Parker: Rocky Top has men's hoops?

NASHVILLE -- If you don't have weak kidneys and made the drive over to Knoxville to see some Tennessee football this past season, you might have noticed the "It's a whole new ballgame" commercials on the JumboTron.

During the occasional time out, the university displayed an inside look at men's basketball practices for the Vols in preparation for the 2005-06 season.

And when the team wearing the wrong colors on the gridiron in front of you just made another play to contribute to a 5-6 year for the Vols, you probably paid a little more attention to the roundball ads.

Some heads obviously took notice.

After an attendance figure of 21,280 popping up for the season opener, you might have wondered why Pat Summitt scheduled UConn so early in the year.

Instead that figure is a small taste of the curiosity surrounding Rocky Top with the hiring of new head coach Bruce Pearl.

Nearly 6,800 midstaters sat down at the Gaylor Entertainment Center in Nashville on Wednesday night to witness the Vols rebound from a tough first half and pull out a solid 64-53 win over Murray State on.

Not counting a pair of exhibition wins, Tennessee is already 4-0.

Heck, had Fulmer and the boys started out 4-0, the national championship possibilities would have created a buzz so loud it might have made Pearl wonder if the supporters even remembered UT had a men's basketball team and why he took a post guiding a group of young men onto a hardwood named after a female coach.

Truth be told, a first season coaching basketball in Knoxville could not have come at a better time.

Orange Nation is looking for something to cheer about after a long fall of not-so-funny emails from Bama fans and looking up at Vanderbilt.

Pearl's style of play should appeal to basketball lovers as well.

The faithful won't have to keep their eyes fixed on Lady Vol Candace Parker to see some dunks.

His Vols are constantly flying around the floor as hustle and diving around have taken the place of ill-advised shots and poor defense.

Words like conditioning, fatigue and effort are no longer being used in a negative light.

"It's kind of easy us to play a 40-minute game the way we conditioned in the offseason," Vol forward Andre Patterson said.

The Tennessee guards held the Pacer ballhandlers in check and keyed a second-half spark that saw the Vols outscore Murray State 38-21.

Trey Pearson, the preseason pick to win Ohio Valley Conference player of the year, along with starter Keith Jenifer were held to 4-for-21 shooting by Vols C.J. Watson, Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith.

"We wore them down in the second half," said Watson, who had 11 points and just one turnover compared to seven assists.

"Those guys made some terrific individual defensive plays," Pearl said. "We've got some guys in the backcourt that can guard and keep a guy under control."

Everyone knows that if you want to win big games in March, you have to have solid, if not outstanding, play on the perimeter on both ends of the floor.

Perhaps the likes of the Ragin' Cajuns, Colonels and Buccaneers aren't a great test compared to the schedule ahead for Tennessee, but it's hard to argue with the successful start.

After a home contest with Appalachian State on Tuesday, the Vols travel to Austin to take on second-ranked Texas.

We'll see then if "It's a whole new ballgame."