Almost immediately, Don DeVoe saw something special.

Doug Dickey witnessed the same thing last week.

Some of the old guard of Tennessee men's basketball and Tennessee athletics are getting excited about the 19th-ranked Vols.

"It's about as much fun as you can have as a fan," said Dickey, retired UT athletic director, prior to Saturday's 81-65 victory over South Carolina at Thompson-Boling Arena. "The team is playing extremely hard and about as well as they can at times.

"It's really exciting and wonderful to see the fans show up to support the basketball program."

Dickey was in attendance last week when UT upset then-No. 2 Florida.

DeVoe caught the fever a little sooner.

UT's coach from 1979-1989 spent a few days last October checking out the new guy. He wanted to see first-year coach Bruce Pearl in action.

"From the time I first watched him practice back in the fall, I felt really comfortable," DeVoe said.

He knew Tennessee (14-3, 5-1 SEC) had found the right guy.

"I thought this is a coach who could really get this team going and play at a high level," DeVoe said.

That's coming from a guy who knows something about high expectations. He replaced legendary Ray Mears and is currently second on UT's career win list with a 204-137 record.

"I think in a nutshell," DeVoe said, "I see a basketball program that should have been running at full speed for the last three decades.

"Fortunately, we found a coach who had the temperament and understanding of what it takes to put it all together. It has been very impressive from my standpoint."

The Vols have consistently been putting 20,000 fans in the seats since SEC play began.

"The bottom line is you have to have a winning team," DeVoe said. "That's what all Tennessee fans relate to."

Dickey, who plans on moving to Jacksonville, Fla., in May to be closer to family, thought the Vols were close to getting it going a few times in the past.

"So far, this team and this coach have been able to win games like the Florida game and create momentum with games like the one at Texas," he said. "It's an exciting time that everybody feels good about and I hope it keeps going."

DeVoe also hopes everyone gives a little credit to former coach Buzz Peterson, who was fired last March.

"These fellas have latched on, but the cupboard wasn't bare," DeVoe said. "Let's be honest. I think we all need to appreciate the job Buzz Peterson and his staff did in bringing these players here.

"Nobody can win unless you have the athletes and these guys are athletic, have some skills, and Bruce has molded them into a team he likes."

Visible Security: Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton bumped up the visibility of arena officers on Saturday.

The Vols were fined $5,000 by the SEC after fans rushed the court following the upset of Florida. A second violation will cost UT $25,000.

Against the Gamecocks, uniformed officers made their presence felt every timeout, especially in the second half.

"We had the same number of officers in the building, about 58, there was just a little more of a noticeable presence," Hamilton said. "Regardless of what may have been said, we had a plan last week.

"Fan support this year has been nothing short of phenomenal. We've just got to do our part to make sure we're abiding by SEC policy."

DeVoe Moonlighting: DeVoe is retired and living in Knoxville, but he's also helping out the NCAA by serving on an advisory committee "to make the NIT preseason and postseason a different and a greater tournament."