While Tennessee's freshmen class worked to fit themselves into coach Bruce Pearl's system, upperclassmen Chris Lofton and Dane Bradshaw were largely left out of the offense in the two exhibition games.

It's still early, but it's noteworthy that Lofton has scored 10 points in each of the games, while Bradshaw scored three in each.

Pearl said Tuesday he's mildly concerned with Lofton's offensive letdown but less so with Bradshaw heading into Friday's 7:30 p.m. season opener against Middle Tennessee State at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"I think Chris needs to be more aggressive hunting his shot,'' Pearl said. "But we also need to be more patient on the offensive end so the ball can get around to him, and we need to do a better job screening for him.''

Pearl hounded his team in Tuesday's practice about spacing and screens, preaching numerous times that without good screens or spacing, the plays will be ineffective.

Screens, Pearl said earlier this fall, are an area where the freshmen need a great deal of work.

Lofton, arguably the best shooter in the nation, attempted just 13 shots in the first two games -- seven beyond the 3-point arc -- making six shots, three of them 3-pointers.

"I'm not Superman,'' Lofton said following his second 10-point effort in as many exhibition games. "Everybody has bad nights, even (Michael) Jordan and Kobe (Bryant) had tough games.''

Lofton is not the brooding superstar type, but he is a perfectionist, and it turned out his mood was dictated more by his shooting percentage than his points scored.

"If I'm not hitting 55-percent, it's a bad game,'' Lofton explained. "It's not a matter of how much I score, I don't even look at that. I look at wins.''

Pearl encourages players to take open shots, so long as they know their range.

"The shot-selection process will play itself out,'' Pearl said prior to the exhibition games. "That's something they have to figure out for themselves.''

Perhaps no one is better than figuring out what the Vols need than Bradshaw.

"Dane will scratch where it itches,'' Pearl said. "He won't force the issue. Historically, he's very unselfish.''

Unlike Lofton, Bradshaw gets shots when opponents leave him unattended on the perimeter or on drives to the baskets and follow-ups.

But with the new mix of freshmen, Bradshaw admits he has yet to find where "it itches,'' as Pearl said, hence he's scratched out fewer points.

"A lot of times, I've felt like I got lost in the mix,'' Bradshaw said. "I know I need to be more offensive minded out there. I think sometimes I've gotten caught up trying to run the offense.''

Freshman Ramar Smith, a talented yet inexperienced point guard, said he's merely trying to find the open man.

"As far as who's shooting and not shooting, I don't think we're worried about that,'' Smith said. "I'm just looking for whoever is open. There's no particular guy to look for.

"I just want to go hard, do what coach tells me and make plays.''

Jordan's Out: Junior point guard Jordan Howell indicated he will bow out of the point guard mix for now.

"It's just day-by-day right now,'' said Howell, who wore a brace on his injured hand and missed some drills during Tuesday's practice. "I've talked to the coaches, and we think it's best to go at it this way. Hopefully, I'll be 100 percent by the Coppin State game (Nov. 19).''

Pearl said last week that he would play two point guards in the Vols' 10-man rotation, and it was between freshman Marques Johnson and Howell for the second point guard spot.

"I hate this,'' Howell said. "But I've got to do what's best for the team.''

Facility Please: Pearl was forced to alter Tuesday's practice at Stokely Athletics Center because the worn court was also slippery with precipitation and dust.

"This is a poster-child for why we new the new facility,'' Pearl said, referring to the $15 million Pratt Pavilion currently under construction. "We couldn't scrimmage full-court, so I had to scrap the whole plan.''

Pearl advised UT women's coach Pat Summitt to avoid full-court scrimmage work when the Lady Vols' legend brought her team in for practice following the men.

The coaches agreed the playing surface itself would not be adequate for a move to Pratt Pavilion because of its condition.

Notebook: The Vols are expected to sign two prep school players today: Brian Williams, a 6-foot-9, 300-pound center from Harmony Community in Cincinnati and Cameron Tatum of The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C. ... MTSU's top returning scorer, senior guard Adam Vogelsberg, will be sidelined 4-8 weeks after suffering a fractured left foot during practice Sunday.