John Shulman

The Rocky Top League is a guard league.

It's run and gun, fastbreaks and dunks, alley-oops and 3-pointers -- pickup games with referees and a crowd that packs Bearden High School with no admission charge.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga center Jeremy Saffore knows he won't get many touches on the block, where he can turn and bank a hook shot over somebody. He'll get most of his points the next three weeks by cleaning up on the offensive glass.

Even if he doesn't score much, that's fine with the 7-foot-1 rising junior.

"I'm getting to play, and I have something to look forward to during the week, and that's playing in front of people," said Saffore, who played in the six-team league last summer. "I can run up and down the court and get in more conditioning and have a chance to play games."

Saffore will be joined on the First Tennessee Bank team by UTC sophomore shooting guard Ricky Taylor, who played in Costa Rica for SCORE International last summer. Omar Wattad, a transfer to UTC from Georgetown, is playing on the Ray's ESG squad.

"They get to play in front of some people, and the talent level will be fantastic," UTC coach John Shulman said. "I think it will be good for Ricky Taylor because he's going to have to play major minutes for us.

"I don't even know why Jeremy is going up there. I guess to get in shape."

Wattad has not enrolled in classes at UTC, which prevents Shulman from commenting about the former Science Hill High School star.

"I'm really excited because it should be fun and it's good to get a run in," Wattad said. "The competition should be fun and I know a lot of guys in the league, and that's cool."

Taylor won't know many of his teammates or opponents. But he knows a lot of them have more experience and more skill than he does. Facing a slew of University of Tennessee players -- former and current -- and some of the best college players from East Tennessee is a challenge he's looking forward to.

"When you play against guys that are better than you, you can learn from them," Taylor said. "It's like a quiz for myself right now to see what my weaknesses are."

NCAA rules prevent Shulman from watching the games in person. Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl can watch the games his son, Stephen, plays in.

"Now if I can get (fifth-grade son) Max to get drafted by a team, I'd be allowed to watch him play," Shulman said. "Until that time, I'll be stuck watching Dixie League youth baseball."