KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Forgive coach Bruce Pearl if he's sounds a little repetitive.

His Volunteers have competed for SEC championships each of the four seasons he's been with the team, and Pearl expects this year to be no different.

``We are in it to win it. We're in it to defend one championship, and we're in it to win a couple of others,'' he said. ``If you wind the tape back, I think you will hear me say the exact same thing almost every other year.''

The difference this time is that Tennessee, ranked No. 10 in the preseason poll, finally has the balance of natural talent, depth and attitude that Pearl has sought.

The Vols have only had pieces of the equation in years past: the right attitude from his early quads led by Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith, and the natural talent last season when six newcomers provided Pearl with very little depth.

``At first it was tough last year for the freshmen and all the new guys that we had, to come in and expect them to understand everything,'' senior J.P. Prince said. ``You're replacing Chris and JaJuan, two of the greatest players that every played at this school, and that's tough.''

The team won a share of the SEC East but lost in the conference tournament title game, and was upset in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. The Vols finished 21-13 while struggling with consistency - evident in how they rebounded from an embarrassing loss in late February to top rival Kentucky and make their SEC East run.

They've now spent a whole offseason together, and Pearl thinks that's another difference.

``We're closer. We get along better. We understand each other better,'' he said. ``We tolerate each other's differences. We forgive each other for our failings.''

Senior forward Tyler Smith said his goal to keep the team together from the start.

Smith averaged 17.4 points and 5.8 rebounds last season, along with 114 assists. But he chose not to enter the NBA draft after being projected as a second-round pick.

``I think if we stay together as a team,'' Smith said, ``then our wins will pile up and our tournament will go better.''

It won't be exactly the same team as last season.

Senior guard Josh Tabb, who averaged 3.4 points, withdrew from school Oct. 28 to care for his ill mother. Sophomore forward Emmanuel Negedu, who averaged 1.9 points, won't play after suffering cardiac arrest Sept. 28 - even though he'll remain on the team.

Junior college transfer Melvin Goins can help fill Tabb's role sharing point guard with Bobby Maze. Goins averaged 17.2 points as a sophomore at Mount San Jacinto College.

Freshman forward Kenny Hall could help inside where Negedu shared space with forward Wayne Chism and center Brian Williams. Freshman Skylar McBee brings depth to guard.

That extra depth, coupled with a full year of experience for players like shooting guard Scotty Hopson and swingman Cameron Tatum, means Pearl is ready to speed things up again and play his trademark style of pressure basketball.

``We're going to try to extend the defense a little bit more this year and press a little bit more and play the game to the tempo we like to play,'' Pearl said. ``We didn't feel like we had the experience or the quickness at guard to dictate tempo last year.''

They need every competitive advantage they can get to face a schedule that should again be one of the toughest in the country.

The Vols play host to No. 1 Kansas on Jan. 10, face No. 4 Kentucky in Lexington in February and No. 18 Mississippi State, the favorite to win the SEC West.

Tennessee also travels to Southern Cal, led by former Vols coach Kevin O'Neill, and rival Memphis in addition to its usual slate of SEC games.

``To have the ability to beat everybody on our schedule that we're supposed to beat and have a chance to beat some of the teams maybe we're not supposed to beat we've got to get back in that form of play,'' Pearl said. ``We just lost a little bit of our aggression (last season).''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.