KNOXVILLE -- Kenny Hall didn't need a "Hoosiers" pep talk from University of Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl.
Hall, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward, didn't need be to reminded that massive Thompson-Boling Arena's court was the same size as Redan (Ga.) High School. He didn't need to be told the rim still stood exactly 10 feet from the floor.
"It's still just basketball, and I've always been able to play basketball," Hall said.
Early returns suggest that Hall, in fact, can still play basketball. In the first significant action of his career against a quality, NCAA Division I opponent, Hall collected 12 points and five offensive rebounds in just 20 minutes during UT's 88-71 win over Charlotte on Wednesday night.
Hall shot 5-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, and he added a steal and blocked shot against the 49ers -- who crushed Louisville by 22 points in Freedom Hall last month.
"I don't ever feel pressure," Hall said minutes after the game in his typical, matter-of-fact manner. "Any time I go out there, I'm just out there having fun and doing what I know I can do, and doing it well. I've got confidence in my game. I'm not scared of anybody on the court."
Hall rose to the occasion when short-handed UT reached its most vulnerable moment in the game. Charlotte's 21-2 run early in the second half whittled a 54-29 deficit to six points, and the Vols seemed timid in their halfcourt offense. With most of the team playing hot potato, Hall took a pass just outside the paint, turned and swished a fade-away jumper to steady the ship.
No big deal, according to Hall.
"It was a good look, so I took the good look," he said. "I had confidence in the shot."
And that pleased Pearl, who praised Hall and sophomore Renaldo Woolridge's performances in the post.
"Kenny's got confidence in the things that he does well," Pearl said. "He's got confidence that he can score. I give Kenny, and ... my coaching staff some credit for keeping these guys ready. Kenny's not stopped working when he's not been playing. He has been in the gym. He has been in the weight room. His attitude has been terrific, and this is why obviously he came to Tennessee. He just stayed ready.
"I always tell people, and I mean this is important, 'You're opportunity is going to come. Are you going to be ready? Or if you don't get your opportunity right away, are you going to pout? Are you going to blame somebody? Are you not going to prepare? Because guess what happens when that happens, and your opportunity comes? You're not going to be ready to handle it.'"
Hall and Woolridge -- who had 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting, two 3-pointers and a team-high seven rebounds -- most certainly seemed ready.
"It's a great opportunity from an unfortunate circumstance," said Woolridge, who took All-Southeastern Conference forward Tyler Smith's place in the starting lineup. "My team needed me to step up, and I was able to go back into that mind state and just get it done.
"Not only with my own confidence, but with us as a team, we try to preach being confident in each other. But we really had to see it to believe it. (Wednesday) was an opportunity for us all to see what we could do when times get hard. That's the mark of true men, and we were able to do it. Everybody knows we're all in this together, and if we keep working hard, the sky will be the limit."
It's still not clear how much longer the Vols will be short-handed, and to what degree. Knoxville Police Department officials are still investigating the Jan. 1 arrests. Background and forensic tests are still being done on the weapons confiscated in the rental car -- which was allegedly borrowed from a player's friend. Initial charges could be erased or augmented.
"We're just looking forward," Hall said of the team's current active roster. "Whatever happens, it happens, but we're just going to stay focused."
Pearl made several cautious warnings Wednesday night. He praised the Vols' poise, passion and perseverance, but he reminded them of the challenges in their immediate path -- starting with Sunday's home game against top-ranked, undefeated Kansas.
"We beat a potential NCAA tournament team, and so that's an important win," Pearl said. "We gained some confidence, but now, what do we do with that confidence? It's all about where we go from here. We learned that some of those guys have the ability to step up. Now, can they continue to step up, or is there a ceiling? Is that it, or can they do that again? Or can they do more, without dropping back?
"There's no room to drop back against the rest of our schedule."
But there's no plan to drop back, Hall added.
"Of course, it's going to add to my confidence and give me a little more swagger on the court, but it's not going to stop me from working out and going as hard as I've been going every day," Hall said. "Really, it's going to make me want to go even harder. I want to get in better shape. I only got five rebounds (Wednesday), and that's not good at all to me. I'm aiming for a double-double.
"I'm going to get better. We're all going to get better. This is just the start."
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