2000-01 record: 22-11; 8-8 in SEC (4th in East) Final Ranking: NR Postseason: Lost to Charlotte 70-63 in first round of NCAA Tournament. RETURNING LEADERS Points: Yarbrough 13.9 ppg | Rebounds: Yarbrough 7.4 rpg | Assists: Yarbrough 2.5 apg | FG %: Haislip 51.6% | 3pt %: Higgins 48.6% | FT %: Haislip 75.7% 00-01 Stats: Tennessee | SEC

		Tuesday, Nov. 6 The Vols have a very talented 1-2 punch in wing players Vincent Yarbrough and Ron Slay. The key to this club really lies with Marcus Haislip, who was declared academically ineligible for the first semester. Once the 6-foot-10 center returns on the inside, the Vols really need him to jump up. They're also relying on 6-10 freshman Brandon Crump to help on the inside. These two guys have got to deliver. If they don't, Tennessee could struggle.

Outlook
Rarely are 22-11 seasons as unpleasant as last year was in Knoxville. The Volunteers staggered in 6-10 down the stretch after being ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation, with critics dogging their defense, attitude, intelligence and leadership. When Tennessee went one-and-out in the NCAAs, the school arranged the resignation of coach Jerry Green.

In his place comes Buzz Peterson, rolling right off the Dean Smith assembly line after stops at Appalachian State and Tulsa. The latter stop produced NIT wins over three annual Tennessee opponents: Memphis, Mississippi State and Alabama, which helped Peterson into one of the better open jobs in the country last spring.

He inherits some prodigious talent in Vincent Yarbrough (13.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, great outside shooting touch) and Ron Slay (12.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg and about 2.5 skirmishes per game in less than 23 minutes). Losing point guard Tony Harris might be addition by subtraction, provided junior Jon Higgins fills in adequately. There are bodies available.

What we like: Peterson has established that he isn't going to put up with some of the stuff that went on in the past. He's worked to disband the clicques that existed on the team, and players who miss class have occasionally been summoned to the basketball office to read passages of Shakespeare to the head coach. If something is still rotten in the state of Tennessee this season, blame the players. It's not Peterson's fault.

What we don't like: Right now, mix-master Slay and promising redshirt freshman Brandon Crump are hobbled by injuries, and potential star Marcus Haislip is ineligible until after the first semester. There goes your interior rotation, which might force wing forward Vincent Yarbrough to play inside early on. Combine that with adapting to Peterson's style, and there might be some early growing pains for this team.

The bottom line: A good early showing in the Great Alaska Shootout might reinforce the changes Peterson is trying to implement, and set the stage for future success. The non-conference schedule is not overwhelming (at Memphis, at Louisville, at Wisconsin, a January home game against Syracuse), so the victory total should be NCAA-worthy without a problem -- if Tennessee can prove that the attitudes responsible for its late-season meltdown of last year have been expunged.

Key Players Returning
Player	Yr.	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Vincent Yarbrough	Sr.	F	6-7/210	PTS: 13.9 | REB: 7.4 | AST: 2.5
Ron Slay	Jr.	F	6-8/225	PTS: 12.9 | REB: 5.3 | AST: 1.0
Jon Higgins	Jr.	G	6-3/190	PTS: 6.5 | REB: 3.5 | AST: 2.4

Key Losses
Player	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Isiah Victor	F	6-9/220	PTS: 12.8 | REB: 6.6 | AST: 0.9
Tony Harris	G	6-0/165	PTS: 11.4 | REB: 2.0 | AST: 3.8

Tennessee Signings
Player	Pos.	Ht.	High School/College
Derek Stribling	F	6-6	Tallahassee, Fla./Rickards H.S.
Elgrace Wilborn	F	6-8	Springfield, Ohio/South H.S.
Thaydeus Holden	G	6-0	Chattanooga, Tenn./Seward County CC
Michael Collins	F	6-6	Nicholson, Ga./Commerce