Using time resolved optical depolarization, we have studied the rotational behavior of molecular probes in supercooled liquids near the glass transition temperature T-g. Simultaneously, the dynamics of the liquid immediately surrounding these rigid probes is measured by triplet state solvation experiments. This direct comparison of solute and solvent dynamics is particularly suited for assessing the origin of exponential orientational correlation functions of probe molecules embedded in liquids which exhibit highly nonexponential structural relaxation. Polarization angle dependent Stokes shift correlation functions demonstrate that probe rotation time and solvent response time are locally correlated quantities in the case of smaller probe molecules. Varying the size of both guest and host molecules shows that the size ratio determines the rotational behavior of the probes. The results are indicative of time averaging being at the origin of exponential rotation of probes whose rotational time constant is slower than solvent relaxation by a factor of 20 or more. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.