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When it comes to perspective in college basketball, Ben Bosse has plenty.

He's flown on chartered flights to NCAA tournament games. He's stayed in swanky hotels in towns all over the SEC and beyond while spending two years as a walk-on for the Tennessee men's basketball team.

But this week, he'll be riding a bus with his teammates some 750 miles from King College in Bristol to the NAIA tournament in Point Lookout, Mo.

Different hardly suffices.

"It is different," says the former Farragut High School standout. "Busses instead of planes. But you still get there."

Where Bosse wound up is where he wanted to be, and that's on the court.

He'll start for the eighth-seeded Tornado (26-7), which has won 14 consecutive games as well as Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles on its way to Wednesday's 8:30 a.m. (yet another difference) tip-off against Ottawa (Kan.) University (23-8).

Bosse's journey to King began, oddly enough, during last year's NCAA tournament.

King coach George Pitts made the trip to Columbus, Ohio, where Tennessee played its first two NCAA games.

There, he occupied the same space as his new starting forward, only he hadn't even laid eyes on him.

"His dad and I go way back," Pitts says. "We competed against each other in high school. We've known each other for 35, 40 years. I'd heard about Ben, and I remember reading about him when he played at Farragut. I wanted to watch them play. That's the first time I'd ever seen Ben."

It wasn't the last.

Bosse's friend and former AAU teammate, J.T. Blair, a former standout at Webb, planted the idea of Bosse joining him at King.

A few months later, Bosse worked out for Pitts in hopes of earning a scholarship - and a little more playing time.

Heck, any playing time.

"He did not play particularly well that day, but I knew that he could do some things we needed on our team," Pitts said. "We didn't lose anybody from last year's team, but we needed somebody to come in and do some of the little things. I could see that when he came in."

And Pitts has seen it all year long.

Bosse earned a starting spot and contributed just what Pitts wanted: Rebounding, good post defense and a player who knew his role.

In nearly 23 minutes a game this season, Bosse has averaged 8.6 points, although he scored a season-high 17 points against Montreat in February.

He's third on the team in rebounds and blocks and fourth in assists.

"There's no doubt he's had a big impact on the success we've had," said Pitts, a Knoxville native who was a high school coach at Young, Bearden, Science Hill and Brentwood Academy. "I was very pleased to get him last year. He has really done better than I thought he would do."

All Bosse has done is play his role.

"We've got the player of the year on the team," Bosse said. "We've got a lot of guys who are great offensive weapons. I just kind of try to be a piece of the puzzle. If I can set a screen and get somebody open, or get a few assists when I can, that's something that makes this team better."

It's better for Bosse, too.

After two years of practicing every day with the Vols without any significant game action, Bosse just wanted to play ball.

"I'm really enjoying the time I'm getting to spend up here," Bosse says. "I really enjoy the people up here. My teammates are really good friends of mine. Playing ball, that's why I came up here. I'm really happy that I have the opportunity to play, at whatever level.

"I'm glad I'm up here."

Notebook: Senior guard Nick Pasqua, a former standout at Alcoa, averaged 12.15 points per game and made first-team All-AAC for the Tornado.

Drew Edwards may be reached at 865-342-6274.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.