Lofton expected to announce return

According to a story on ESPN.com by Andy Katz, UT coach Bruce Pearl said the NBA's Stu Jackson informed him and Lofton that Lofton wasn't on the first-round bubble but would likely be taken in the middle of the second round.

"... He's excited about coming back (to Tennessee),'' Pearl told ESPN's Katz. "It's a good decision.''

However, Pearl told the News Sentinel during Monday's Big Orange Caravan stop in Sevierville that "my anticipation" is that Lofton would be back but Pearl stopped short of saying a final decision had been reached.

Lofton had said previously that he likely would return to UT unless his draft potential exceeded what had been predicted earlier.

Pearl said at the Big Orange Caravan stop he had spoken with Lofton earlier Monday to update him on the NBA evaluation.

"It's basically what we thought all along,'' Pearl said. "All the indicators are that he's probably not a first-round pick. There's a chance they think he would be in the second round if he came out.

"There's no guaranteed money in the second round. As I like to say, it's not how much you make, it's how long you're making it.

"I think Chris will be more ready next year. He's obviously improving every year.''

This year's draft is loaded with underclassmen Kevin Durant of Texas and Greg Oden of Ohio State among likely first-round picks.