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KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee's ability to handle No. 14 Oklahoma so easily on Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena says a lot about how far this team -- with basically the same players -- has come since last season.

Eleven losses, including a stunning clincher to Ball State in the first round of the NCAA tourney, didn't inspire anyone to predict what has taken place since the 2009 season opener on Nov. 15.

With Southeastern Conference play already under way, No. 4 Tennessee appears to have a very good chance to sweep the competition starting with a contest against South Carolina on Thursday in Knoxville.

Although Georgia remains unbeaten and LSU and Vanderbilt have interrupted UT's traditional conference cruise in recent years, the Lady Vols so far this season have survived every contender on their schedule except No. 2 Stanford.

Without taking on top-ranked Connecticut or No. 3 Notre Dame or the likes of Duke and North Carolina this time around, Tennessee may not be able to say it has played the toughest schedule ever, but the results so far give a good indication that, barring injury, the Lady Vols can handle whatever the SEC has to offer in the next couple months.

Against Oklahoma, the Lady Vols showed the kind of balance offensively that they didn't -- or couldn't -- develop last season, with 44 points in the paint and a combined 42 points from guards Shekinna Stricklen and Angie Bjorklund.

UT coach Pat Summitt attributes the obvious improvement this year to players being more dedicated to spending time working on offensive skills.

"We're starting to understand we've got to get in the gym and get hundreds of shots," Summitt said. "It gives you confidence in games. That's the difference this year."

Stricklen's triple-double against the Sooners and Bjorklund's 25 points, including five 3-pointers, are testimony to that.

The difference is also, as Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale pointed out following the 96-75 loss, that the Lady Vols are "older and wiser," having made the transition from wide-eyed freshmen and sophomores to more experienced sophomores and more focused juniors.

One clear example is in the post game, where Kelley Cain is the reliable anchor at center but is capably supported by Glory Johnson at forward and by Alyssia Brewer off the bench. Brewer, who struggled last season, scored 13 points against Oklahoma and has been much more reliable in spelling Cain.

For Summitt, who teaches that games are won or lost with defense and play in the paint, the stronger inside presence is beginning to pay dividends. Add to that Stricklen's move to point guard and Bjorklund's consistent offensive production and the Lady Vols are much more difficult to defend.

In evaluating where UT stands as the new year begins, Coale said, "I thought Tennessee was absolutely fabulous tonight."

And that doesn't bode well for the rest of the SEC.