by MARTY COOK ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE , Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The Volunteers won the SEC East last year and reached the league tournament championship game before losing 64-61 to Mississippi State. They did this by playing a more conventional style of basketball , rather than the pressing, up-tempo game Pearl prefers.

"I thought we were good enough to win the league conventionally, and I feel I was right," Pearl said.

Pearl said he switched last year because he felt his team wasn't athletic enough to play up-tempo. He said that might still be the case this year, but the Volunteers will revert to their old run-and-gun ways.

Pearl said he realized when the Volunteers lost 77-75 to Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that his team looked like every other team.

"I can tell you right now, if we look like everybody else, we have no chance to beat three or four teams in the SEC this year who are too big, too strong, too physical, too talented," Pearl said at SEC media day. "You have to have that edge, that difference. Our talent is not more suited to pressing. If I want to play for fourth or fifth, we'll stay conventional." The style change is popular with the Volunteers themselves. Senior standout Tyler Smith said the Volunteers will surprise people who don't think they are capable of pressing and playing fast.

"Last year, people thought it didn't suit us because we didn't press as much," said Smith, who averaged 17.4 points and 3.4 assists a game. "We're long, we can move our feet and we're athletic. Going back to pressing, getting up and down the court, we'll create a lot of turnovers for us, and it'll be easy baskets." Smith entered his name in the NBA Draft but withdrew to return to Tennessee. Smith's return means Tennessee has all five starters back from last year's 21-13 team that won the East with a 10-6 conference record.

"I'm as happy to have him back as the rest of the league is sorry he came back," Pearl said. "He has been the face of Tennessee basketball for the last few years. He just brings a toughness and a competitiveness. He gives us a chance to defend our Eastern division championship." Smith will have plenty of help from 6-9 forward Wayne Chism, who average eight rebounds as a junior, and senior point guard Bobby Maze. Maze averaged 8.2 points and nearly three assists a game as a junior college transfer.

"Bobby Maze in his second year is going to be much improved," Pearl said. "Without Bobby Maze last year, Tennessee does not win the East." The media picked the Volunteers to finish second in the East behind Kentucky this year. The Wildcats, which didn't make the NCAA Tournament last year, made big news with the hiring of Coach John Calipari, who brought in a heralded recruiting class.

The slight, if it can be called that, didn't bother Pearl. Smith said the Volunteers will use it as fuel.

"Our players have always been overlooked," Smith said. "We don't take it to heart. We just go out there and try to get better and play our game." This year, that again means fast.

NEXT Mississippi State

Vols at a glance

COACH Bruce Pearl (98-37, fifth season at Tennessee, 415-121 in 17 seasons overall)

LAST SEASON 21-13, 10-6 SEC

KEY LOSS None

KEY RETURNEES G/F Tyler Smith, F/C Wayne Chism, G J.P. Prince, G Scotty Hopson, G Bobby Maze

KEY NEWCOMERS F Kenny Hall, G Skylar McBee

PROJECTED FINISH Second in SEC East

This article was published 10/27/2009

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