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Nov. 13, 2006

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl didn't know what to expect from his team this season. If the season-opener is any indicator, the 25th-ranked Volunteers are poised to build on their success from a year ago.

Tennessee looks for another strong showing when it meets Fordham in the opening round of the NIT Season Tip-Off at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville on Monday.

The Volunteers (1-0) returned just two starters from last season's squad that went 22-8 and won the SEC East with a 12-4 conference mark. Tennessee's season, though, ended with a second-round loss in the NCAA tournament to Wichita State.

Pearl's team got off to convincing start this time around, building a 20-point lead in the first half Friday en route to an 83-52 win over Middle Tennessee State.

"I've been coaching 15 years. I knew less going into this year because of how young we were, how new we were and how little the exhibition season helped us," said Pearl, whose team improved to 15-0 when scoring 80 or more points. "But I thought we played hard."

Junior guard JaJuan Smith, who averaged 9.5 points off the bench last season, led five players in double figures with a game-high 16 points in his first career start. Two freshman cracked the starting lineup - forward Duke Crews and point guard Ramar Smith - while freshman reserve Josh Tabb scored 13 points.

"We ask so much of them, and they're going to continue to grow," said senior Dane Bradshaw of the freshmen. "But I'm very impressed with them and their maturity out there on the court in a big-time stage like this."

Bradshaw, a returning starter, recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Tennessee's season-opening performance was all the more impressive since standout Chris Lofton wasn't much of a factor due to foul trouble. The junior guard, who led the Vols with 17.2 points per game last season, was limited to six points in 21 minutes of play.

"He wasn't treated like an All-American out there," Pearl said of Lofton.

Lofton will try to get back on track against the Rams, who squeaked out a 70-68 win over Sacred Heart in their season-opener on Friday.

Fordham (1-0) had 25 turnovers and shot just 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from the floor, but got a boost from sophomore reserve Chris Bethel, who scored a career-high 15 points and added six rebounds. Freshman Brenton Butler, another reserve, scored all 14 of his points in the first half .

"We didn't play very well tonight but you have to take your hat off to Sacred Heart," said Rams coach Dereck Whittenburg, whose squad went 16-16 last season and 9-7 in the Atlantic 10. "But I'm pleased with the play of some of our young guys, especially Brenton Butler. We probably don't win this game if not for Brenton."

Starters Bryant Dunston had 14 points and Marcus Stout added 10. Michael Binns grabbed 13 rebounds.

The Vols lead the all-time series 2-1 over the Rams, but the teams haven't met since Dec. 29, 1989, when Fordham won 93-85. Tennessee is making its second appearance in the NIT Season Tip-Off and first since 1992.

The winner of this contest will face the winner of the UNC-Wilmington-Belmont game on Tuesday.