LINKS: Notes | Tickets (Home) | VMI
 
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".
PROMOTIONS: Academic Night - Faculty/Staff and families admitted free.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the action on Twitter @GoMocsMBB. Get interactive using the hashtags GoMocs and ReptheC.
 
NEXT UP         
Saturday, Feb. 20 vs. UNCG, 5 p.m. (DH)
Promotions: Fan Appreciation Night (Fan Mosaic Power C at center court). Student Giveaway: Free Hot Dogs. 500 Free Hot Dog Vouchers to 1^st 500 fans through the gates. Free GA ticket for all kids wearing youth basketball team jersey with the purchase of adult GA ticket.
Saturday, Feb. 27 vs. Samford, 5 p.m. (DH)
Promotions: Military Appreciation Night. Student Giveaway: 500 Chick-Fil-A Chicken Biscuits.
Monday, Feb. 29 at VMI, 7 p.m.
 
RANKINGS
Chattanooga is No. 9 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. The poll is announced on Mondays here.
 
STARTING FIVE
- Chattanooga leads the SoCon at 12-2. Furman (11-4) is second with ETSU (10-4) right behind in third. Wofford (10-5) is fourth, Mercer (8-6) fifth and Western Carolina and UNCG (6-8) tied in sixth. Complete SoCon standings are on page 8.
- The Mocs' 23 wins lead the nation. Complete NCAA statistical rankings are on page 9.
- UTC completed its seven-game-in-15-day stretch 6-1. Met the second-place team three times in the final week and won all three (Furman, at Mercer, at ETSU). Complete schedule on page 2.
- Chattanooga is 16-0 when out-rebounding an opponent. VMI is 2-15 when losing battle of the boards. Check out the indicators on page 10.
- The Mocs can clinch at least a share of the SoCon Regular Season title with wins over VMI and UNCG.
 
OPENING TIPS
- Chattanooga is seventh nationally in winning percentage (.852).
- 23 wins are the programs best since 24 during the 1997 NCAA Sweet 16 run. It matches the school record for REGULAR SEASON victories (1992-93).
- Four shy of the school record of 27 set by the 1977 NCAA DII National Champions (27-5) and the 1982 SoCon Champs (27-4).
- 23-4 is the best opening to a season since 1982-83 (26-3).
- 39-11 series lead, 34-9 in regular season SoCon matchups. More series notes on page 6.
- UTC has won 10 of 11, 18 of the last 20 and 20 of 23.
- Mocs are 23-1 when leading at some point in second half. Outlier? At ULM.
- There are only two starts better than 23-4: 1982-83 (26-3) and 1981-82 (27-3) both opened 24-3.
- Last time 13-2 or better in the SoCon? 1992-93 (16-2). Last time 12-3? 1985-86.
- UTC is 399-222 (.643) in regular season SoCon games, 242-67 (.783) at home.
- The Mocs are 39-9 (.813) in league play since start of the 2013-14 slate. They're 21-2 (.913) at home over that span.
- Leading the SoCon in scoring margin (+10.1), FG% (46.7) and blocks (4.7).
- Individual league leaders: Justin Tuoyo in blocks (2.3). Complete SoCon stat rankings (overall & league games only) are on page 9 of the notes package.
- Greg Pryor is eight assists shy of 250 and three points from 800 for his career.
- Eric Robertson posted 18 points per game against VMI last year shooting 64.7 percent (11-17) from the field including 62.5 percent (5-8) from 3pt range.
- Tre' McLean was dominant during seven-game-in-15-day gauntlet: 15.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.3 bpg & 2.0 spg. Shot 55.7 percent from the floor including 43.8 percent from beyond the arc, while converting 81.3 percent (26-32) at the FT line.
- Chuck Ester grabbed five or more boards in each of the last six games (6.7 rpg) and 17 times overall in 2015-16.
-  Justin Tuoyo is making the most of his trips to the FT line over last games. In first 16, he shot 57.4 percent (27-47). Last 11, 74.3 percent (55-74).
- Dee Oldham is averaging 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game in six February outings.
- For more information, click the notes link above to access game notes for both programs.
 
HEAD COACH MATT MCCALL
- Head Coach Matt McCall is 23-4 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 11-0 at home.
- First Mocs ball coach to start his tenure 23-4 or better. Next best through 27 games? 19-8 by Mack McCarthy (1985-86) and Jeff Lebo (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 KEYDETS      
- 7-17, 2-11 in the Southern Conference. They're 6-5 at home, 2-4 in league play.
- Head Coach Dan Earl is 7-17 in his first season at VMI after a stint as the associate coach at Navy. This is his first meeting with the Mocs.
- 2nd in the league in blocks (3.8) and 3pt made (8.8).
- Q.J. Peterson leads the Keydets in scoring (17.4), rebounding (6.1), assists (tied, 2.5) and steals (1.3). He is second in the conference in scoring, 3pt made per game (2.7) and FT shooting (90.9%).
- Julian Eleby also scores in double digits at 14.5 per game. He leads the squad in 3pt percentage (40.1) and is tied with Peterson in assists (2.5). He had 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the narrow double OT loss to the Mocs at VMI last season.
- Phillip Anglade adds 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game shooting a team-best 53.1 percent from the field.
 
LAST MEETING           
Chattanooga 86, VMI 82 (2OT) - Full box score.
02/26/15 7 p.m. at Lexington, Va. | Chattanooga 86, VMI 82 (2OT)
CHATTANOOGA (21-9, 14-3)
Eric Robertson 6-12 5-7 19; Casey Jones 7-14 3-4 17; Ronrico White 6-15 1-3 15; Greg Pryor 5-9 2-5 13; Justin Tuoyo 4-6 0-2 8; Duke Ethridge 2-4 1-1 6; Tre' McLean 2-4 0-0 5; Chuck Ester 1-3 0-2 3; Martynas Bareika 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 33-70 12-24 86.
VMI (11-17, 7-10)
ANGLADE, Phillip 6-15 14-20 26; ELEBY, Julian 8-18 8-9 25; BROWN, Brian 4-11 0-0 10; CHAPMAN, Trey 4-7 0-0 10; MARSHALL, Tim 2-10 0-0 5; WATSON, Jarid 2-3 0-0 4; WEETHEE, Jordan 1-2 0-0 2; HINTON, Craig 0-2 0-0 0; IRUAFEMI, Fred 0-0 0-0 0; BURTON, Christian 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-68 22-29 82.
Chattanooga     31         36         7          12         86
VMI                  36         31         7          8          82
3pt goals--UTC 8-21 (Ronrico White 2-7; Eric Robertson 2-5; Greg Pryor 1-3; Chuck Ester 1-1; Duke Ethridge 1-2; Tre' McLean 1-2; Martynas Bareika 0-1), VMI 6-24 (BROWN, Brian 2-5; CHAPMAN, Trey 2-4; MARSHALL, Tim 1-7; ELEBY, Julian 1-5; HINTON, Craig 0-2; WEETHEE, Jordan 0-1). Fouled out--UTC-Duke Ethridge; Justin Tuoyo, VMI-None. Rebounds--UTC 46 (Casey Jones 10), VMI 39 (ELEBY, Julian 9). Assists--UTC 12 (Ronrico White 6), VMI 10 (ELEBY, Julian 7). Total fouls--UTC 20, VMI 16. Technical fouls--UTC-None, VMI-None. A-1127
 
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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).