From a marketing standpoint, Tennessee basketball hasn't been an easy sell in recent years. Struggles on the court have translated to struggles at the gate. Everybody loves a winner, but when the team's losing, everyone stays home.

I'm sure arena forefathers did not envision having to install a black curtain in the upper deck to hide away unclaimed seats.

Enter Bruce Pearl, who's alreadylearned that the quickest way to a Big Orange fan's heart in the win column. But he also realizes that a long lasting relationship will depend on what kind of ambassador he is for a program that has long awaited to be reunited with its community.

So how do you change the culture of UT basketball? Well, for starters, Coach Pearl sought out the advice of the two most dynamic basketball coaches the Tennessee campus has ever seen. Ray Mears, who coined the phrase, "Big Orange Country," and Pat Summitt, who has sold women's basketball not only to Knoxville, but to the world.

Pearl's mission, while not global, is big enough. So difficult, it cost Wade Houston, Jerry Green and Buzz Peterson their jobs.

That is why Pearl has wasted little time reaching out to the community and as the Dramatics sang in the 1970s, "What you see is what you get!" Whether it's sharing thoughts with the media or donating time through charity work as I witnessed last fall when Pearl assisted me in helping out the Diabetes Foundation, he does it with an up-tempo style, the same you've witnessed from his team on the basketball court.

I, for one, am impressed with his enthusiasm and believe it's what is needed to reach a core of UT fans who are quite savvy when it comes to knowing how the game is played. Coach Pearl has already learned that a no-nonsense, straightforward approach is good for business both on and off the court. Who knows, maybe it won't be long before those black curtains are pulled aside for good.

Rick Russo is sports director for WVLT Volunteer TV Sports Overtime. Read his blog on govolsxtra.com.