University of Tennessee

Tennessee players pose at a fountain in Prague, Czech Republic. They are (back row, left to right) Duke Crews, Ryan Childress (middle row, left to right) Jordan Howell, Steven Pearl, Chris Lofton, Ramar Smith, and (front row, left to right) JaJuan Smith, Josh Tabb, and Tanner Wild.

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A tired group of Tennessee Volunteers arrived in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday morning. The Vols departed from Knoxville shortly after noon Wednesday and caught a 7 p.m. flight out of Atlanta. The team landed in Prague at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. Knoxville time).

The all-night flight provided those who couldn't sleep on the plane outstanding views of the east coasts of the United States and Canada and an early morning view of London before clouds obscured any window views of Belgium and Germany. Several Vols were excited to see the Mets-Braves baseball game at New York's Shea Stadium, even if it was from 35,000 feet overhead.

"(The flight) was kind of long," Ryan Childress, UT's 6-foot-9 junior forward said. "I was sitting in the exit row thinking I was lucky but, everybody went to the back of the plane and was lying across the three seats in the middle. Turns out I didn't get much sleep because of that. I would sleep for 20 minutes and then wake up for about 20 minutes. I would try to move around, get up and walk around to keep my legs fresh. It was a different experience being on a plane for nine-and-a-half hours.

After gathering their luggage the team immediately went on a guided two-hour bus tour of the Czech Republic's capital city. While winding through the narrow streets, they stopped at one of the cities top attractions - Prague Castle. There they got to see the gothic architecture that has made the city famous.

"The sites have been great so far," sophomore forward Duke Crews said. "Going to the Prague Castle was a lot of fun. It has been a challenge learning the differences in the money when we stopped to buy some water. It is a totally different culture than what we are used to in America."

The team will spend the rest of the day wandering the downtown Prague area near the hotel and attempting to adjust to the six hour time difference between Knoxville and the Czech Republic.

"It is great but I am ready to get some sleep to rest up for our game tomorrow," Childress said. "It was great to get a quick look at the city, all of the buildings and the architecture is cool. However, it will feel good to get a shower and a good meal."