Bruce Pearl has spent the better part of his 2 1/2 years at Tennessee doing everything within his power to make the basketball program look good.

From his TV and public appearances, to the suits he wears and the uniforms and warm-ups he's chosen for the Vols, image has been a priority.

But at 9 o'clock tonight, when No. 1-ranked Tennessee (25-2, 11-1 SEC) tips off against No. 18 Vanderbilt (23-4, 8-4) at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville in an ESPN-televised game, it's all about substance.

"I've had people tell me I don't look good; I don't care,'' said Pearl, whose 5 o'clock shadow hit at about the same time his Monday noon press conference began. "We're whatever we are, 25-2, and I don't care what I look like.''

So long as the Vols look and play like the No. 1 team they were voted Monday for the first time in school history.

UT was a unanimous pick for the top spot in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, garnering all 31 first-place votes. There were a few doubters in the Associated Press poll, as the Vols received 69 of 72 first-place votes. North Carolina, ranked No. 3, received two first-place votes and No. 4 UCLA got the other.

It's all moot to Pearl, whose focus is solely on a Commodores team that has won 17 consecutive games at home and defeated the past three No. 1-ranked teams they have played in Memorial Gym.

The Vols are facing a vicious turnaround after a 9 p.m. game at Memphis on Saturday night, a return to Knoxville in the early Sunday morning hours and a Sunday afternoon practice.

"We're moving on to Vanderbilt, and it's our toughest challenge; a tougher challenge than the Memphis game,'' Pearl said. "What makes this the tougher challenge is there's a lot more at stake because we're playing for an SEC championship and we're doing so on less rest and less preparation.''

The Vols weren't quite as sharp in their Monday practice for Vanderbilt as they were in Friday's workout for Memphis, but sophomore center Duke Crews said there's no cause for concern.

"We'll catch up on our sleep the middle of April,'' Crews said. "Right now, we're trying to accomplish something special. We know we've got to push through this.''

Tennessee All-American Chris Lofton said the quick turnaround before facing another top-notch program provides UT with a learning experience.

"It's how it's going to be in the NCAA tournament,'' Lofton said. "We'll see where we're at.''

The Vols scored an impressive 80-60 victory over the Commodores on Jan. 17 in Knoxville, but Pearl said Vanderbilt isn't the same team now that it was then.

"They are doing some different things now,'' Pearl said. "They'll post up more, and they'll drive more.

"No doubt, Vanderbilt will try to go inside early and often and try to get us in foul trouble.''

A unique setup at Memorial Gym that places the team benches behind both baselines instead of at side court is another adjustment Pearl's considering.

"It's a tough place to coach with the benches being where they are,'' Pearl said. "It's the only place in the country like that; I don't know if there's a place in Division II, Div III, NAIA or high school like that.

"We may actually script some plays as opposed to just giving them a first-play call. I know in football, that's something that's oftentimes done. I just can't get a hold of them down on the other end (of the court).''

Crews said the Vols aren't convinced they've earned national respect.

"Just like earlier, after we lost to Texas, people said it was just a matter of time when we'd lose again,'' Crews said. "So we go on an 11-game (win) streak before we lost at Kentucky.

"Now, they're waiting for us to lose again. We've made some believers, but not all.''

UT brings a nine-game win streak into tonight's game while the Commodores have won six in a row.

Did You Know: Tonight's meeting marks the first time in more than 40 years - Feb. 17, 1968 - that both teams have been ranked in the top 25 of the Associated Press poll when meeting on Vanderbilt's home floor.

The Commodores, then No. 9, defeated a No. 7-ranked UT team, 75-63.

The Line: The Vols opened as 3-point favorites over Vanderbilt, but the spread has dropped to two points. The over/under on the number of total points scored is 161.

Player of the Week: Sophomore forward Tyler Smith was named SEC Player of the Week. Against Memphis, Smith had 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. Smith also had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Auburn.