New Vols relearning intensity

Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl says the Vols' class of newcomers is no different than others he has had in at least one sense.

"The first week's impression is the same every year with the new guys, and it never ceases to amaze me,'' Pearl said. "When we get transfers or freshmen, they just don't understand the intensity we need to train with.''

Pearl, conducting this interview between a set of sit-ups during a team workout session, shouldn't be surprised.

An 11-day trip to Europe showed just how hard it is to keep up with Pearl.

Perhaps realizing how hard he pushed his players on the 11-day trip to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, Pearl gave the returning Vols last week off from practice.

"But they still had some strength training,'' Pearl said. "I think part of it with the new guys is they didn't have the same kind of training in August that the other guys did.''

The returning players were allowed to have practices in preparation for their European trip.

Pearl said it's too early to draw any conclusions on the new players, transfers J.P. Prince, Tyler Smith and freshmen Cameron Tatum and Brian Williams, but he singled out Tatum for praise.

"That first week, I'll give it to Cameron Tatum, because he came back in really good shape,'' Pearl said. "I think he saw a little bit of what was required from the older guys.

"He got better in the Pilot (Rocky Top Summer) League, and I think he went home and kept training,'' Pearl said. "He did it on his own, and he made progress.''

Pearl said this Tennessee team will have more competition for playing time than his other two, and Tatum and fellow freshman Williams are in the mix.

"I don't think you can put Cameron or Brian on the shelf,'' Pearl said. "The only luxury we have this time around is I don't have to play them out of necessity. I can play them out of choice.''

And, even though the returning players were given a week off from practice, they were still competing in Pearl's eyes.

"They've already had eight days of class,'' Pearl said, "and what they are doing academically and what they are doing in the weight room is showing me what kind of role they want to play.''

The returning players will be mixed in with the incoming players this week.

"That way, the new guys will have an opportunity to see how it's supposed to be done instead of just hearing about it,'' Pearl said. "The intensity, the physicality and the pace. We go from one drill to the next, because we try to beat people at the end of the halves and wear them down.''

Pearl's son, Steven, has been one of the more impressive Vols from an intensity and conditioning standpoint.

"Steven is certainly in the mix, and he was our ninth man in Europe,'' Pearl said. "He has had a good summer, and he may have exceeded expectations.''

Pearl used Steven, a 6-foot-5 swing player, as a spark plug, inserting him in the European games to raise the team's intensity level and pick up the pace.

Like father, like son.

Mike Griffith covers University of Tennessee men's basketball. He can be reached at griffithm@knews.com.