LINKS: Notes | Tickets (Home) | Tennessee Tech
 
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
LINKS: Access links for video, audio and live stats on the men's basketball schedule page on GoMocs.com.
VIDEO: SoCon Digital Network.
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".
PROMOTIONS: General Admission Tickets $2 | UTC Faculty & Staff admitted for free.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the action on Twitter @GoMocsMBB. Get interactive using the hashtags GoMocs and ReptheC.
 
NEXT UP         
The Mocs remain at home Friday, Dec. 18, hosting Kennesaw State. The squad ends the pre-Holiday schedule Tuesday, Dec. 22, against visiting Radford.
 
RPI & RANKINGS
The current NCAA RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) for Chattanooga is 16. The Mocs were No. 10 in last week's collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. The poll is announced on Mondays here.
 
TICKET PROMOS FOR 3-GAME HOMESTAND
The Chattanooga Mocs ticket office is in the holiday mood. Prior to the break, the men's basketball program hosts three games in McKenzie Arena. For the Tennessee Tech (Tues., Dec. 15) and Kennesaw State (Fri., Dec. 18), general admission tickets are $2. The Radford game, an afternoon matchup on Tuesday, Dec. 22, has a ticket & meal deal with a $10 GA ticket including a meal voucher for hot dog, chips and fountain beverage or nachos, chili and fountain beverage. Purchase at the link above or by calling UTC Ticket Office at 266-MOCS (6627).
 
OPENING TIPS
- Chattanooga was No. 10 in last week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. A new ranking is released every Monday.
- UTC is looking for its first 8-2 start since the 2002-03 season. That squad opened 9-2 with wins at Samford (68-66), Tennessee Wesleyan (93-47), at Bradley (82-70), at Illinois State (75-68), Milligan (107-57), Furman (66-49), Samford (77-68), Lipscomb (87-78) and Weber State (75-63) with losses at UAB (92-83) and a narrow 89-84 home loss to Kent St. It was in Jeff Lebo's first season.
- Three wins in guarantee games (at Georgia, Illinois & Dayton) in a season is a first at Chattanooga.
- Last three 8-2 openings? 2002-03 (9-2), 1993-94 (11-2) and 1987-88 (9-2).
- 58th meeting all-time with Tennessee Tech trailing 41-16. UTC is 11-13 at home in the series. The two teams met last season with TTU capturing a 69-67 come-from-behind win. More series notes on page 4.
- UTC is 81-81 all-time against the current OVC members (Austin Peay 10-8, Belmont 5-2, Eastern Illinois 4-2, Eastern Kentucky 1-2, Jacksonville State 16-4, Morehead State 0-1, Murray State 2-6, SE Missouri 0-1, Tennessee State 19-14, Tennessee Tech 16-41 and UT Martin 8-0).
- 2nd matchup against an OVC member this year. Defeated Jacksonville State 62-52 in the Emerald Coast Classic travel bracket Championship Game on Nov. 28.
- Leading the SoCon (thru 12/13) in FG% (47.2), 3pt% (39.0) and blocks (5.6).
- Individual league leaders: Justin Tuoyo in blocks (2.7) and Peyton Woods in 3pt% (55.6).
- 39.0 3pt percentage is No. 49 in the country. Six student-athletes are hitting better than 40 percent of their attempts (listed in order of No. of att.): Eric Robertson (42.5%), Greg Pryor (45.5%), Woods (55.6%), Duke Ethridge (46.2%), Alex Bran (63.6%) and Chuck Ester (50.0%).
- Tuoyo is 15th nationally in blocks, while the team ranks 30th.
- 17.3 assist per game average is 31st in the nation. It's the second-best average in school history behind 17.8 in 2003-04.
- Assist/Turnover ratio over last five is 1.7 (89/52).
- The Mocs averaged 18.0 turnovers per game over the first four (72 total). That's been cut to 10.4 per game over the last five (52).
- Casey Jones is one of 18 DI student-athletes leading his squad in points, rebounds and assists. He is out indefinitely with an ankle injury.
- How balanced is the UTC offensive attack? Nine student-athletes have tallied double digits: Casey Jones (6 times), Greg Pryor (5), Justin Tuoyo (4), Tre' McLean (3), Eric Robertson (2), Duke Ethridge (2), Chuck Ester (2), Johnathan Burroughs-Cook (1) and Peyton Woods (1).
- Pryor needs nine steals for 100 in his career and 39 assists for 200.
- McLean is averaging 9.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals per contest over the last three.
- Chattanooga is 18-6 (.750) when McLean starts, 11-6 (.647) when he comes off bench.
- Ethridge is providing a spark off the bench. He averages 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game.
 
HEAD COACH MATT MCCALL
- Head Coach Matt McCall is 7-2 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 at home.
- 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.
 
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH
- Tennessee Tech is 7-3 on the season with wins over Piedmont (110-72), Jackson State (86-82 OT), Robert Morris (85-72), UC Clermont (91-66), Mississippi Valley State (101-64), East Tennessee State (63-61) and at Lipscomb (81-78). Losses came at Air Force (80-70), at New Mexico State (76-63) and at Arkansas (83-57).
- 6-game winning streak was snapped at Arkansas Saturday.
- Steve Payne is 67-68 in his 5th season at TTU. 1-0 vs. the Mocs.
- TTU is averaging 80.7 points per game and has topped the 80-point mark six times in 10 contests. One Mocs opponent topped 80 in regulation so far, No. 4 Iowa State (83).
- Trio of Golden Eagles average in double digits: Torrance Rowe (17.5), Ryan Martin (13.3) and Aleksa Jugovic (10.3).
- Jugovic prepped at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga.
- Martin also leads in rebounding with 8.3 per contest. Tech has a positive rebound margin (2.7).
 
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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).