LINKS: Notes | Tickets (Home) | Kennesaw State
 
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 end the pre-Holiday schedule Tuesday, Dec. 22, against visiting Radford at 3 p.m. The non-conference slate closes just before the New Year with a Dec. 29 trip to Lipscomb.
 
RPI & RANKINGS
The current NCAA RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) for Chattanooga is 19. The Mocs are No. 5 in this 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) games, 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).
 
STARTING FIVE
- Chattanooga is No. 5 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25.
- UTC is looking for its first 9-2 start since the 2002-03 season. More on the start in the "Opening Tips".
- The Mocs are lethal from 3pt range ranking 20th nationally in 3pt percentage (40.8) and tied for 31st in triples per game (9.5). Just seven schools ranked in the top 20 in percentage make as many treys as the home team. More on 3pt numbers in "Opening Tips" and highlighting "3-Rob" on page 3.
- Chattanooga is 3-0 in games decided by four points or less: 92-90 (OT) at Georgia, 81-77 at Illinois and 61-59 at Dayton. Check out the indicators on page 8 of the notes package.
- UTC is 6-1 when opponents score less than 70 points. Only Georgia (90 in OT), Illinois (77) and Iowa State (83) topped 70 so far. Complete schedule with notes on page 2 of the notes package.
 
OPENING TIPS
- UTC is looking for its first 9-2 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.
- Last three 9-2 openings? 2002-03 (9-2), 1993-94 (11-2) and 1987-88 (9-2).
- Just the eighth meeting between the two schools separated by just 95 miles. The Mocs lead 4-3. More series notes on page 4.
- UTC is 16-28 all-time against the current Atlantic Sun members (Jacksonville 2-8, KSU 4-3, Lipscomb 10-17).
- First of two matchups against A-Sun members completing the non-conference schedule at Lipscomb on Dec. 29.
- Leading the SoCon in FG% (47.5), 3pt% (40.8) and blocks (5.3).
- Individual league leaders: Justin Tuoyo in blocks (2.6) and Peyton Woods in 3pt% (55.6).
- The Mocs have the leagues' top three 3pt marksmen in Woods, Greg Pryor (48.6%) and Eric Robertson (46.8%).
- Robertson is shooting 53.6 percent (15-28) over last five games from 3pt range.
- Tuoyo ranks third at Chattanooga in career blocks with 125. He needs five to pass Z. Mason (129, 2012-14) for second and eight to top all-time leader Stanley Lawrence (132, 1980-83).
- Chattanooga has led for nearly 71 percent (70.97) of the time this season. It has held the lead for more than half the game in all eight wins, 5:31 in the two losses.
- Pryor needs seven steals for 100 in his career and 34 assists for 200.
- McLean is averaging 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per contest over last four.
- 16.9 assist per game average is 43rd in the nation. The school record is 17.8 in 2003-04.
- How balanced is the UTC offensive attack? Nine student-athletes have tallied double digits: Greg Pryor (6 times), Casey Jones (6), Justin Tuoyo (4), Tre' McLean (4), Eric Robertson (3), Duke Ethridge (2), Chuck Ester (2), Johnathan Burroughs-Cook (2) and Peyton Woods (1).
- The Mocs have nine averaging 5.1 points or better.
 
HEAD COACH MATT MCCALL
- Head Coach Matt McCall is 8-2 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 3-0 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 KENNESAW STATE           
- Kennesaw State is 3-9 on the year. Its wins are over IUPUI (71-63), Florida A&M (61-41) and Thomas (69-59).
- KSU has one SoCon game to date, a 77-65 loss at Samford.
- The Owls are 3-2 at home, 0-7 on the road.
- Al Skinner is 3-9 in his first season at Kennesaw State. He is 388-300 in 23 campaigns as a head coach with 10 20-win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Yonel Brown (16.3) and Kendrick Ray (15.8) are the scoring leaders. Aubrey Williams adds 9.7 points and a team-high 7.3 boards per game.
- Brown averaged 26.5 points, 3.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game in last two meetings shooting 48.3 percent from the field (14-29), 57.1 percent from 3pt range (4-7) and 77.8 percent from the free throw line (21-27).
 
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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).