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LINKS: Access links for video, audio and live stats on the men's basketball schedule page on GoMocs.com.
VIDEO: Cyclones.TV with Iowa State broadcasters.
RADIO: The Mocs Sports Network flagship station is 96.1 the Legend FM in Chattanooga. Jim Reynolds is in his 36th year as the play-by-play "Voice of the Mocs".
 
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NEXT UP
As previously noted, Chattanooga heads to Destin, Fla., for the Emerald Coast Classic. The games are played Friday & Saturday at Northwest Florida State in Niceville. We open with Alabama State on Friday at Noon and then take on either Chicago State or Jacksonville State (Noon/2:30 p.m.).
 
OPENING TIPS
- Chattanooga is looking for its first 4-0 start since the 1989-90 season. That squad topped USC Aiken (77-35), Kennesaw State (81-68), Navy (86-81) and UC Irvine 74-72 before a loss at Pepperdine (96-82).
- It would be the ninth 4-0 opening all-time: 1929-30 (5-0), 1962-63 (4-0), 1972-73 (7-0), 1973-74 (8-0), 1974-75 (7-0), 1975-76 (4-0), 1987-88 (5-0) and 1989-90 (4-0).
- Matt McCall is the first Mocs ball coach to start his tenure 3-0 since Henry Dickerson (1998-02, 72-73) in 1997-98. Ron Shumate (1973-79, 139-61) had the best opening of the program's previous 18 leaders at 7-0 in 1972-73.
- The wins at Georgia and Illinois mark the first time beating two Power 5 conference schools since that duo in the 1997 NCAA Tournament. Only third time in the regular season in school history and first time with two road games. The program has not captured three such wins in a campaign in the modern era.
- In the wins at Georgia and Illinois the Mocs got off to fast starts leading by as many as 15 against the Illini and 11 at UGA. The team saw double digit second half cushions melt into deficits of six (Bulldogs) and nine (Illinois) late, only to see them come back.
- Out-scoring DI opponents 22-9 in the opening five minutes of the game.
- Out-scoring DI opponents 26-16 in the final five minutes of regulation.
- Trailed by nine, 69-60, with 6:26 to play against Illinois. Scored on seven of the next nine possessions over the next 4:28 to take the lead, 77-74, on Eric Robertson's fifth triple of the contest at 1:58.
- That 17-5 run was fueled by a 5-5 performance from 3pt range with buckets (in order) by Chuck Ester, Duke Ethridge, Ester, Tre' McLean and Robertson.
- First meeting with Iowa State. UTC is 1-6 all-time against the Big 12 (Kansas 0-3, Oklahoma 0-1 & Texas 1-2) with the last matchup coming at Kansas, a 69-55 loss on Nov. 15, 2012. The last win over a Big 12 member? A 71-70 squeaker over the Longhorns in McKenzie Arena on Dec. 21, 1987.
- Program is 0-2 in the state of Iowa losing to Iowa (79-60) and Santa Clara (83-81 2OT) in the 2000 Gazette-Hawkeye Challenge.
- Leading the Southern Conference in field goal percentage (49.7%), 3pt percentage (41.9%), steals (12.3 spg) and 3pt FG made per game (12.0).
- Individual league leaders: Justin Tuoyo in FG percentage (66.7%) and blocks (2.7) and Greg Pryor in steals (4.0).
- Casey Jones needs 10 points to become the 21st Moc of the DI era to accumulate 1,000 for his career. He is on track to be the first Chattanooga Moc with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 150 assists in his career already passing the latter two marks with 517 and 154, respectively.
- Justin Tuoyo ranks fourth at Chattanooga in career blocks with 111. He needs eight to pass Otis Donald (118, 1998-00) for third-place.
- UTC has led for 103:35 of a possible 125 minutes thus far or 82.9 percent of the time.
- The Mocs play six of its first seven contests, seven of nine total, away from the friendly confines of McKenzie Arena. Currently 2-0 on the road.
 
HEAD COACH MATT MCCALL
- Head Coach Matt McCall is 3-0 in his first season as a head coach. He comes to Chattanooga from Florida where he was an assistant to Billy Donovan over the last four years. He is 2-0 on the road.
- McCall is a 2004 graduate of Florida. He spent 10 seasons with Billy Donovan working as a student manager (2003-06), director of basketball ops (2006-08) and assistant coach (2011-15). He spent three seasons as an assistant to Mike Jarvis at Florida Atlantic (2008-11) culminating with a school-best 21-11 mark in 2010-11.
- McCall's staff includes a former head coach, Reggie Witherspoon (Buffalo, 1999-2013), fellow former FAU assistant Peter Gash and Jesse Bopp, a former prep school head coach that most recently served as director of basketball ops for Shaka Smart at VCU. Former Gator SEC Legend Eddie Shannon is the director of basketball ops, while Jacob Kurtz is video coordinator after completing his playing career in 2015 at UF. Jordan Clark returns as graduate manager.
 
