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Halfway through, they’re on top of the SEC basketball standings. For Tennessee’s men that amounts to taking care of business.

The Vols were projected to win the regular-season title. With eight down, eight to go, they make the turn for home Saturday at LSU with a league-leading 7-1 conference record.

“I think Tennessee has certainly played like we all thought,’’ South Carolina coach Dave Odom said Thursday.

Overall, Tennessee is off to the best start in school history. But these Vols are not (yet) on uncharted conference ground. Pearl’s first team started 10-1 in SEC play en route to 12-4. That won the East, but LSU was 14-2.

UT last won a share of the overall title in 2000 when it was one of four teams to finish 12-4.

The Vols have won the title outright only three times — in 1967, 1945 and 1942.

This year, the teams closest in UT’s rear-view mirror are Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi State, each with two losses. Florida is 5-3.

“I think they (the standings) are about what you’d expect,’’ Pearl said Thursday. “But there’s a long way to go.’’

Last year, Florida won the regular-season title by three games, a prelude to winning the SEC tournament and then defending their NCAA championship.

“Florida had five or six NBA players on that club and they really separated themselves,’’ Pearl said.

“This year, the difference between the top teams and teams in the lower half is much closer. That’s going to make for an even more exciting race for the championship.’’

That 70s Show: The last thing LSU wants to do Saturday is get in a running game with deeper, more talented Tennessee. The Tigers (8-13, 1-6 SEC) have been depleted by injuries, including losing All-SEC candidate Tasmin Mitchell for the season.

“With my seven troopers, if that game gets in the 80s or 90s, we’re out of gas for sure,’’ Brady said. “Our goal is to keep the game in the 70s and give ourselves a chance.’’

Brady praised the Vols for their ability to stay relentless for 40 minutes.

“I can’t tell one player from another,’’ he said. “They all look the same which means they all look good. He subs in guys and they all play hard and play the same way.’’

Israel in ’09: Pearl called the opportunity to coach the U.S. men in the 2009 Macabiah Games in Israel a fulfillment of one of his career objectives.

He was named this week to coach the U.S. open men’s team in the event that features 9,000 Jewish athletes from 54 nations.

“It’s something I wanted to do ever since I got into coaching,’’ Pearl said Thursday.

“The whole concept of wearing the USA, the red, white and blue, in international competition is awesome. And then to be able to coach in Israel, the Jewish homeland, just to combine those two things is an amazing opportunity.’’

The Games, billed as the third-largest international competition, are held every four years. The 2009 event runs July 13-23, which will take Pearl out of the key summer evaluation period for recruiting.

“It’ll take me away a little bit from recruiting and camp,’’ Pearl said, “but when I went to (athletic director) Mike Hamilton, he didn’t even bat an eye.’’

The assignment comes a week after Pearl was named to the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Think Pink: Pearl said he will dress head to toe in pink Monday night for the Rutgers-Lady Vols game. It’s “Think Pink” night to promote breast-cancer awareness.

The pink, however, won’t be Pearl’s bare skin. He plans to keep his shirt on, stopping short of last year’s paint job at the Lady Vols-Duke game.

Lofton Nominated: Chris Lofton is one of 10 nominees for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The award began in 2002 and is an acronym for “Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School’’ and will be presented at the Final Four.

Fan voting (at www.seniorclassaward.com) is one component of the selection process.

Lofton will rejoin the team today to travel to Baton Rouge. He missed Thursday’s practice to attend his grandmother’s funeral in Maysville, Ky. Addie Lofton was 96.

Last Word: Florida coach Billy Donovan, on the difference between his young players seeing opponents on film and actually experiencing them on the court:

“You can talk about what great shooters Lofton and JaJuan Smith are, but until they drain like five right dead in your face with you hanging all over ’em, does maybe that respect level go like, ‘Wow!’ ’’

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.