Making a run to the NCAA basketball tournament apparently wasn't enough for Stanley Asumnu.

Now he's making a run for a receiver spot with the Tennessee football team.

"Stanley Asumnu offered to come out and wanted to try a little football," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said following spring practice Thursday.

Asumnu was wearing No. 88 and in shorts as he went through his first of two required acclimation days with the football team.

The 6-foot-5 forward from Houston, Texas, had a cheering section as basketball teammates Chris Lofton and Jordan Howell watched him from the sidelines.

"I know he can run and I know he can jump," Fulmer said. "How much he can actually learn between now and next fall, a lot of it will depend on him.

"If he can clear out a zone, or run a post, or go up and get a fade, you can use those things. I'm really excited about him being out here."

Asumnu recently completed four years of basketball at Tennessee, appearing in 113 games and making 33 starts.

This past season, he averaged eight points and more than three rebounds in 15 starts.

At Fulmer's request, Asumnu wasn't made available for comment after practice.

"He hasn't played (football) since the eighth grade," Fulmer said. "That's a little bit of a problem probably."

UT receivers coach Trooper Taylor kept Asumnu a little longer after practice to run a couple of drills with his newest wideout hopeful.

"He did a good job," Taylor said. "He caught the football well. I don't know if he'll bite bread. Anybody can look good in shorts. We'll see what happens when he puts the pads on.

"The way I coach if he lasts two periods with the pads on he'll have to be serious about it. We're going to be physical. I'm a pretty demanding coach. The thing I like about him is every time I turn around he's right next to me asking to put him in."

Junior quarterback Erik Ainge is taking a wait-and-see approach.

"We were out here throwing with him, testing him, a little bit (Wednesday) and he looks like he can catch it," Ainge said. "We'll see. When you're as athletic as he is, it's all about how fast we can teach him how to play."

Former receiver C.J. Fayton was the last UT player to try his hand at both sports, but his attempt at basketball was shortlived.

"I think he lasted about a week," Fulmer said.

Asumnu's basketball eligibility is finished, but the UT coaching staff checked with the NCAA to make sure he had a year of possible football eligibility remaining.

"We're going to take a look here in the next few days and see how he does," Fulmer said. "Certainly, from an attitude, size and speed standpoint, those kinds of things, it's all positive."

If Asumnu does stick around to next fall, he would have to be placed on a football scholarship or pay for his schooling.

"I know he can't be on a basketball scholarship and play football," Fulmer said.

Current Vol basketball player JaJuan Smith thinks Asumnu has a legitimate shot at making it.

"That's something we always told him," Smith said. "He's got the body, the frame, speed and everything.

"Now they're saying all they have to do is work on his routes. When he gets that, he'll be a good football player."

Coincidentally, Ravi Moss, who this year finished his University of Kentucky basketball career, made a surprise tryout for the football team there on Wednesday.

Dave Hooker contributed to this story.