FOR STARTERS          
- Chattanooga is No. 19 in last week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. New poll due on gameday.
- Busy stretch of games, all away from the Scenic City. The Mocs play five games over a 10-day period starting at Illinois and ending at ULM (Nov. 30).
- The program is coming off its first 20-win season since 2004-05. It's the first time since 1993-94 that the squad clinched 20 wins in the regular season.
- Return four starters:  Casey Jones (14.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 51.9% FG), Greg Pryor (11.3 ppg, 2.5 apg, 37.9% 3pt), Justin Tuoyo (10.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.3 bpg, 53.8% FG) and Tre' McLean (4.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg). Also back are top sixth man Eric Robertson (8.8 ppg, 46.8% 3pt), Duke Ethridge (5.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg), Chuck Ester (3.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg), Alex Bran (1.6 ppg) and K.J. Bates (0.3 ppg).
- There were no non-graduation roster losses in the transition after McCall's hiring.
- Returning production: 78.4% points, 85.5% rebounding, 67.4% assists, 80.0% steals and 95.1% blocks.
- Six Mocs scored in double figures Saturday against the Illini: Eric Robertson (15), Justin Tuoyo (12), Chuck Ester (12), Tre' McLean (11), Greg Pryor (10) and Duke Ethridge (10).
- How balanced is the UTC offensive attack? Nine student-athletes have tallied double digits with leading scorer Casey Jones (12.3 ppg), Johnathan Burroughs-Cook and Peyton Woods joining those six.
- Jones is a two-time All-SoCon pick. He was a first team pick a season ago and second team in 2014.
- Jones is on CollegeInsider.com's watch list for the Lou Henson Award given to the Mid-Major Player of the Year.
- Jones leads the squad in points, rebounding (7.3) and assists (3.3).
- Tuoyo was the 2015 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year. He also was an All-SoCon pick (1st team coaches/2nd team media).
- Tuoyo tallied a school-record 104 blocks in his first season in the Scenic City. His total was more than 153 DI TEAMS.
- Tuoyo has multiple blocks in 31 of his 35 career games at UTC.
- Pryor has started all 66 of his career appearances at the 1. He was a 2015 All-SoCon third team selection.
- Pryor improved his shooting percentage from 31.5 percent as a freshman to 45.5 percent in 2014-15. His 3pt shooting jumped from 17.5 percent (11-63) to 37.9 percent (44-116).
- Pryor is shooting 53.3 percent (8-15) from 3pt range through three games.
- Pryor leads the SoCon in steals (4.0/game) and has 13 career games with three or more.
- Burroughs-Cook was a high school teammate of Greg Pryor (Ridgeway-Memphis).
- Burroughs-Cook is second on the team averaging 12.0 points per game.
- Robertson is coming off a 5-10 performance from 3pt range at Illinois. It was his 18th career contest with three or more made.
- Robertson is a 42.1 percent shooter for his career, 44.8 percent (103-230) over the past two-plus campaigns.
- Robertson shot 50 percent or better from downtown in 19 of his last 35 games.
- McLean has started 18 of 35 appearances. The Mocs are 14-4 in those contests.
- McLean tied career highs for points (11) and rebounds (7) while setting a new one for blocks (2) Saturday night.
- Woods leads the squad shooting 54.5 percent (6-11) from 3pt range.
- Ester also posted a new career-high with 12 off the bench. He was perfect from the field shooting 5-5 including 2-2 from beyond the arc.
- Ethridge saw his first action of the season with 10 points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.
 
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
- Iowa State is 2-0 on the year with wins over Colorado (68-62) and Chicago State (106-64).
- The Cyclones are led by Steve Prohm in his first season in Ames. He is 106-29 in his fifth season as a head coach after four years at Murray State. He is 1-0 against the Mocs.
- Prohm graduated high school from Northwest Whitfield in Tunnel Hill, Ga.
- ISU has won 28 consecutive non-conference home games.
- The Cyclones are 10-1 in November over last three seasons.
- Probable starting lineup includes four seniors and one junior.
- All five starters average in double digits: Jameel McKay (16.5), Abdel Nader (15.5, 7.5), Georges Niang (14.0), Nazareth Mitrou-Long (13.5) and Monte' Morris (13.0).
- McKay averages double-double with 10.5 rpg. Morris (5.0) & Niang (5.0) post five assists or better per contest.
 
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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 28 titles with 10 regular season, 10 tournament and eight division.
- 15 NCAA Tournament Appearances: 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
- 10 SoCon Tournament Crowns: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2009
- 10 SoCon Regular Season Championships: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
- 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).
- 2 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year: Z. Mason (2014), Justin Tuoyo (2015).
- 3 SoCon Coaches of the Year: Murray Arnold (1982, '83), Mack McCarthy (1986, '92, '93) and Will Wade (2014).
- 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).