KNOXVILLE — Coaches covet player personnel options, especially in sports that feature multiple games against several opponents on an annual basis.
That’s a big reason for Bruce Pearl’s clear sense of relief this week.
Six-foot-10 junior center Brian Williams, the biggest player on Pearl’s Tennessee basketball roster, has emerged from a nine-game suspension to bolster the Volunteers’ postseason aspirations.
Williams might not start the Southeastern Conference game today at South Carolina despite starting the second half of Wednesday’s comeback win over Georgia, but the big Bronx native with a handful of nicknames undoubtedly will play several minutes.
“In some respects, our team is fresh, because Brian Williams just came back,” Pearl said. “I feel like we’re a little bit more open. Brian coming back gives us more options, and an option we did not have. That gives us some freshness, too.