LINKS: Notes | Tickets (Home) | Western Carolina
 
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
LINKS: Access links for video, audio and live stats on the men's basketball schedule page on GoMocs.com.
TV/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".
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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NEXT UP         
Saturday, Jan. 16, ETSU, 5 p.m. (DH-Women vs. UNCG, 2 p.m.)
Thursday, Jan. 21, at UNCG, 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, Jan. 23 at VMI, 1 p.m. (ESPN3)
 
RANKINGS
Chattanooga is No. 10 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. The poll is announced on Mondays here.  


STARTING FIVE
- UTC is looking for its first 15-3 start since opening the 1983-84 season (16-3).
- Chattanooga leads the SoCon in 3pt percentage (38.0%). Western Carolina paces the league in 3pt percentage defense (30.8%).
- The Mocs are 11-0 when out-rebounding opponents. Check out the indicators on page 9 of the notes package.
- UTC is 6-0 when the final tally is nine points or less. The Catamounts are 2-4 in such games.
- Chattanooga has won three of the last four meetings with the Cats.
 
OPENING TIPS
- Western Carolina is the second-most frequent opponent (Samford) in school history. This is the 85th meeting between the two schools with the Mocs holding a 61-23 lead, 36-3 in Chattanooga. More series notes on page 6 of the notes package.
- Chattanooga is tied for 25th nationally in winning percentage (.824). Who else is 14-3? No. 24 Purdue, Southern California, George Washington and Indiana.
- Including last weekend's Saturday/Monday swing at Furman/Wofford, the Mocs are on a four-games-in-eight-day run. Complete schedule on page 2 of the notes package.
- Last three 15-3 or better openings? 1983-84 (16-3), 1982-83 (26-3) and 1981-82 (27-3).
- Last 14-4 start? 1984-85 squad started 16-4 winning the SoCon regular season title and reaching the NIT Elite 8.
- Last time 4-1 or better in the SoCon? 2014-15 (7-1). Last time 3-2? 2012-13 (3-2).
- UTC is 390-221 (.638) in regular season SoCon games, 237-67 (.780) on the road.
- Chattanooga has won nine of its last 10 and 11 of 13.
- The Mocs are 30-8 (.789) in league play since start of the 2013-14 slate. They're 16-2 (.889) at home over that span.
- Greg Pryor leads the team in scoring (13.8), assists (4.5), 3pt percentage (41.2%) and FT percentage (90.0%, 18-20) in SoCon games.
- Eric Robertson is fifth in the league in 3pt percentage (43.5%) and sixth in 3pt made per game (2.4). One of only two in the league in both top 6s.
- Last eight games, Tre' McLean is averaging 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He's shooting 50.0 percent (36-72) from the field, 46.7 percent (7-15) from 3pt range and 77.8 percent (21-27) from the charity stripe over that span.
- Chuck Ester is averaging 6.8 points, 5.7 boards, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per contest since taking over for Casey Jones in the starting lineup (9 games).
- Justin Tuoyo averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 blocks and 2.5 assists per game against Western in 2014-15.
- How balanced is the UTC offensive attack? 10 student-athletes have tallied double digits, eight in multiple games: Greg Pryor (10 times), Tre' McLean (9), Justin Tuoyo (7), Eric Robertson (6), Casey Jones (6), Johnathan Burroughs-Cook (5), Chuck Ester (5), Duke Ethridge (5), Dee Oldham (1) and Peyton Woods (1).
- Ethridge had 13 points, six boards, two blocks and two steals in the last meeting with Western (2/7/15).
- Burroughs-Cook opened the season with a 23-point effort at Georgia and tallied a team-high 13 at Furman. He posts 8.4 points and 1.7 assists in 16.2 minutes per contest largely at the one.
- Oldham is a solid contributor at 5.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists over 15.7 minutes per game on the wing. He played a season-best 24 minutes at Wofford scoring eight and grabbing seven rebounds.
- Leading the SoCon in scoring margin (+9.0), FG% (46.9), 3pt% (38.0) and blocks (4.8).
- Individual league leaders: Tuoyo in blocks (2.3). Complete SoCon standings and stat rankings are on page 8 of the notes package.
- For more information, click the notes link above to access game notes for both programs.
 
HEAD COACH MATT MCCALL
- Head Coach Matt McCall is 14-3 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 6-0 at home.
- First Mocs ball coach to start his tenure 14-3 or better. Next best with three losses? Ron Shumate started 12-3 in 1972-73 as did Jeff Lebo in 2002-03.
- 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 THE CATAMOUNTS
- 7-9 overall, 2-1 in the Southern Conference. Own league wins over UNCG (83-77 OT) and VMI (73-52) with a loss to ETSU (82-66) First conference road game.
- Head Coach Larry Hunter is 161-178 in his 11th season, 671-402 in his 36th year as a head coach. He is 9-11 vs. the Mocs, 2-8 in Chattanooga.
- WCU leads the league in 3pt FG percentage defense (30.8%). Individual league leaders: Justin Browning (Steals, 2.0) and Rhett Harrelson (3pt/Gm, 3.0).
- Mike Brown's 16.2 point-per-game average paces the squad. Torrion Brummitt (13.0) and Harrelson (12.7) also tally double digits.
- Brummitt (6.5 rpg) leads the way on the boards. Brown (5.8) and Browning (5.7) are close behind.
- 41.4 percent of Western's shot attempts are from 3pt range. Only The Citadel (51.2%) and Furman (43.6%) shoot 3's at a higher rate.
 
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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).