KNOXVILLE -- The Rocky Top summer basketball league didn't need C.J. Watson, and Watson certainly didn't need the Rocky Top.

But he thought he needed to finish his college degree, so the former Tennessee point guard star became the first active NBA player to take part in the annual league at Bearden High School. He's with the Golden State Warriors, at last for now.

"I was going to be here for summer school this session anyway, and a couple of my old teammates asked me to play, and I thought it'd be fun," Watson said after his HT Group team lost 119-113 to Wayne Chism-led Ray's ESG.

The Rocky Top remains a decidedly offensive league full of triple-digit scores. The marquee players rarely exert themselves on defense, at least until the final few minutes. Fans fill the gym on Monday and Wednesday nights to watch prominent college players of the past, present and future attempt laughably long 3-point shots and NBA All-Star weekend slam dunks.

Watson plays alongside former Volunteers teammates Ron Slay and Jon Higgins, as well as 6-foot-9 incoming UT freshman forward Kenny Hall. Vols walk-on Steven Pearl, new UT-Chattanooga transfer Omar Wattad and area college players fill out the roster.

"I've been working out every day with the coaches at UT, and I go to class every day," Watson said. "But I don't really have anything else to do after that, so why not play? I'm just trying to have fun and compete and win games."

Watson played 77 games for the Warriors this past season, starting 18 times and finishing with respectable averages for a backup point guard: 9.5 points and 2.7 assists. He'll become a restricted free agent on July 1. He can sign an offer sheet from any team, but the Warriors have the right to match it.

Many would have taken this time to work out with fellow NBA athletes, but Watson stayed on the course he set in the NBA's development league. Undrafted players face big odds of playing in the NBA, and a small amount of success hasn't changed his stance of establishing a backup plan.

"No matter how long I'm in the league, I know I can't play basketball the rest of my life," Watson said. "Eventually I'm going to have to do something else.

"I'm trying to get into different business stuff. I need to finish my degree to do what I want to do after basketball. I'm just trying to take it for what it's worth and ride it as long as I can and keep having fun ... but it won't last forever for anyone."

Slay said he's having "a blast" playing with Watson and Higgins, and current Vols appear to be enjoying themselves, as well.

UT sophomore guard Scotty Hopson scored 49 points to lead Knoxville News-Sentinel to a 130-123 victory over Ray's on Monday, opening night.

"C.J. was a great matchup for me, because when I have smaller guards on me I've got to keep the ball low," Hopson said. "It helps my game, trying to go at him."

UT junior center Brian Williams, who plays with Hopson and incoming freshman guard Skylar McBee for KNS, said Watson "definitely brings more competition for our guards.

"And they can ask him how things are in the NBA," Williams added. "They can ask him how the defense is, how to adapt to everything and how to handle your business. I think it's a benefit for all of us."

Vols sophomore guard Cameron Tatum, who led the Rocky Top league in scoring last summer and piled up 73 points last week in two games -- second to Hopson's 93 -- said he's excited about Wednesday's matchup against Watson.

"That's great to have a guy like C.J. out here," Tatum said. "He can come out here and show us a lot of things, some tricks of the trade from the league that we can put into our arsenal."

UT's top two point guards, Bobby Maze and Josh Tabb, also are looking forward to the opportunity.

"Any time I get the chance to go up against a player like C.J., I feel like I can learn so much from him," said Maze, who averaged 31 points in the first two games. "As I'm playing against him, I'm really going to be stealing stuff from him. I want to play against him. I love competition.

"C.J. can only help me."

Added Tabb, who played with Watson for one season at UT: "It's great to have one of our pros come back and participate in this. Obviously, he could be doing other things in his life right now. But we all love this place, and you have great memories, and it looks like he's having fun."

Hall, who averaged 15 points in the first two games, said Watson joining the Ray's squad was "a real sweet deal.

"I'm loving that," Hall added. "It's really fun. He throws perfect passes, and he can really throw that alley-oop. I mean, he's an NBA point guard, you know? He can play."

Watson returning to school impressed Tabb as much as anything.

"He's a great example," Tabb said. "He really handles his business."