PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC — Tennessee sophomore point guard Ramar Smith is out with a sprained thumb for tonight’s game in Slovakia against BK Nitra.

“I hurt it against Ohio State in the (NCAA) tournament and aggravated it in Rocky Top League,’’ Smith said, “and then I jammed it again in our last game over here.’’

UT coach Bruce Pearl said he expects Smith will be able to play more in Europe, even if it’s in a limited capacity.

“Ramar will be out for the next game, but we’re hoping to have him after that,’’ Pearl said. “It’s OK, because we’re planning to play Chris (Lofton) some at point guard along with Jordan (Howell) and we have Tanner (Wild).

The team was scheduled to leave Prague this morning and take a 4 1/2-hour bus ride to Bratislava, Slovakia, where they will stay until leaving for Vienna, Austria, on Thursday.

The Vols play Pezinok BBC Wednesday and play their final game against Klosterneuburg on Friday after arriving in Vienna that morning.

Chris Talks: Lofton said the hardest part of not making the U.S. Pan American team was having to tell the fans he ran into.

“I was sitting at the airport on the way back home, and some Tennessee fans came up to me and said, ‘Aren’t you supposed to be at the tryouts?’ ” Lofton said. “I felt bad I had to tell them I didn’t make it. A lot of good players didn’t make it, and I really didn’t feel I deserved to make it because I didn’t play well up there. But I still hoped I would.’’

Lofton said the way the coaches told the players who made it and who didn’t was to put all the candidates in a room. Those whose names were called left and went to another room. If your name wasn’t called, you were turned loose to make reservations to return home.

Pearl Shops: Pearl went to a Prague mall with Ryan Childress and assistant coaches Steve Forbes and Jason Shay for a couple of hours after the morning to mid-afternoon scavenger hunt.

“This walking is the best thing for you,’’ Pearl said, as he stopped in numerous stores looking for gifts for his family members.

More Numerology: UT student assistant Brooks Savage was at the mall stop and explained to Forbes and Shay that the Vols already have a good omen.

“We left Atlanta from the T-4 terminal, that’s ‘T’ for Tennessee and ‘4,’ for the Final Four,’’ Savage said. “And don’t forget, the SEC tournament is in Atlanta this year.’’

Forbes wasn’t buying it.

“If you write that, make sure you put in the paper I don’t subscribe to that,’’ Forbes said. “We have a lot of work to do, and that’s what will get us there.’’

Hamilton’s Birthday: Vols Wayne Chism and Lofton stood outside an open-air restaurant where UT athletic director Mike Hamilton was eating, and along with Hamilton’s dinner companions, sang “Happy Birthday’’ to Hamilton.

Hamilton was scheduled to return to Knoxville this morning.

John Currie, UT’s senior associate athletic director, arrived Monday and will take over Hamilton’s administrative duties with the team while they’re in Europe.

Lost Passport: Judy Brown, wife of Earl Brown, had her passport misplaced or stolen Monday afternoon while on the supporters’ tour of the glass-blowing factory.

UT contacted the Czech Republic Embassy and received personal attention on the matter from U.S. ambassador Rick Graber, who coincidentally was on the same flight to Prague with the Vols when they arrived.

Graber brought his 16-year-old son, Erik, to the Vols’ game in Kolin Saturday and had his picture made with the team after mingling with Vols’ fans.

“I just hate to put anyone out; we’re going to send something special to Mr. Graber,’’ said Brown, a Louisville, Tenn., resident. “I would have been so disappointed if I would have had to miss a game over here.’’

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.