Tennessee senior forward Dane Bradshaw will continue to shoulder the load for the Vols this season, even if both of his shoulders will likely be stricken by tendinitis the rest of the season.

"At this point, I feel like I have a clean slate,'' said Bradshaw, who learned late Tuesday night that MRIs on his shoulders taken revealed no structural damage and no torn muscles. "Now that I know what the pain is, it gives me confidence I'm not injuring it worse.

"Before, I was hesitant to get in the gym and get a lot of shots up because of risking further damage, but now I can get in there and figure out the right feel I need to have to shoot with the injury.''

Junior Chris Lofton is UT's obvious leader in scoring, averaging 21.4 points per game -- but check out most other statistics and Bradshaw is at or near the top of the list as the Vols (9-2) head toward Saturday's noon match up with Texas at Thompson-Boling Arena (TV: ESPN, noon).

Bradshaw, who's listed as a 6-foot-4 power forward, has nearly twice as many assists (46) as any other player, leads the team in blocks (10) and is tied for the team lead with 27 steals.

"When he left my office this (Tuesday) morning at 9 o' clock, after he walked out the door, I said to (assistant) coach Steve Forbes, 'There goes our season right there,' " UT coach Bruce Pearl said. "He means everything; so this is good news.''

UT associate athletics trainer Chad Newman said the MRIs revealed a right shoulder contusion and bicep tendinitis.

Bradshaw, who practiced Wednesday but will sit out today's workout, said he planned to finish out the season regardless of the MRI results.

"I was a little worried if there was a long-term recovery period after surgery after the season, it would ruin any hopes I had to play after the season overseas or wherever,'' Bradshaw said. "But I assumed I was going to play no matter what. If you're a freshman, that might be a different story. But when you're a senior, nothing is going to keep you out the second half of the season.''

Bradshaw said there are different rehabilitation and treatment plans in place involving manipulation of pressure points, Pearl said cortisone shots are being considered after the Texas game to speed the healing process.

"We practiced him today because we won't tomorrow,'' Pearl said. "We'll continue to try to rest him and hope that over the period of the next two weeks, when we only have a game here and there, that rest will take care of it.''

Bradshaw said playing with the tendinitis is easier than playing with the broken wrist he played through last season.

"The wrist took me out of all the plays I could make getting my hand on the ball,'' Bradshaw said. "As far as limitations now, the rebounding, when you have to extend your arms high above your head and contesting shots is difficult.

"A lot of times I'm forced to short arm some things as far as passing and shooting.''

Of course, there was no short-arming the steal he made in the last 30 seconds nor the shot he tipped in with 1.9 seconds left to lift the Vols to a 79-77 win over 15th ranked and previously unbeaten Oklahoma State Monday night in Nashville.

"I think a lot of the attention this has got is a result of our win Monday night,'' Bradshaw said. "With all that attention, I was thinking they better find something at the MRI so there's proof I really am hurt.

"But believe me, I have siblings who kid me I'm not as big a deal as they're making me out to be.''

No disrespect to the Bradshaw family, but there's a basketball team and 10s of thousands of Big Orange supporters who would strongly disagree.

No pain, no Dane, no Tennessee gain.