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Bruce Pearl is coming and going, adding meetings, appearances and trips to an already busy schedule.

It's not easy staying near the top of the collegiate basketball world, but Tennessee's head coach is trying as he prepares for his fourth year at the helm.

"Yep, I was there (in Tampa, Fla.) to see the Lady Vols win last night (Sunday). Wasn't that great?'' Pearl said. "I'll be headed back down there for the championship game.''

Pearl was in San Antonio on Thursday to be honored as the Adolph Rupp national coach of the year, and on Saturday he did the pregame Final Four show on CBS from the Alamo City.

"You know what's great about the title game between Memphis and Kansas?'' Pearl said. "One way or another, we'll be playing the defending national champions for the third year in a row, with that game at Kansas (Jan. 3, 2009) and our game with Memphis.''

The Vols won three of four against the Florida teams that won national titles in 2006 and 2007 before sweeping the young Gators this season.

Pearl said the Vols' upcoming schedule, which also includes non-conference games with NCAA tournament teams Gonzaga, Temple and Belmont in addition to a Thanksgiving weekend swing through the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., has had the desired effect.

"We're obviously on the right track with our scheduling,'' he said. "Playing the teams that we do helps us recruit.''

The UT players on campus are doing individual work on their own, but Pearl stresses their main focus must be on academics.

"There is no organized team stuff going on; we want them on top of their studies before coming back revitalized and fresh,'' Pearl said. "We'll start offseason conditioning next week.''

Pearl said having Kansas and Memphis on the schedule is sure to get his players' attention.

"They know where we're going and who we're playing,'' Pearl said, "so they know they need to be excited about improving.''

Pearl said he is headed to Port Smith, Va., on Thursday to assist departing seniors JaJuan Smith and Chris Lofton at an NBA draft camp featuring 32 of the nation's top outgoing seniors.

"I want to help Chris and JaJuan through the process as much as I can, with all the pro scouts and agents that will be on hand,'' Pearl said. "My guys don't care how much I know until they know how much I care. Part of that is taking care of them after they leave.''

Pearl said he expects to receive NBA draft evaluations on Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism within the next couple of weeks. Smith has said he will not return for his junior season if projected to be selected in the top-half of the first round.

Schedule update: The Vols' non-conference schedule to date (with 2008 RPI in parenthesis) includes road games at Temple (No. 47), vs. Marquette (No. 20) in Nashville, at Middle Tennessee State (No. 110) and at Kansas (No. 5).

There are non-conference home games with Gonzaga (No. 30), UT Chattanooga (No. 146), UT Martin (No. 209), Belmont (No. 78), Memphis (No. 3) and Louisiana-Lafayette (No. 182). The Vols still have a home game to add.

Tennessee also plays three games in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando on Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Day/night), Nov. 28 and Nov. 30. That field includes: Gonzaga, Michigan State (No. 16), Maryland (No. 85), Oklahoma State (No. 77), Siena (No. 66), Wichita State (No. 199) and a team to be named later.

Dates and times will be released when approved by the SEC office.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.