NASHVILLE -- Pressure?

Bring it on, says Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl.

"I hope there's pressure on us,'' said Pearl, whose 14th-ranked Vols (21-6) play South Carolina at 1 p.m. today (TV: WVLT) at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

"Sure, there's pressure on us to win the tournament,'' he said Thursday. "We didn't win the regular season championship.''

UT, however, won the SEC Eastern Division with a 12-4 record. The Gamecocks (16-14) won their first-round game 59-44 against Mississippi State Thursday.

"I told the players the best way to get ready for the NCAA tournament is to put pressure on ourselves,'' said Pearl, who led Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the Sweet 16 last year. "In the Horizon League, you had to win the league tourney to get in the NCAA tournament. You lose, your season is over.

"Playing with that mentality helped us get ready for the NCAA tournament. So I told our guys let's play these (SEC tournament) games in the fashion we plan to play the NCAA tournament.''

Pearl hopes the Vols play South Carolina in the same fashion they did in the regular season. UT swept the Gamecocks, winning 76-69 in Columbia, S.C., and 81-65 in Knoxville.

"It's hard to beat a good team once, it's harder to beat them twice, and it's very hard to beat them three times,'' Pearl said. "But this is one game, it's 40 minutes, and the best team will win.''

The Gamecocks were budding with confidence after their win over the Bulldogs, having achieved balanced scoring and sound ball control, turning the ball over just four times.

"We match up with them perfectly,'' said South Carolina forward Renaldo Balkman, who led the Gamecocks with 12 points. "I know for a fact when we play them it will be a hard-nosed fight to the end. To the end.''

UT guard C.J. Watson smiled when told of Balkman's determined promise during the Vols' practice at Tennessee State.

"I think both teams will play hard,'' Watson said. "We'll play just as hard as them.''

UT assistant Scott Edgar, who scouted South Carolina, said the Vols' front line could be a factor.

"This is a game where 'Gate (Major Wingate) and Andre (Patterson) can step up some and score,'' Edgar said. "They (Gamecocks) have some light bodies inside.

"We'll have to chase (Tarence) Kinsey and not give him open shots. We'll need to get into them (South Carolina) early and make 'em pay for playing today.''

Gamecocks coach Dave Odom, whose team overcame an early 9-2 deficit against Mississippi State, said there's a tradeoff to not getting a first-round bye.

"I know Tennessee will prey on the fact we played today and they're fresh,'' Odom said. "I'll prey on the fact we have our first-game jitters of tournament out the way. Maybe they'll be nervous.''

Pearl doesn't think so.

"We've been in so many tough places already,'' he said, "And this team has won on the road. Jitters? I don't think so.''

Odom said his team needs great effort for the duration of the game to beat Tennessee.

"More than any team in our league, Tennessee is a team you have to play from beginning to end without taking any time off,'' Odom said. "They're a team that preys on your mistakes more readily than any team in our league. We were up 40-25 (in Columbia), made two or three turnovers, missed the front end of one-and-ones, and next thing you know you have (Chris) Lofton and company lofting threes from Knoxville and making them.''

Odom asked his team to guard Lofton tight in the first two meetings to no avail; Lofton scored 18 and 23 points.

Odom suggested he might try something different.

"I think he's the best guarded shooter in the nation,'' Odom said. "He shoots better when he's guarded. We may try to back off him and see if that works.''

Pearl laughed at the idea.

"I hope they do,'' he said, "but I don't buy that at all.''

State's Take: Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury offered his breakdown of the UT-South Carolina game.

"Tennessee depends on so much emotion because of the way they play with that energy,'' said Stansbury, whose Bulldogs fell to the Vols 88-65 in Starkville. "If that emotion isn't quite right, that energy isn't the same. They'd lost what, three of four? It's a fine line.

"It (South Carolina) has great experience and great guard play; you've got to have that against Tennessee, in particular,'' he said. "South Carolina's not easy to press because their 4s and 5s are really 3s and 4s.

"South Carolina matches up against Tennessee as well as any team in this tournament.''