Vols' basketball practices focused on learning, for now

Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl spares no emotion on the court.

The animated Pearl who the Vols see on the side of the court wearing a suit at UT games can't hold a candle to the Pratt Pavilion Pearl when it comes to animation and body language.

"This is my favorite time of year,'' Pearl said following Thursday's one-hour workout. "The thing right now, it's the joy of coaching and teaching and explaining why we do a drill a certain way, and why we execute a certain way.''

What Pearl and his assistants don't catch during live action, the new Sportstec film system will.

"We can watch a certain guy without having to fast-forward or rewind the film,'' Shay said. "It was one of the things we picked up from our visit with the Denver Nuggets last summer.

"The Nuggets, along with a lot of NBA teams, use the system.''

Assistant coach Jason Shay said pouring over the film is a necessity as the Vols try to move forward.

"We take notes on who is doing what and who's picking up on the system,'' Shay said. "The returning guys have an obvious advantage; but Kenny (Hall), Melvin (Goins) and Skylar (McBee) have made big strides already in picking up the concepts.''

Pearl said the key to the Vols' fast start has been the team's attitude.

"They are on the same page that we need to grow,'' Pearl said. "That's the attitude that's prevailing in every workout. They're hungry for knowledge and they have a desire to understand.

"We only get two hours a week, and it's difficult because I don't get to go back and build on it until next week.''

But, Pearl said, it's the preseason.

"I'm not worried about the competition for positions right now,'' he said. "Right now, I want them to learn, and I want them to understand what we're doing.

"Right now the players need to compete in the classroom and get the grades required for me to be able to put them on the floor this season.''