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VIDEO: N/A
RADIO: The Mocs Sports Network flagship station is 96.1 the Legend FM in Chattanooga. Chris Goforth is filling in for Jim Reynolds who is in his 36th year as the play-by-play "Voice of the Mocs".
 
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EMERALD COAST CLASSIC    
The Illinois win was the start of four Emerald Coast Classic contests. Two are "on-campus" against Illinois and at No. 7 Iowa State. The Mocs squares off today vs. Alabama State before facing Chicago State or Jacksonville State tomorrow. Chicago State also made the Illinois/Iowa State circuit, while ASU & JSU met UAB and Virginia Tech.
 
NEXT UP         
Chattanooga completes a five-game-in-10-day road trip at ULM Monday at 8 p.m. (EST), in Monroe, La.
 
OPENING TIPS
- Chattanooga is No. 8 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 receiving one first-place vote.
- The Mocs received a vote this week in the AP Top 25 poll.
- UTC is looking for its first 4-1 start since the 2003-04 season. That squad opened with a 90-76 loss at Kansas before winning four in a row with road triumphs at Oral Roberts (81-79) and Tennessee State (93-86) sandwiching home wins over Tennessee Wesleyan (124-58) and Emmanuel (125-78).
- Last three 4-1 openings? 2003-04, 2002-03 (6-1) and 1997-98.
- Sixth meeting with Alabama State leading the series 4-1. UTC is 8-5 all-time against the SWAC (Alabama State 4-1, Alcorn State 0-1, Grambling 0-2, Jackson State 0-1, Mississippi Valley St 2-0, Prairie View 1-0 and Southern 1-0) with the last matchup coming at home against Jackson State, an 87-75 loss on Nov. 24, 2010. The last win over a SWAC member? Dec. 12, 2009, 82-60 at home over MVSU.
- 100-50 all-time in "in-season" tournaments winning 35 titles in all with a majority (16) coming in the Dr Pepper Classic formerly held around New Year's in the Scenic City. The Mocs have won their last five in such events and seven of the last eight.
- Captured the Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland Bracket last year in Chattanooga with wins over Robert Morris (61-46) and Coastal Carolina (78-67). Monday's opponent ULM was also in the field.
- Leading the Southern Conference in field goal percentage (46.9%), 3pt percentage (38.7%), blocks (5.3) and steals (11.5 spg).
- Individual league leaders: Justin Tuoyo in blocks (2.8) and Greg Pryor in steals (3.3).
- Casey Jones became the 21st Moc of the DI era to accumulate 1,000 for his career. He is the first Chattanooga Moc with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 150 assists.
- Justin Tuoyo ranks fourth at Chattanooga in career blocks with 114. He needs five to pass Otis Donald (118, 1998-00) for third.
- The Mocs play six of its first seven contests, seven of nine total, away from the friendly confines of McKenzie Arena. Currently 2-1 on the road.
 
HEAD COACH MATT MCCALL
- Head Coach Matt McCall is 3-1 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 0-0 in true neutral site games.
- First Mocs ball coach to start his tenure 3-0 since Henry Dickerson (1998-02, 72-73) in 1997-98.
- 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          
- 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 was 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 (13.3 ppg), Johnathan Burroughs-Cook and Peyton Woods joining those six.
- Jones is a two-time All-SoCon pick. He was first team 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 (13.3), rebounding (7.0) and assists (3.8).
- 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 32 of his 36 career games at UTC.
- Pryor has started all 67 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 52.9 percent (9-17) from 3pt range through four games.
- Pryor leads the SoCon in steals (3.3/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 11.3 points per game.
- Burroughs-Cook had a career-high four steals in 15 minutes at No. 4 Iowa State.
- Robertson turned in a 5-10 performance from 3pt range at Illinois. It was his 18th career contest with three or more made.
- Robertson is a 41.7 percent shooter for his career, 44.2 percent (103-233) over the past two-plus campaigns.
- Robertson shot 50 percent or better from downtown in 19 of his last 36 games.
- McLean has started 19 of 36 appearances. The Mocs are 14-5 in those contests.
- McLean tied career highs for points (11) and rebounds (7) while setting a new one for blocks (2) at Illinois.
- Ester also posted a new career-high with 12 off the bench at Illinois. He was perfect from the field shooting 5-5 including 2-2 from beyond the arc.
- Ethridge saw his first action of the season at Illinois and Iowa State. He had 14 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes over the two contests.
 
SCOUTING ALABAMA STATE
- Alabama State is 1-2 on the year with a road win at Virginia Tech (85-82) and losses at UAB (72-70) and Mercer (70-49).
- The Hornets are led by alum Lewis Jackson. He is in his 11th season with a record of 158-158. This is his first meeting with Chattanooga.
- ASU is led by Jamel Waters, a preseason All-SWAC 1st teamer. The 5-9, Sr., guard averages 25.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game shooting 44.4 percent from 3pt range.
- Corvon Butler comes off the bench to match Waters for team rebound lead at 3.7 per game.
- Torloft Thomas (13.0) and Bobby Brown (10.0) also score in double digits.
- The Hornets limit opponents to 3.3 three-pointers made per game at a 27.8 percent clip. The Mocs post 10.3 triples a game at a SoCon-best 38.7 percent.
- ASU averages 9.3 turnovers per contest, while the Mocs force 18.3.
 
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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).