The Tennessee men's basketball fans who don't know who Tony Jones is haven't been paying attention.

Here's a refresher:

That No. 3-ranked recruiting class UT recently landed - the most decorated in school history - was largely a result of Jones' work, as he served as the primary recruiter for all five players.

And the schedule that led the Vols to a No. 7 RPI rating and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament - again, best in school history - was largely Jones' doing, too.

His title is associate head coach, but head coach Bruce Pearl simply refers to Jones as his right-hand man.

"You cannot believe the amount of groundwork Tony puts into scheduling and recruiting,'' said Pearl, whose vision remains the root of UT's success. "Because I respect Tony, he can say things to me that no one else can. Tony's also calmer than me - I'm insane. Together, we're good.

"I would have been less certain about taking this job a year ago if Tony had decided to stay and get the (head coaching) job at Milwaukee.''

Jones and Pearl came to UT last March from Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

NBA player Jalen Rose said he was less sure about himself as a player before being coached by Jones as a teenager in Detroit.

Rose, who nicknamed Jones "Smooth'' after playing for him on 14-and-under and high school basketball teams, said Jones taught his players to believe in themselves.

"He was very smooth in that way, but he was also a great motivator,'' said Rose, who went on to star on Michigan's vaunted "Fab Five'' team before embarking on his 12-year NBA career. "Tony was not only knowledgeable and passionate about the game, but he also found a way to push my buttons.''

The years have passed since Jones coached future NBA players like Rose, Voshon Leonard and Howard Eisley in AAU and high school, but the game has stayed the same.

According to Bill Jones, who spent three years in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets before playing professionally in Europe for nine years, his big brother has always had the knack.

"He's honest, he has integrity and he's a loyal guy,'' said Bill Jones, who coaches in the American Basketball Association and owns his own business. "He's not going to cut any corners, and he'll tell you as it is. That's a trademark of Detroit: You keep it real.

"You tell the kids the truth, because as a player, that's what you respect.''

Bill Jones grew up idolizing Tony, who at 45 is six years his senior, and still remembers watching him star at Detroit's Southwestern High School.

George Raveling, who at the time was head coach at Washington State, tried to recruit Tony Jones to play for the Cougars. Jones, having already started a collegiate career at Fisk University in Nashville, declined the opportunity, as it would have meant sitting out a year.

Little did anyone know at the time that Jones' ill-fated recruitment to Washington State would lead to his position with Pearl at Tennessee.

With Tony Jones having made a good impression on him, Raveling returned to the Jones' household later to recruit Bill Jones to play at Iowa.

Two years into Bill Jones' career with the Hawkeyes, Dr. Tom Davis replaced Raveling and brought with him a young assistant named Pearl.

Tony Jones attended his brother's games at Iowa whenever he could and struck up a friendship with Pearl that has lasted to this day.

"My first meeting with Bruce he came over to my mother's house and wanted to introduce himself as the new assistant coach at Iowa,'' Tony Jones recalled. "My brother was contemplating transferring to USC with Raveling, but Bruce made a good impression on our family.

"We hit it off from the beginning.''

Pearl said he was impressed with how much Jones cared for his younger brother.

"Bill was a little taller, a little better and had more basketball advantages than Tony,'' Pearl said. "But Tony never let that affect how much he loved his younger brother. Others would leave their character in that situation and have resentment.

"I also knew Tony believed in our system at Iowa, and so I knew he would put his heart into coaching that style. I always told him, 'someday, I'm going to need your help.' "

That day came when Pearl was coach at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Jones left his associate head-coaching job at Toledo to assume the same role under Pearl.

One of Jones' most important responsibilities is to manage the substitutions during the game.

"That allows me time to focus on the adjustments and schemes during the game, and giving Tony that responsibility takes a great amount of trust,'' Pearl said. "I don't always know what lineup I have out there, but Tony is always involved in keeping up with the minutes.''

In Pearl's "Controlled Chaos'' up-tempo scheme, which is specifically designed to wear out the opponent and keep half-court sets disjointed, keeping fresh players who match up well in the game is critical.

So are player relations, as team members need to feel they are being treated fairly and are allowed to do what they do best.

UT's All-SEC shooting guard, Chris Lofton, said he's glad Jones found his way to Knoxville alongside Pearl.

"Coach Jones lets you play your game,'' Lofton said. "He's a great motivator with his words and actions. He always tells me to keep shooting the ball, and that gives me a lot of confidence.''

Rose believes that the best Jones has to offer has yet to come.

"He'll be a phenomenal head coach,'' Rose said. "Not only would he instill academics and basketball knowledge, but he's a guy you can trust.''

Rose said he watched Tennessee this season to keep an eye on Pearl and Jones.

"I'm not surprised by what Bruce or Tony have done; I knew they'd turn that program around,'' said Rose, who's working as a sideline reporter for TNT during the NBA playoffs. "When you're at Tennessee, and you get (the same) seed (as) the women's program, you've really accomplished something.''