KNOXVILLE — When I got home from Thompson-Boling Arena last night (err ... this morning), I saw highlights of the Tennessee-Florida men’s basketball game and quickly discovered how, under deadline duties, I had overlooked how brutally Florida’s Dan Werner fouled a driving J.P. Prince midway through the second half.

As I was driving to get some morning caffeine for the national football signing day frenzy, I flipped on my radio and heard Vols coach Bruce Pearl say the same.

“It was a ferocious foul,” Pearl said. “It looked worse on tape. I’m not sure he shouldn’t have been ejected.”

Pearl said he was still more upset with Prince’s reaction to the play, though. He said Prince has received several hard fouls recently on his way to the basket, but that he still didn’t approve of Prince hurrying up from his backside to get in Werner’s face.

Werner was called for a flagrant foul, and Prince was given a technical.

“You should only do two things,” Pearl said. “If you’re hurt, stay on the ground, and somebody will tend to you. If you’re not, get up, smile and go make two free throws.”

Pearl joked that it’s often better to let your coaches and teammates defend you moments later. He joked that it’s better to wait for 6-foot-10, 270-pound freshman center Brian Williams’ first screen opportunity.

When Williams sets a screen, everyone in the arena feels it.

Regardless, the bigger question may be why Prince has been fouled so hard so many times this season. I can think of several potential contributing factors.

— He is 6-foot-7, jumps very high and doesn’t weigh very much.

— He takes it to the rim several times per game.

— He tends to showboat after highlight-worthy finishes.

I can’t and won’t try to speak for Werner, who very well could have simply been trying to send Prince to the free-throw line without the option of a three-point play. Even UT senior guard JaJuan Smith said immediately after the game that he didn’t think Werner’s foul was intentional.

Smith did say that “it got under our skin,” though. And, like it was at Xavier, that technical was a blessing in disguise for the Vols, who promptly put away a close game with a 13-4 run.