LEXINGTON, Ky. - A 19-point loss in Rupp Arena. A January that is wasting away at 2-5. These are not unfamiliar scenarios for Tennessee men's basketball.

No, the Vols have made several trips down this road, back in the Coach (fill-in-the-blank) Era.

But this is the Bruce Pearl Era. So much has happened so fast.

Granted, losing 76-57 to Kentucky on Sunday isn't any Tennessee fan's idea of a good day, not by a long stretch.

And yet it didn't have the same hangdog feel as some of the previous 19-point losses in Rupp. That's because Pearl has changed the landscape so drastically in the 22 months since he arrived in Knoxville.

Why it was just a year ago Pearl steamed into this very building in his neon orange blazer and tamed the Wildcats.

If the Vols could win here, they could win anywhere.

Tennessee's Kentucky boy, Chris Lofton, shot out the lights in what would be the sixth stop in an eight-game winning streak, a 17-3 overall record and an 8-1 SEC start. Then Pearl went in the locker room and ripped off his shirt in a demonstration of joy.

Pearl, of course, had a shirtless moment again this past week. Only it had to do with helping Pat Summit's team, not any jubilation generated by the gentlemen Vols.

None was generated here Sunday.

The only orange No. 5 jersey I spotted was on a kid in the stands. Lofton was in street clothes at the end of the bench, the result of a sprained ankle.

He sat mostly impassive, like a man suffering through a toothache.

Tennessee played admirably for 30 minutes. Then it crumbled like a team suffering a missing-All-American ache.

"It's too easy of an answer to say it's because we don't have Chris,'' said a downcast Dane Bradshaw.

Bradshaw was in a somber mood for two reasons. One, that's five losses in six games for his team. Two, he felt he let that team down by playing an uneventful, scoreless 28 minutes.

"One of those nights,'' Bradshaw said. "But when we're an All-American short, one person can't have one of those nights. We've all got to pick it up.''

And pick it up fast.

Tennessee's current momentum is 180 degrees from what it was when it won in Rupp last season.

An NCAA tournament bid that seemed certain in the heady days of December is growing more slippery with every setback.

"Yeah,'' said junior JaJuan Smith, "it's real surprising. We were on a roll. To go on a roll of losing is real frustrating.''

Frustrating, yes. But hopeless? No.

Discouraging? Again, no.

And that's why this 19-point loss felt different. It wasn't cloaked in despair.

Unlike years past, there's not a lot of mystery as to why the Vols struggled Sunday.

This isn't a case of a coach being unable to relate to or inspire a roster loaded with talented, under-producing players.

Furthermore, it isn't a case of paying the piper because this particular coach made too many recruiting mistakes and just can't land the big ones.

Pearl's roster is limited in terms of both quantity and quality. However, the freshmen he recruited in his first year will in time win a lot of SEC games.

"I'm not upset with my team,'' Pearl said Sunday. "I think they're giving a great effort.

"We're obviously facing some challenges with our roster.''

One of those challenges will be alleviated somewhat this week if Lofton returns to the lineup.

Still, Tennessee fans should buckle up and be prepared for some more rough air.

Georgia, up next at Thompson-Boling Arena, is the most improved team in the SEC. Florida, waiting Saturday in Gainesville, is the best team in the SEC.

But rough air doesn't mean the program is on course to crash and burn.

Pearl's long-term track record and his short-term rejuvenation at Tennessee suggest that the problems that led to this 19-point loss in Rupp will be addressed.

Eventually, that is. There might not be a quick fix, but keep a bigger picture in mind.

Here's betting the Vols win again in Rupp before they get beat by 19.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.