Basketball Vols still in 'camp' mode

If you care at all about who Bruce Pearl starts on the floor in Friday's exhibition game, you're one up on the Tennessee basketball coach.

"It really isn't important to me who starts, but it may be important to the players,'' Pearl said. "It's more important we understand what we're trying to do.''

Pearl said the Vols have yet to shift into game mode, even though their 7:30 p.m. exhibition opener against North Alabama on Friday night at Thompson-Boling Arena is fast approaching.

"We're in training camp mode still,'' he said. "We've had three contact practices in a row. I'd never do that during the season.''

The Vols will scrimmage today in Thompson-Boling as Pearl continues to implement offensive and defensive plays.

"I'm looking for us to play well (Friday) given what we have in so far,'' Pearl said. "We've got about 25 percent of our offense and 75 percent of our defense in, but we're nowhere close to where we need to be.''

Pearl said he planned on going 12 deep against North Alabama.

"I want to do a lot of evaluating,'' he said. "I want to see what happens when the lights come on.''

As for who ends up starting where, Pearl said there are myriad possibilities.

Point Guard - Bobby Maze, Melvin Goins.

Shooting Guard - Scotty Hopson, Cameron Tatum, Skylar McBee

Small Forward - J.P. Prince, Tatum, Steven Pearl

Power Forward - Tyler Smith, Wayne Chism, Renaldo Woolridge, Kenny Hall, Pearl.

Center - Wayne Chism, Brian Williams, Hall.

Tabb Update: Senior Josh Tabb, who is indefinitely suspended from team activities, is back in his hometown of Carbondale, Ill., caring for his mother, who is ill.

There has been speculation Tabb might transfer to be closer to home, but Pearl said he had no comment on Tabb's family situation.

Staying Late: Hopson, Woolridge, McBee and Hall stayed nearly two hours after Tuesday's practice to get in extra shooting.

The players competed in a 3-point circuit-shooting competition.

Most know about Hopson and Woolridge's 3-point tendencies, and many in the Knoxville area are aware of McBee's schoolboy hero status at Grainger High School, but the 6-foot-9 Hall also has proved to have surprisingly good touch.

"You guys have more energy than you did in practice!'' UT assistant Jason Shay quipped as he left the gym.

Shay, a former Iowa walk-on, beat Hopson and Woolridge in a 3-point shooting contest last season and has been bested at UT only by former Vols' All-American Chris Lofton.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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