The nerves and anxiety are gone for incoming Tennessee freshman point guard Daniel West.

Knoxville has become home for the Saginaw, Mich., basketball product.

"There's love everywhere here,'' said West, who led Saginaw High School to two state championships. "You don't have to go anywhere and worry about anything negative.''

West, who helped lead HT Group (6-0) to a 128-123 overtime win over the News Sentinel (2-4) Monday, said he has grown more comfortable with each Pilot Rocky Top League game at Bearden High School.

"I've gotten to have a lot of fun and play like I know I can,'' said West, who scored a season-high 19 points and dished out eight assists. "At first, I was kind of tense and nervous out there.

"I was worried about how people would think about me because I didn't come in here with the big name like some other guys.''

One of those guys is West's roommate at UT, McDonald's All-American Scotty Hopson.

Hopson showed up two hours early Monday just to watch West play. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, the two face off in the PRTL championship game.

"We've talked a lot of trash about that game - a whole lotta trash,'' Hopson said, laughing. "Me and Daniel compete at everything. NBA Live (video game), and we play a lot of pool.''

Hopson, who is from Hopkinsville, Ky., said he and West like to kid each other about their different backgrounds.

"He claims to have a lot of city in him,'' Hopson said. "Sometimes he acts hard, but I don't know if I really see that in him.''

What Hopson said he did see in West was a lot of Rice Krispy treats.

"One night his mom bought him a big box of them, and by the next day they were all gone,'' Hopson said.

As for the hard-scrabble background, West seems relieved to have left that behind.

"You look around in this (Bearden) gym, there's maybe two security guards in the whole place,'' West said. "Back home in a gym like this? There's like a SWAT team, the whole police force.''

Jalen Steele, a rising Fulton senior, sent Monday's game into overtime with a 3-pointer in the final seconds for the News Sentinel.

Steele had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Damon Johnson had 30 points, and UT signee Phillip Jurick had 11 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Tyler Smith led HT Group with 33 points and Courtney Pigram added 30.

Tatum Sits Out: Rising sophomore Cameron Tatum sat out First Tennessee's 92-91 win over Toyota of Knoxville (3-3) with a sore groin.

"I wanted to play, but they wouldn't let me, just as a precaution,'' said Tatum, who suffered the injury when he came down awkwardly on a dunk Wednesday. "I just need to rest it a couple of more days. I did a little running Saturday and earlier today. I'll be back to work on Thursday.''

Former UT standout Jon Higgins hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left to lift First Tennessee (2-4) to its season-ending win. Higgins and Boo Jackson had 24 apiece while Dane Bradshaw led Toyota with 23 and Tony White Jr. had 21.

Toyota plays the News Sentinel in the PRTL third-place game at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Ray's EST 127, Richardson Construction 112: Bobby Maze scored 37 points and Scotty Hopson added 34 to lead Ray's ESG.

Michael Blue, a former Bearden High and Hiwasee standout, led Richardson (1-5) with 40 points and put on a dazzling dunk display in his final game of the PRTL season.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.