larry Pratt must have been listening.

The Athens, Tenn., native has made a $5 million donor commitment towards making the facility a reality.

"I have a longtime appreciation for the standard of excellence Pat Summitt has established for Tennessee and I have confidence that Bruce Pearl is the right coach to lead the men's program to the same level," Pratt said in a UT release. "We've got to make sure that they have all the tools they need to recruit the best possible student-athletes and develop their skills to a championship level."

Construction is expected to begin in August and UT administrators expect the project to be fully funded at groundbreaking ceremonies.

The new building will be called the "Pratt Basketball Practice Pavilion" pending approval at the UT Board of Trustees meeting in June.

The facility, expected to cost in the area of $15 million, will be located adjacent to Thompson-Boling Arena in what is now a staff parking lot.

It will include two full size gymnasiums, one for each of the men's and women's programs, as well as space for an athletic training room, a weight room and a film study room.

Pratt, a 1972 UT graduate, is president and CEO of First Savings Mortgage Corp., in McLean, Va., the Washington, D.C., area's largest private mortgage banker.

Now it's Pearl's opportunity to be thankful.

"We are so thankful for Larry's commitment to the University of Tennessee," Pearl said. "His support is helping Tennessee basketball move forward in a direction that will improve the experience and recruitment of future student-athletes."