No basketball coach anywhere in America takes an opponent lightly in the month of February. Strange things have been known to happen on the hardwood as conference play turns into a long, hard grind, a fact Bruce Pearl knows as well as anyone.

That's why when his Tennessee (14-8, 5-3) team takes the floor against hapless Georgia (9-13, 0-8) tonight in Thompson-Boling Pearl won't be taking victory for granted. That's despite the fact that the Bulldogs are at least even money to go through the conference winless and head coach Dennis Felton didn't survive January before getting the axe.

After watching his team blow Saturday's contest at Auburn--and apparently watching it repeatedly on tape since--Pearl isn't taking any opponent lightly. And can even find reasons why Georgia might feel confident.

"We didn't play well defensively against Auburn and if we play like that against Georgia they're going to be right there against us," Pearl said in handicapping tonight's contest.


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