KNOXVILLE — How can a highly skilled, 6-foot-10 basketball player not grow up being “the man”?

One scenario is growing up in the guard-heavy streetball mecca that is metropolitan New York, playing hours of video games and letting your weight swell near 400 pounds.

That’s what Brian Williams did.

And that’s why UT coach Bruce Pearl stays on Williams’ case most of the time. He wants to make sure his 270-pound big man stays focused.

Moments after Williams’ 21-point, 12-rebound performance Tuesday night against UT-Martin, Pearl said the sophomore had simply met — not exceeded — his coach’s expectations.

Pearl said he would “devalue those numbers somewhat” because of UT-Martin’s lack of post size.

“But at the same time, that’s what Brian’s capable of. He really is,” Pearl added. “I think Brian’s got to see himself like this.”

Pearl first saw Williams on a recruiting trip to watch McDonald’s All-American J.J. Hickson, who chose North Carolina State over the Vols and left college after one season as a first-round NBA draft pick.

“I left that game convinced that Brian Williams could be a great college player,” Pearl said. “J.J. Hickson ... was a one-and-done (to the NBA) guy, and Brian outplayed him.”

When Hickson surprised UT coaches with his late commitment to the Wolfpack, Pearl swarmed in and secured Williams’ signature away from a list of schools that included Pittsburgh, St. John’s and UMass.

“I want to be clear that we didn’t ‘settle’ for Brian,” Pearl said last season. “We knew we were getting a guy that could develop into a really good college big man.”

After dropping about 100 pounds the year before enrolling at UT in the summer of 2007, Williams quickly — but not consistently — showed that his skills set could transfer to the major NCAA Division I level.

“Brian can do a lot more than most people probably think,” Vols junior forward Tyler Smith said. “He can obviously defend the paint and rebound and score inside and all of that. But he’s also got good hands, a good shot, and he’s a really good passer — much better than most big guys.”

Williams made several 3-pointers in Knoxville’s Rocky Top Summer League, and he swished one against UT-Martin that bumped his career total to 2-for-3.

Pearl gives his players the freedom to step occasionally outside their comfort zones, and Williams — the team comedian and an extreme extrovert — loves embellishing on his long-range exploits. But he and his teammates know Pearl has enough depth to bench virtually any player who doesn’t meet expectations.

“He’s shown us he can be a double-double guy, so that’s what he needs to keep doing,” Smith said of Williams. “If he keeps doing his thing down there, we’ll be a more complete team that can do big things.”

Williams had one double-double last season, and the Vols needed it. His 16 points and 14 rebounds were vital to UT’s neutral-court victory over fellow Sweet 16 participant Western Kentucky in December.

“I definitely know I can play well against anybody,” Williams said. “I beat top guys all the time at prep school and AAU, and I’ve had some big games in college.

“Coach just gets on me all the time about bringing it every day. Every day, he’s like, ‘Brian, what are you doing?’”

Tonight’s opponent, Middle Tennessee State, is similar in size to UT-Martin.

MTSU has good guards, but 6-7 Desmond Yates is the Blue Raiders’ only starter taller than 6-4, and Yates is built like a wing. They rarely bring bigger bodies off the bench, either.

Pearl’s message hasn’t softened since Tuesday. He expects Williams to keep fighting through a sore knee (tendinitis) and play well against any-sized team.

“Brian has been in a situation for most of his playing career where he saw other people in New York that went on and did this or did that,” Pearl said. “Brian kind of knew that maybe he could be as good. Well, it’s time now. It’s time to show it with some consistency.

“I don’t think Brian pushes himself hard enough to put these numbers up (every game), and he can. I’ve just got great confidence in him. He’s not a role player. He’s not. He could be a dominant player.”