After the lopsided loss to Texas, Bruce Pearl's Tennessee team has managed to fly under the radar.

Maybe it's the schedule (the Vols played N.C. A&T, Louisiana-Lafayette and Chattanooga) or maybe it's the fact that people aren't believers after D.J. Augustin dissected Tennessee on Nov. 24.

Pearl said his team looks better and part of it can be attributed to the added practice time lately - and part of it is a continuous adjustment to new personnel.

The Vols have started to get used to Iowa transfer Tyler Smith (he's averaging 16.3 points and 8 rebounds in the last three games), but now they'll have to do it again with the addition of Arizona transfer J.P. Prince, who will make his Vols debut on Saturday.

"We lost (Dane) Bradshaw, the captain of our all-glue team, and it's still taken a while to get over his loss," Pearl said. "But 8-1 with the only loss coming to Texas isn't so terrible. Adding J.P. is going to help us out, but it mixes up the chemistry."

Pearl said that the long and versatile Prince, a Memphis native, will step right in and be a factor. "He'll be a part of the rotation immediately," he said.

Pearl wants to see what Prince can add to the team in a difficult four-game stretch that begins this weekend against Western Kentucky in Nashville and ends with a pair of road games at Xavier and Gonzaga.

"You've got to demonstrate to the committee that you're willing to go on the road and willing to play good teams," Pearl said of his difficult non-conference slate. "If you can win enough of those games, they'll reward you."

STAR-CROSSED

Scott Cross played at UT Arlington from 1995-98 and is in his second season as the head coach at his alma mater.

He can't remember the Southland Conference being as stacked as it is right now.

You want proof. Sam Houston State is undefeated at 8-0 and knocked off Texas Tech. Stephen F. Austin beat Oklahoma and Cross' Mavericks are a perfect 8-0.

"It's certainly the best since I've been here," Cross said of the conference. "The only thing about is that we've got one of the best teams we've had, but you look on our side of the league and you've got Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and both UTSA and Texas State are better."

Cross knew his team wasn't going to win more than the 13 games that the 33-year-old coach was able to get in his rookie season. He returned nearly everyone from a year ago - including 6-foot-9 senior center Jermaine Griffin.

Cross moved sophomore Rog'er Guignard to the point, inserted junior guard Brandon Long into the starting lineup at the two and moved 6-foot-2 senior guard Rod Epps to the three-spot.

"We've got three little guards who can all shoot the ball," Cross said. "It opens up things on the inside."

Griffin has taken advantage, averaging 15.5 points and 8.9 rebounds in the first eight victories - which included a victory at Wichita State last weekend.

SALUKIS REBOUND

Southern Illinois finally snapped the losing streak.

Chris Lowery's Salukis won for the first time in four games with a 71-56 win against No. 24 Saint Mary's.

Bryan Mullins had a career night with 24 points and Southern Illinois held Gaels freshman guard Patrick Mills to 11 points.

RANDOM NOTES: Oregon State junior big man C.J. Giles, who transferred from Kansas, made his debut with the Beavers last night and fouled out in just six minutes of action. He scored two points and grabbed two rebounds. ... Michigan State signee Delvon Roe will miss about a month due to a knee injury. The 6-foot-8 1/2 Roe, who plays for St. Edward (Ohio) and is considered one of the top seniors in the country, injured the knee in a game last week.