FEATURE: MOCS FAMILY IS TIGHT | SCHEDULE | TICKETS | ROSTER | PRESEASON PROSPECTUS
 
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball program is coming off a historic season. The squad won a school-record 29 games, including victories at Dayton, Georgia and Illinois, while capturing regular season and tournament championships in the Southern Conference.
 
In the first of a three-part series previewing the 2016-17 campaign, GoMocs.com takes a look at the point guards. It is a position both deep in experience with seniors Greg Pryor and Johnathan Burroughs-Cook, as well as brimming with young potential in freshman Rodney Chatman.
 
You can't start a discussion of this position group except with Pryor. The 2016 Southern Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player has been the starter at the point from the moment he stepped on campus in 2013.
 
"Not only are you talking about the MVP of the (SoCon) tournament last year," coach Matt McCall stated. "I think perception-wise, he's the best point guard in our league. It's not because of one thing. It has a lot to do with his make-up and mindset, and the way he approaches every single day."
 
Pryor averaged 9.8 points and a team-high 3.5 assists per contests last season. He's always shown a penchant for the big play at the right moment especially last year with huge three-pointers late in the game in wins at Dayton and at home against Mercer.
 
"He's not necessarily the vocal leader type, but he leads by example," McCall continued. "He's one of the reasons this program is in the position it's in. He's as high of character an individual that I've ever coached."
 
Pryor's high school teammate Burroughs-Cook added speed in reserve last year transferring from Southwest Tennessee Community College. He debuted with 23 points helping key the win at Georgia and made the play of the SoCon Tournament thwarting a second-half fast break with a huge block/rebound. It spurred the comeback win over Samford in the quarterfinals and propelled the Mocs to their 11th tourney title.
 
"Burroughs(-Cook) is more of a natural two," McCall added. "He gives us great depth at the position, but getting him off the ball really benefits him. It takes away the pressure of getting us into our offense, but more importantly, it really gets his speed into the game. But his ability to play the point gives us much more depth in the backcourt than we had last year."
 
Burroughs-Cook was one nine players to average six or more points per game posting 6.0 on the number in 2015-16. He also chipped in 1.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.6 steals in just under 15 minutes per contest.
 
The emergence of Chatman brings the potential move of Burroughs-Cook to the two. In fact entering preseason practice, that plan is in pen for the Lithonia, Ga., native.
 
"Rodney Chatman is not playing like a freshman," McCall noted. "The thing I respect most about him is that he's not afraid or intimidated. He'll make our team better and take some pressure off Greg and Burroughs letting them play off the ball some. Greg logs so many minutes and last January/February, he broke down a little bit. Being mindful of that, (Pryor) getting to slide off the ball at times will help our team."
 
Chatman comes with solid credentials earning Class 4A All-State mention as a junior and senior at Lithonia High School. His senior averages of 13.3 points, 6.2 assists and 4.1 steals per game included a triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and North Clayton.
 
Three deep at a key position is always a plus. In fact, this may be the deepest the Mocs have been in cumulative talent at the point.
 
Click the "Feature: Mocs Family Is Tight" link for the GoMocs.com feature story on the close team ties this group exhibits. We talked with graduated, fifth-year team leaders Casey Jones and Tre' McLean as well as Matt McCall in an effort to explain what brought this group so closely together looking back to when Jones first entered campus in fall 2012.
 
Links for this year's schedule, tickets, roster and preseason prospectus are available as well leading into the exhibition contest with Covenant on Friday, Nov. 4. Follow @GoMocsMBB on Twitter for "countdown to gameday" heading into the season opener Nov. 11 at Tennessee.
 
Season tickets are available on GoMocs.com at the link above or by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627).
 
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.
 
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL
- The Mocs are by far the most successful program in the Southern Conference since joining the league in 1977-78. The team has won 30 titles with 11 regular season, 11 tournament and eight division.
- 16 NCAA Tournament Appearances (11 DI): 1961 (DII), 1973 (DII), 1975 (DII), 1976 (DII Runner-up), 1977 (DII National Champs), 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997 (Sweet 16), 2005, 2009, 2016
- 11 SoCon Tournament Crowns: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2009, 2016
- 11 SoCon Regular Season Championships: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2016
- 8 Division Titles: 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011
- The 1997 team went to the NCAA Sweet 16 with wins over Georgia and Illinois.
- 5 SoCon Players of the Year: Willie White (1981-82), Keith Nelson (1991-92), Tim Brooks (1992-93), Chad Copeland (1993-94) and Johnny Taylor (1996-97).
- 3 SoCon Defensive Players of the Year: Z. Mason (2014), Justin Tuoyo (2015, 2016).
- 4 SoCon Coaches of the Year: Murray Arnold (1982, '83), Mack McCarthy (1986, '92, '93), Will Wade (2014) and Matt McCall (2016).
- 9 NBA Draft Picks: Walter "Moose" McGary (1973 & '74), William Gordon (1977), Wayne Golden (1977), Russ Schoene (1982), Nick Morken (1982), Willie White (1984), Gerald Wilkins (1985, 13 seasons) and Johnny Taylor (1997 1st Round).