ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- As far as exotic tournaments go, Tennessee couldn't be in for a more drastic mood swing this week.

Eleven months ago, the Vols were wearing leis and learning to hula at the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii. Aside from their uniforms, a pair of swim trunks and flip-flops were about all the luggage required.

By the way, they won the championship, playing some of their best basketball of the season.

This week, parkas and snowshoes are the appropriate attire.

The Vols (1-0) arrived in the frozen north Sunday night for the Great Alaska Shootout. Coach Buzz Peterson hopes to have the team thawed out by Wednesday night when it faces Marquette (2-0) in the opening round.

This is UT's second appearance in the tournament that annually brings some of college basketball's marquee teams to the land of the midnight sun. Peterson hopes Tennessee fares better this time than last.

In 1984-85, Don DeVoe's Vols lost to Alabama-Birmingham and Maryland and beat only Idaho State.

The tournament is played in 8,700-seat Sullivan Arena in downtown Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Selected games will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2.

The Vols play Wednesday, have Thursday off and return Friday and Saturday.

At full strength, Tennessee would be among the favorites this week in a field that includes tradition-rich Indiana, Texas, St. John's Oregon State, Gonzaga and host Alaska-Anchorage.

Ron Slay, who sat out UT's opening 72-63 win over Tennessee Tech last Friday because of a stress fracture in his leg, will probably be cleared for limited play against Marquette.

"We need number 35 out there," said Peterson. "We need the emotional lift he brings to the young players."

However, Marcus Haislip will miss the tournament as he continues to shoot for regaining his academic eligibility on Dec. 15.

Here is a look at the Shootout field:

Marquette: The Golden Eagles are coached by Tom Crean. They return three starters and five of the top six scorers from last year's 15-14 team. However, in two exhibition games it was a pair of newcomers who led the team in scoring. Guard Dwyane Wade, a partial-qualifier last year, scored 30 points in one exhibition and acclaimed freshman guard Travis Diener had 18 points and eight assists in another. Marquette beat Loyola of Chicago, 80-70, and Chicago State, 102-49, over the weekend. Point guard Cordell Henry had a career-high 31 against Chicago State.

Indiana: Forward Jared Jeffries heads four returning starters from a team that went 21-13 under first-year coach Mike Davis. A veteran backcourt includes guards Dane Fife, Kyle Hornsby and Tom Coverdale. The man to replace is center Kirk Haston. Indiana beat Charlotte, 65-61, on Sunday night.

Texas: Coach Rick Barnes has three starters back from a 25-9 team that was upset by Temple in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Forwards Chris Owens, Brian Boddicker and James Thomas give the Longhorns experience in the frontcourt. The impact newcomer is point guard T.J. Ford, who is considered the most heralded signee in school history. The Longhorns lost their opener at home to Arizona, 88-74.

St. John's: The Red Storm has four starters back from a 14-15 team. Coach Mike Jarvis has to find a point guard to replace freshman Omar Cook, who left after one year for the NBA. Wing guard Willie Shaw is the leading returning scorer on a team lacking star power. St. John's opened with a 72-55 win over Stony Brook.

Gonzaga: Coach Mark Few returns three starters from a Sweet 16 team that went 26-7. Guard Dan Dickau is a steady hand, but the leading scorer in both exhibition games was Cory Violette, who will take over for departed Casey Calvary in the post. Guard Blake Stepp's knee injury is a concern. Gonzaga lost its opener, 76-58, at No. 2 Illinois.

Oregon State: The Beavers are trying to climb out of a decline that hit 10-20 last year under first-year coach Ritchie McKay. Three starters are back, joined by a pair of impressive newcomers. Brandon Payton, the brother of former OSU and NBA star Gary Payton, transferred from UC-Santa Barbara. Phillip Ricci is a 6-7 forward who will be a big help. The Beavers opened with a 64-59 win over Northern Colorado.

Alaska-Anchorage: The Division II Seawolves went 19-8 last year for coach Charlie Bruns. They came stateside for a pair of exhibitions this year and lost 122-75 at Georgia and 122-72 at Texas. The Seawolves won their only meeting with Tennessee, 86-68, in 1990, at the Rainbow Classic, of all places.

Contact Mike Strange of The Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee at http://www.knoxnews.com.