The Tennessee men's basketball team will be honored for winning the 2005-06 SEC East Division before kickoff of today's game between Marshall and the Vols.

Coach Bruce Pearl won't be there, just as he wasn't at any UT homecoming activities Friday night.

Pearl is Jewish, and Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, began at sundown Friday. Today marks the actual holiday.

Rosh Hashanah marks the start of a holy period which culminates with Yom Kippur on Oct. 2.

"I'm not missing it out of protest, I need to be in temple,'' Pearl said. "Occasionally, I've had to miss events like this. It happened when I was playing football in high school, too.''

Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax was another famous Jewish sports figure who, like Pearl, strictly observed holy days.

"So I'll be in synagogue Friday night and Saturday,'' Pearl said. "Saturday afternoon, I'll have the (football) game on pay-per-view.

"But first, I've got to ask God to forgive me for the sins of the year. That's what Rosh Hashanah is.''

So here we are in Knoxville, discussing the Jewish religion and an SEC East basketball title.

Did you ever think you'd see the day?

Of course, who ever thought the day would come when a UT coach would be honored in a Kentucky town, and that the town, Maysville, would pledge to wear orange in honor of a player who left the Bluegrass State to wear orange?

That's what happened Tuesday night, when Pearl marched into the Mason County Fieldhouse, where Chris Lofton once starred, and the band played Rocky Top.

More than 1,000 packed the place, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader, and many were wearing orange T-shirts.

Pearl received a key to the city and a tie with the name "Maysville'' from the mayor. Kentucky State Rep. Mike Denham presented Pearl with a certificate making him a Kentucky Colonel.

It's hard to put into perspective just how much things have changed in the past year.

To his credit, Pearl hasn't changed.

He's gotten a lot busier, for sure, but he still says what's on his mind.

Just ask Memphis television reporter Rob Petrone, who Pearl admonished in a Sunday night interview, referring to a line of questioning as horse-__ (manure).

Florida State has Bobby Bowden, South Carolina has Steve Spurrier and Louisville has Rick Pitino.

Thanks to Pearl, Tennessee has a coach who qualifies as a newsmaker.

Pearl talks, the cameras roll, people cheer and the word spreads.

So while Pearl won't be at Neyland Stadium in person today, it's safe to say he'll be there in spirit.

Worth Noting: Freshman guard Josh Tabb, who has been battling to recover from a broken wrist, is back practicing with the team.

Tabb, whose injury was diagnosed when he arrived for the second term of summer school, showed no ill effects during Tuesday's pick-up game.

Who's Best? UT freshman Duke Crews took exception with an item in this column last week, asking who would win a 3-on-3 game between Wayne Chism, himself and Tony Passley, and departed player Major Wingate, Andre Patterson and Stanley Asumnu.

"I want to play the game, dog,'' Crews said. "I don't think they win, but you know me, I think I'm going to win every game.''

Crews asked JaJuan Smith who he'd take.

Smith smiled sheepishly and replied, "I'd take all six of y'all.''

Mike Griffith covers University of Tennessee men's basketball. He may be reached at knsgriff@aol.com.