Wade Payne / AP file

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl wants his team be a terror on defense this season, writes Ray Glier.

Jordan Howell, a 6-3 senior guard, can play, and 6-9 junior Ryan Childress will rebound.

Tennessee can play 10 players and tire out opponents' stars. A lot of teams are going to run into that against Tennessee. The Vols’ defense, however, still has to get better. There are much better teams than Temple out there.

“Our defensive numbers at Tennessee have not been very good,” Pearl said. “They were good when I coached in Milwaukee, they were good at Southern Indiana, but not here. Defense and free-throw shooting are the areas where we can make the most improvement from last year’s team to be able to have the success we want to have.

“When you are one of the best offensive teams in the country and one of the worst defensive teams and then make some progress in that area where you are weak, you are doing something. That’s what our focus is.”

On its way to a 24-11 record last season and final ranking of No. 18, Tennessee ranked last in the SEC in scoring defense (75.1) and field-goal percentage defense (45.7).

Some of that had to do with style. The Vols turn teams over with their fierce pressure, which also means they give up lay-ups and short shots in an up-and-down game. Pearl knows that some of it had to do with poor half-court defense.

It is ironic that the Vols have gone Vegas in Thompson-Boling Arena with pre-game fireworks and loud music. The orange seats have all been painted black and the arena thumps with emotion. The season tickets are all gone, 16,000 and every home game is expected to be a sellout at 21,817. The school did a $19 million renovation on the building, which is in its 20^th season.

But for all the polish and hype, Tennessee’s future is tied to the grind of old-fashioned defense in the half-court. If the Vols make stops, their last stop could be in San Antonio in the Final Four.

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