GREENSBORO, N.C. — Hardly anyone looks forward to surgery. Dane Bradshaw has accepted the inevitable, but would prefer to postpone it a few weeks.

He has pressing business in a little event called the NCAA basketball tournament, which starts here today for Tennessee in an opening-round match with Winthrop.

Under other circumstances Bradshaw would have undergone the surgery to repair ligaments in his right wrist a month ago. However, that would have reduced him to spectator status — an unacceptable option.

The injury occurred Jan. 21 in the Vols’ 80-76 win over Florida. Bradshaw taped it up and played on.

But on Feb. 8, the morning after UT returned from a 75-67 win at Kentucky, it was time to face the doctor.

"Talk about an emotional roller coaster,’’ Bradshaw said Wednesday. "We had just won at Kentucky and the next morning a doctor advises you to end your season.

"But my decision was made before I even walked in there.’’

Bradshaw has continued to play well for the most part, but not as well as he might have at 100 percent.

"I’ve tried to stay aggressive,’’ he said. "Naturally, I’m a little hesitant to go after the ball with my right hand so I don’t think I’m getting my hands on as many balls. I just tape it up enough to try to keep so much pressure off it that it cuts the circulation off.’’

Better cutting off the circulation than the season.

"You want to continue this magical season,’’ said Bradshaw of his motivation.

"I don’t think I should be patted on the back at all. I would expect my teammates to do the same thing.’’

Been There: Andre Patterson is the only Vol with NCAA tournament experience. His freshman year at UCLA, the Bruins beat Ole Miss and then upset No. 1-seed Cincinnati in Pittsburgh to advance to the Sweet 16, where they lost to Missouri.

"It’s the greatest experience you’ll ever have,’’ said Patterson. "I told the guys it’s like the SEC tournament times five.

"The caliber of teams, the media, just the whole world watching. It’s the dream of playing college basketball.’’

Wichita Link: Wichita State associate head coach Tad Boyle spent a season in Knoxville. Boyle was director of basketball operations in Jerry Green’s first season, 1997-98. He left to resume bench coaching at Jacksonville State under Mark Turgeon and followed him to Wichita.

Wichita State plays Seton Hall.

Boyle will square off against the Vols on Saturday if the two top seeds win today.

Seton Hall Link: Seton Hall coach Louis Orr had a hand in one of UT’s most painful defeats. He was a key sub on the Syracuse team that beat the Vols 93-88 in the 1977 NCAA tournament, in effect bringing down the curtain on the "Ernie & Bernie" era.

Palmer Turns Up: David Palmer is a name familiar to those who have followed UT recruiting for the past few years. The Nashvillian played at Oak Hill Academy and was linked with the Vols on the rumor circuit. He landed at Seton Hall, where he averages 3.1 points as a freshman in 9.7 minutes per game.

Kiwi Bradshaw: Winthrop has a Bradshaw, too. Craig Bradshaw, a 6-foot-10 forward, was discovered in Wellington, New Zealand. ? Winthrop guard Chris Gaynor is a cousin of NBA rookie star Chris Paul, the former Wake Forest point guard.

Marshall’s Roots: Winthrop coach Gregg Marshall played his hoops at Cave Spring High in Roanoke, Va., which would later become the alma mater of Duke’s J.J. Redick.

"He broke my scoring record,’’ Marshall said, "and then he became a sophomore.’’

Redick, who leads Duke against Southern in the late game tonight, was born in Cookeville.

Pops Optimistic: George Washington’s star big man, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, is optimistic he’ll go today against UNC-Wilmington.

Mensah-Bonsu hasn’t played since undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee Feb. 22.

"It’s holding up pretty good,’’ he said.

Catholic Connection: Joe Proctor, a football, basketball and track star at Catholic High School from1964-67, is in his first year as an assistant coach at Southern University. Proctor is no stranger to the NCAA tournament, having been on the Alabama State staff that made several trips. Southern, a 16th seed, takes on Duke tonight.

A Few Tickets Left: A couple of hundred tickets go on sale to the public at the Coliseum at 10 a.m. today.