New Vols hit stage tonight

UT's six newcomers will need to pick up on some new tricks for that to happen.

Their game experience starts at 7:30 tonight in Thompson-Boling Arena when the Vols open the exhibition season against LeMoyne-Owen College.

Kids in costume under age 12 will get free admission. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and activities will include trick-or-treat and an autograph session with the Lady Vols basketball team.

Pearl said he wants his players focused.

"I want to see what our new guys are like under fire,'' Pearl said. "I don't know what to expect.''

Pearl said the Vols will go at least 10 deep in tonight's game.

"Every day is a teaching day,'' Pearl said. "I want us to get exposed and challenged in some areas.''

The hot spot is at point guard, where freshmen Marques Johnson and Ramar Smith are competing for the starting position. Johnson will get the start tonight with Smith expected to start the 7:30 p.m. exhibition game against Tusculum.

"I need to play my game, relax and make plays,'' said Johnson, whose point guard experience has been limited to AAU play. "This is a chance for me to go out there and make a statement early. It's a competition between me and Ramar, but it's a good competition.''

Pearl said both are improving, but neither is where he needs to be by the Vols' Nov. 10 season opener against Middle Tennessee State.

"It (point guard) is the most difficult position to learn and it carries the most responsibilities,'' Pearl said. "Both Marques and Ramar have shown signs, but of all the positions it's been the most inconsistent.''

Pearl counted on junior Jordan Howell to provide stability while Johnson and Smith learned, but Howell has been sidelined with a broken bone in his hand suffered three weeks ago.

"They say he'll be back Wednesday, but I don't know,'' Pearl said. "Not having Jordan going on three weeks now, it has been a factor.''

The Magicians, members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, were 10-18 last season. LeMoyne-Owen coach Smokey Gaines said he hopes his Magicians can put on a show.

"It's Halloween, so I guess we get to be Tennessee's treat,'' said Gaines, who also coached at Detroit and San Diego State. "We don't expect to beat Pearl; we beat him, he's looking for a job the next day.

"But we want to be good opponents and give them a good look.''

Gaines has been on the other side of exhibitions, having served as an assistant at Detroit to Dick Vitale before taking over the program and winning 49 games over two seasons.

Gaines finished his collegiate playing career at LeMoyne in 1964 as the school's all-time leading scorer before playing for the Harlem Globetrotters for four years.

Taurean Moy is one of the Magicians' top prospects, having won Mr. Basketball honors at Memphis Booker T. Washington High School in 2001.

Financial Gaines: Gaines said his team's purse for the game, approximately $15,000, is much needed.

"We'll be buying uniforms with the money we make tonight,'' said Gaines, whose team plays Memphis on Thursday. "Coming in here, we see how the big people live.''

Gaines was shocked to hear another $30 million is going into Thompson-Boling Arena over the next few years.

"Thirty million?'' Gaines said. "Shoot, give me one million. Really, give us $30.''

Le-Moyne Owen's financial situation is such that the school didn't even know if it would be able to open its doors for classes until the first week of August.

Flyin' Ryan: Freshman Josh Tabb has been the surprise among incoming players while sophomore Ryan Childress has shown the most improvement among the returning players.

"Ryan has confidence right now, and this is the next step for him,'' Pearl said. "The test will be, can he do it against outside competition''.

Childress, who plays center and power forward, has dropped from 255 pounds to 240 pounds over the past year. : 1.87 inches/ 13 lines