Basketball practice started on Oct. 15, but through offseason workouts and meetings with Coach Rodney Terry and his staff, the players knew what to expect.

Not surprisingly, there have been a few changes.

''Over the offseason it was much different because the time that we did get, the limited time that we did get to spend with the coaches, was much more intense. We got a lot more head to head compeititon this offseason and as far as practice goes it's the same thing,'' said Garrett Johnson, one of five returning lettermen.

''A lot more head to head, a lot more intense, a lot more attention to detail defensively. You can't simulate the game in practice, but we're getting so close it's scary.''