In the best of all possible basketball games for veteran Tennessee fans, Ray Mears would be on the bench coaching and John Ward would be describing it.

Tonight at Thompson-Boling Arena, the legendary coach and the legendary broadcaster will be honored at halftime as UT hangs banners in their behalf from the rafters.

Mears, the head coach from 1963-1977, has been in poor health but might be able to attend.

Ward, who retired as the "Voice of the Vols" after the 1998-99 season, will be there and hopes Mears can join him.

Ward said Tuesday that while he generally avoids comparing coaches, some of the similarities between Mears and current UT coach Bruce Pearl are right on.

"They are both so openly willing to give of themselves,'' Ward said. "As far as their job is concerned, they are selfless.''

Ward was at the microphone when Mears built UT basketball into an entity that was both successful and wildly popular, particularly in the 1970s.

The fire went out, but Ward knew the right guy could light it again.

"I was confident,'' Ward said, "a basketball coach would come in with imagination, willing to try new things and not be afraid to take a chance.

"That's what this guy does. You have to have a certain personality over and above your coaching and they both have that.''

Mears stood toe to toe with Kentucky, going 15-15 against the Wildcats.

And, Ward is confident, Mears would give a thumbs up on tonight's promotion of using T-shirts to create a checkerboard design throughout the lower bowl of the arena.

UT, the Vol Network and The Natural Gas and Pipelines Company of East Tennessee will pass out 10,400 shirts, half orange, half white.

"Hopefully,'' Ward said, "Mears will be able to come.

"To me, if he can look up and see that and understand what it is, I would pay for that. It's worth it to me.''