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ATLANTA - You know how much impact coach Bruce Pearl has had on Tennessee basketball. But you can only guess at his impact on the SEC.

My guess: It's considerable.

Other athletic directors and school boosters can't help but notice what Pearl has done, and how fast he has done it.

Pearl hasn't just won at UT. He has filled the seats in one of the nation's biggest arenas.

The obvious question: If he can do it at Tennessee, why can't someone else do it at Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina or anywhere else in the conference?

When a reporter asked LSU athletic director Skip Bertman about coaching candidates, Bertman mentioned Pearl by name - not as a candidate, but as a type. He wants a coach who can help sell tickets as well as win games.

Comparing Pearl and UT to other conference coaches and programs might be unfair, but it's inevitable. And it might be a factor in the conference's coaching turnover.

After Pearl's second season at UT, two SEC programs - Arkansas and Kentucky - made coaching changes. This season, LSU fired John Brady, and South Carolina coach Dave Odom announced his resignation, effective at the end of the season.

There still could be more changes.

Georgia coach Dennis Felton was campaigning for his job after his last regular-season loss. Mark Gottfried is in trouble at Alabama.

Coaches Blew It: The media won't make the same mistake the SEC coaches made. When their all-conference team is announced next week, Pearl won't have to share the coach-of-the-year award.

Pearl and Kentucky's Billy Gillispie were named co-coaches of the year Tuesday in a vote of conference coaches.

In most cases, Pearl will get more credit from the media than his peers.

Fan Of Pearl: Odom said he doesn't know what other conference coaches think of Pearl, but he likes him.

"I judge a person by how they treat me and others," Odom said. "You can talk about his fanfare - like it or dislike it - but nobody can (question) that he's a good coach. He touches all the bases."

As an example of Pearl's coaching thoroughness, Odom cited UT's defense on inbounds plays.

"Undoubtedly, they're the top team in causing five-second calls," Odom said. "I don't have to worry about that against other schools. We can get the ball inbounds.

"But it's a factor (against UT.)"

Top 75: Bernard King at No. 3 was the highest ranked Vol on the top-75 list of SEC basketball players. Gainesville Sun sports columnist Pat Dooley polled media throughout the Southeast to rank the SEC's top 75 players in conjunction with the league's 75th anniversary.

The results of the poll will be announced today.

King is one of eight Vols to make the team. The other UT players and their ranking: Allan Houston (11), Ernie Grunfeld (13), Dale Ellis (14), Chris Lofton (45), Reggie Johnson (49), Tony White (59) and Tom Boerwinkle (72).

The top-10 players overall: 1. Pete Maravich, LSU; 2. Shaquille O'Neal, LSU; 3. King, UT; 4. Dan Issel, Kentucky; 5. Bob Pettit, LSU; 6. Dominique Wilkins, Georgia; 7. Chuck Person, Auburn, 8. Chris Jackson, LSU; 9. Bailey Howell, Mississippi State; and 10. Charles Barkley, Auburn.

Transfer Power: The SEC has become a great second-chance league for basketball players. Some of the conference's best players either transferred from other colleges or junior colleges.

Where would UT be without Tyler Smith, who transferred from Iowa, and J.P. Prince, who transferred from Arizona?

Ole Miss' Dwayne Curtis, who leads the conference in rebounding in league games, transferred from Auburn. South Carolina point guard Devan Downey, who transferred from the University of Cincinnati, ranks third in the SEC in scoring, second in assists and first in steals.

LSU's Marcus Thornton, a transfer from Kilgore Junior College, ranks second in the league in scoring and fourth in 3-pointers made.

Arkansas' Sonny Weems, who made first-team All-SEC is another junior college transfer. Quan Prowell, Auburn's leading scorer, transferred from Furman.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.