Vols begin identity check with scrimmage

Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl has said with six new players it would be like starting over this season, and Saturday's 40 minutes of scrimmage action indicated as much.

"Last year our motto was 'It's A Whole New Game,' '' Pearl said. "That should really be our motto this year, too.''

Chris Lofton's 26 points showed one thing that hasn't changed is his penchant for scoring. Lofton, a junior, was effective with more than just his outside shot.

Six of his nine field goals were from within the 3-point arc as Lofton continues to work on his ability to drive to the basket. Lofton passed up the open 3-point shot to drive to the basket on more than one occasion.

"Chris, on several plays, didn't like the way he caught the ball and that's why he didn't fire away,'' Pearl said. "It was good to see him make more two-point baskets because it shows his development and maturity. He also got to the line a bit and that was very positive.''

Junior forward Dane Bradshaw, last year's do-everything player, appears to be looking to find his role on this new-look team.

Bradshaw scored seven points with three rebounds and two assists.

"As a team, we need to build on what we're doing well and improve in our weak areas,'' Bradshaw said. "The main things we need to do better are get to the right defensive position, execute on defense and rebound.

"It's a matter of getting into the right mindset.''

It's also a matter of finding the right rotation, Pearl said.

"I put them in a lot of different situations,'' Pearl said. "The first two five-minute scrimmages I tried to separate them evenly. The last two scrimmages, I took eight players that could be in our top eight and played them against the rest.''

Childress, took advantage of his time on the floor, hitting 8 of 13 shots including 4-of-7 from 3-point range for 23 points. Childress also pulled down nine rebounds and blocked three shots.

"Childress did real well,'' Crews said. "He was rebounding and scoring whenever he got the opportunity.''

Pearl noticed.

"I'm happy for Ryan because he worked hard to change his body, watching his diet,'' Pearl said. "He's moving batter, making his shots and playing with confidence.''

Crews, meanwhile, got nearly all of his scrimmage-high 28 points in the paint, hitting 11 of 19 shots, including four dunks.

"There was a lot more structure; you really had to remember all your defensive sets,'' Crews said. "We're playing with a sense of urgency.''

Point guard play is a pressing issue, as freshmen Ramar Smith and Marques Johnson struggled at times.

Smith had 10 points, four assists and three turnovers while Johnson had three points, two assists and four turnovers.

"They both played like freshmen,'' Pearl said. "They're trying so hard, thinking 'where do I go, when do I cut, and who do I pass to' so they can run the offense.

"They have a lot of responsibility on them. I know they will play better.''

Pearl said this week of practice is very important.

"Today looked like it's supposed to after six days of practice,'' he said. "This is the week we have to begin to define some roles and become more consistent.''

Visitor: Brian Williams, a 6-foot-9, 275-pound center from the Bronx, N.Y., was in Knoxville on an official visit.

Williams plays at Harmony Christian prep school in Cincinnati where he was a teammate of Tabb's last season.

Mr. Consistent: Childress was unofficial MVP on Saturday, but Tabb continued to impress with six points, five rebounds, five assists, one turnover and five steals.

Turnout: Approximately 800 fans turned out for Saturday's scrimmage.

"That was great,'' Pearl said. "It was about 50 times more than what it was a year ago. People appreciate the fact that the kids are playing hard.''

Free Throws: Pearl grew upset on more than one occasion with the Vols' inability to hit free throws.

The scholarship Vols made 34 of 53 attempts for 64.1 percent. The Vols made 70.1 percent as a team last year.

Injury Update: Junior Jordan Howell dressed for the scrimmage but didn't play. Walk-on Rick Daniels-Mulholland, a former Oak Ridge standout, played sparingly in his first day back from an ankle injury.