Tennessee's Chris Lofton fidgeted restlessly at the head of the table in a seat normally reserved for coach Bruce Pearl at Monday's media day.

With cameras zoomed in, recorders spinning and notepads opened, the modest senior was requested to attend to accept yet another honor he said he's not sure he deserves.

Lofton, the returning SEC player of the year and All-American was named SEC men's basketball player of the week for the seventh time in his career, setting him apart from any player in conference history. No other SEC player has won the award more than six times.

"It's a great accomplishment,'' said Lofton, who scored 26 points and had a season-high five steals in a 104-82 win over Florida last Tuesday and followed up with 15 points and a season-high seven rebounds in a 47-45 win at LSU on Saturday.

"But I don't know if I really deserve it,'' he said. "I'm playing a little better. Not real well, but a little better.''

Lofton has connected on 30 of 57 (.526) of his 3-point attempts over the past six games - beginning with Kentucky - and has six assists and only two turnovers during that span.

Lofton ranks seventh on the NCAA's all-time 3-point chart with 392 - 65 short of the all-time leader, former Duke standout J.J. Redick.

If Lofton averages between four and five 3-pointers made per game, it's conceivable he could break the record should the Vols advance far enough in the SEC and NCAA tournaments.

UT has eight regular-season games remaining and could play up to three more in the SEC tournament and another six in the NCAA tournament.

The Vols (21-2, 8-1 SEC), who moved up to No. 4 in the Associated Press and Coaches polls Monday, are hoping Lofton stays hot when Arkansas (17-5, 6-2) visits Thompson-Boling Arena for an 8 p.m. match Wednesday (TV: WVLT).

The game is not sold out, but Lofton said he's confident the Vols' following will provide the necessary support as UT attempts to extend its home-court win streak to 29 games.

"Our crowd has been our sixth man,'' Lofton said. "It's an X-factor knowing they are always behind you.''

Pearl said the Vols need every break they can get against a Razorbacks team that has won four in a row.

"It (win streak) started out with their win at LSU, then they had three wins at home, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Florida,'' Pearl said. "Those are three NCAA tournament teams right there.

"I think Arkansas is playing as well as anyone in the conference right now.''

The Vols, winners of five in a row, are trying to nurse players back to health.

JaJuan Smith and Jordan Howell, both of whom were stricken with flu-like symptoms last week and missed practices in the days leading up to the LSU contest, returned to practice Monday.

Reserves Josh Tabb and Ryan Childress, however, are at less than 100 percent. Tabb has felt ill, while Childress has conjunctivitis.

The Vols as a whole looked sick at the free-throw line against LSU, making 26.7 percent (4-of-15), the lowest percentage of the Pearl era.

Pearl said that, if anything, he's put too much emphasis on free-throw shooting this season.

"I've probably crossed the line,'' he said. "I've had more phone calls, more e-mails, more people try to help me coach free throws the last week or two, and don't you think they are doing the same thing to the kids?''

Pearl said he believes that has led to a mental block of sorts.

"It's definitely in their heads, so all we'll do is continue to provide them with volume shooting and put them in competitive situations in practice,'' he said. "I think I'll try this week to do, with a couple of them, what I did with Ramar (Smith), and that is the only person they will listen to is me. We'll make a couple adjustments with their strokes.

"Sometimes so much advice crowds their minds, and they are worried about it, they care, they are conscientious.''

Pearl said missed free throws can have a snowball effect.

"You've got the 'here we go again' factor that's out there,'' he said. "As soon as we miss the first one, it's here we go again. And sometimes you shoot a good ball, and it rattles out, and you begin to struggle again.

"What happens when you miss a free throw is you start to aim it, guide it, and you don't trust it. And if you don't trust it, you don't follow through and you don't get good touch, and that's how you get those bad bounces.''

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.