Going with the flow

Ask him if he'd like to wear a black alternate jersey, like many of his teammates are supporting, and he'll tell you he doesn't care about that, either.

"I'm just glad to be a part of the team,'' said Passley, whose first Division I-A game will take place some 2 1/2 years after his graduation from North Central High School in Indianapolis.

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl also is glad that Passley has joined his group of eligible players after sitting out last season.

Passley, a 6-foot-5 forward whose hops are what one might expect from a former first-team Indiana all-state basketball player and metropolitan league high jump champ, is expected to have an immediate impact.

"With Major Wingate being gone, we'll need Tony and JaJuan (Smith) to step up at the three (position) and see some important minutes,'' Pearl said. "Tony has worked hard. Last spring, he was voted the hardest worker on the team by his teammates.''

Many times, Pearl said he looked at Passley during practices last season and saw how the 2005-06 Vols could have used him.

In Pearl's opinion, Passley was done an injustice by the NCAA, which rejected his appeal for eligibility. The issue hinged on Passley's brief time at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where Pearl originally recruited him.

Passley attended two days of summer school class -- a Tuesday and a Thursday -- and the NCAA ruled his Division I eligibility clock had started for that calendar year.

NCAA rules stipulate if a freshman starts class at a Division I school and withdraws before the end of the school year he must sit out two seasons before playing for another Division I school, according to UT officials.

That makes Passley a third-year sophomore; and, you guessed it. He doesn't really care about that, either.

In fact, Passley said sitting out a year at Tennessee did him some good.

"I don't feel lost, I feel good,'' Passley said. "With all the talented freshmen, I don't have a lot of pressure on me.

"Coach Pearl had told me I might have to sit out, but he was fighting for me. It gave me a chance to develop and see what it was going to take at this level.''

Passley averaged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds at Redlands (Okla.) Community College in 2004-05 before transferring to UT.

"All the Big Ten schools gave Tony a look coming out of high school, but he was a 6-5 guy playing center and they were like, 'Aaah, he's not quite what we need,' " Pearl said. "Tony has worked to get his perimeter game ready, because he's going from being a high school center to an SEC small forward.

"Right now, Tony has a power forward game, but he's working on it.''

Passley also is working on his academics, and Pearl said he's in position to wear the VolScholar patch, which is awarded to students with a 3.0 grade point average who also are involved in a citizenship program.

Pearl believes the award is a considerably more accurate indicator of Passley's character than the incident the sophomore forward found himself caught up in on March 5. That's when Passley and former UT walk-on Jordan Smith were arrested on drug-related charges.

Passley pleaded guilty to simple possession of marijuana, and was fined and given a suspended sentence.

"I've learned to take a lot more responsibility, be in the right place at the right time,'' Passley said. "I learned who to trust, and to appreciate my opportunity to be here and play basketball even more.

"I want to make the most of my opportunity at Tennessee.''

Passley's younger brother, Cordell, feels the same way. A junior standout high school guard in Indianapolis, Cordell Passley already is a Vols' commitment.

"Coach Pearl has known my family since he recruited me before my senior year,'' Tony Passley said. "We all like him a lot.''

Pearl said the feeling is mutual.

"It's a big thing to know a family that well,'' Pearl said. "I liked Tony when I was at Milwaukee, and I'm anxious for him to help the team.''