KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tye'sha Fluker began watching Tennessee Lady Vols basketball when she was in ninth grade.

	Tye'sha Fluker might push junior Ashley Robinson, right, for playing time.

Her first good view was the tears and raw emotion of Tennessee's HBO special. Her basketball coach supplied a videotape for a team slumber party, turning the evening into fright night for Fluker.

"It was kind of scary,'' she said.

Obviously it wasn't too shocking. Fluker has trekked all the way from Pasadena, Calif., to become a freshman center on this season's Tennessee team.

The choice was hers. No coach nor parent was urging her eastward. She could've stayed home and likely gone to UCLA. This was what she wanted. This, she thought, was what she needed.

What's really scary is Fluker coming across four years and more than 2,000 miles and seeing Tennessee's post play solely in terms of Michelle Snow -- now with the WNBA's Houston Comets.

Snow is the only Lady Vols center who Fluker has noticed. Snow's play is her only guide.

"If there's a need to have finesse,'' she said. "I can switch it up.''

No, no, no. Please, no. Nothing against more jump shots, but Fluker is 6 feet 5 and stands on legs built like telephone poles. In individual workouts recently, she ran over a team manager in pursuit of a rebound.

With that in mind, her new coaches ought to park the new recruit in front of a VCR and broaden her perspective of Tennessee post play. Give Fluker an eyeful of former Lady Vols bruisers Daedra Charles and Dana Johnson.

Let her watch center Tiffany Johnson start her UT career with 18 points and 17 rebounds against Louisiana Tech. Encourage her to hit the rewind button when Pashen Thompson rushes toward Connecticut's Stacy Hansmeyer in a furious rage during a 1997 NCAA tournament game.

These were the post players who had nicknames like "Night Train'' and drew comparisons to Sherman tanks. They played large roles in a scary legacy spanning two decades.

These players should be more than fond memories. The Lady Vols could use a fresh show of force, and not just for old time's sake.

Michelle Snow is gone, departed for Houston and the WNBA. Junior center Ashley Robinson still is dealing with the aftereffects of last summer's reconstructive knee surgery. She underwent an arthroscopic procedure earlier this month to clear out scar tissue. The hope was that the procedure also removed any lingering doubts and frustration Robinson was having about her recovery.

Amid this uncertainty stands Fluker. She made a strong first impression on the Lady Vols two springs ago with her powerful play. She realizes that she was recruited to make a lasting impression.

"I play a lot better when I'm playing hard and with confidence; giving it my all,'' Fluker said. "I have to start my game with being forceful and powerful.''

First, she has to be forceful about getting in shape. All of the Lady Vols spent at least part of the summer here working out and playing basketball. Fluker was an exception. She visited in June but didn't arrive until the start of fall semester.

The coaching staff is being patient. Coach Pat Summitt and associate head coach Mickie DeMoss visited Fluker in July. Their actions, in part, were motivated by the experiences last season with freshman Courtney Young. The recruit from Southern California lasted less than one week before leaving school.

This is a different player and a different situation. Still, DeMoss conceded, "I didn't want a situation where we could've prevented something and didn't.''

Fluker seems fine in her new surroundings. All you need to know about her current mindset is her reference to preseason conditioning as being "fun.''

"Instead of me thinking about the agony of it,'' she said, "I'm thinking, 'Let's dig in.' "

Sounds like a solid first post-up move.