"Cutters, Cutters!''

Most Tennessee men's basketball fans have heard coach Bruce Pearl make the call from the sidecourt during the course of play.

It's the base play out of UT's "flex" offense, which Pearl is hard at work teaching in the limited amount of time he has each week.

"We're trying to teach the spacing, the cutting and moving without the basketball,'' Pearl said Friday. "We're learning the places on the floor where we can get our shots. It involves down screening, cross screening and dribble-handoff passing.''

The idea behind the flex is ball movement that forces defenses into a high-energy chase mode - the better to wear out the opponent. When the defense breaks down - isn't quick enough to the ball, or overruns the play - the result is a layup or open shot.

"But it's not difficult to guard,'' Pearl readily admitted, "It's a good ball-control offense and it really makes the defense work hard.''

Pearl said there's flexibility for the scorers within the offense.

"It's a continuity offense, so the players have to make decisions within the framework of passing, screening and cutting,'' he said. "If we don't score out of the flex, I'll yell, 'Cutters,' and that's the base play.''

Junior J.P. Prince, junior college All-American Bobby Maze and freshman Daniel West are the three players running the point, and Pearl said the competition is to pick the top two to run the majority of the offense.

Prince played three games at point guard last season while West is coming off back-to-back state championships at Michigan's highest classification level.

But Maze has the biggest advantage picking up the offense having played for Ryan Swanson at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. Swanson coached with Pearl at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2001-03) and runs the same offense.

"It's a system that works well for Bobby,'' Swanson said during Maze's recruitment. "I try, as much as possible, to emulate a lot of the same things that Bruce does and what we did at Milwaukee.

"Bobby obviously excelled at it, leading our league in scoring and finishing second in assists.''

Maze averaged 20.7 points, 6.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game last season.

"A lot of it is the same terminology and the formalities coming off ball screens,'' Maze said. "The big thing is being able to move, especially coming off transition. You can make a play and hit the open man.''

Maze said the the Vols' team chemistry serves to help in the continuity of the offense.

"Yeah, a lot of how well we play together has to do with how we are off the court, always hanging out together and getting along,'' Maze said. "We don't have any attitudes on this team. One of the best things about being here is it's all about team and family.''

The Vols are limited to two hours of supervised work per week. Full team drills begin Oct. 17.

Chism Presses Through: UT junior center Wayne Chism hit the court grasping his ankle during one of the Vols' more intense portions of practice. Chism got up grimacing, but stayed in the rotation and finished the drill.

Chism had ice on his ankle immediately after practice, and the injury is not thought to be serious.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.