LINKS: Notes | Tickets (Home) | Mercer
 
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
LINKS: Access links for video, audio and live stats on the men's basketball schedule page on GoMocs.com.
TV/VIDEO: ESPN3 (Mercer Production).
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: N/A
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the action on Twitter @GoMocsMBB. Get interactive using the hashtags GoMocs and ReptheC.
 
NEXT UP         
Thursday, Feb. 11 at Western Carolina, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, Feb. 13 at ETSU, 7:30 p.m. (Fox Sports SE/ESPN3)
Thursday, Feb. 18 vs. VMI, 7 p.m.
 
RANKINGS
Chattanooga is No. 6 in last week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, Mercer was No. 23. The poll is announced on Mondays here.
 
STARTING FIVE
- Chattanooga leads the SoCon at 10-1. Mercer and ETSU are tied for second at 8-3, with Furman (8-4) in fourth, Wofford (7-4) fifth and UNCG (5-6) sixth. Complete SoCon standings are on page 8 of the notes package.
- The Mocs are looking for their first 21-3 start since opening the 1982-83 season (26-3).
- Third game in five days and the fifth in a seven-game-in-15-day stretch. 4-0 so far. Complete schedule on page 2 of the notes package.
- Chattanooga leads the SoCon in FG percentage (47.5%). Mercer leads in FG percentage defense (38.8%).
- Eight-game winning streak is tied for the 6th-longest active streak in the nation - Stony Brook (15).
 
OPENING TIPS
- Chattanooga is tied for fifth nationally in winning percentage (.875). Who else is 21-3? No. 4 Maryland.
- Tied for the national lead in wins with 21. The Terps, No. 6 Xavier and Little Rock also have 21.
- The Mocs trail the series 30-34, but lead 2-1 in the regular season SoCon play during the Bears brief time in the league. More series notes on page 6 of the notes package.
- UTC has won eight in a row, 16 of the last 17 and 18 of 20.
- Last time Chattanooga boasted nine consecutive wins? 2013-14 (10).
- Last three 22-3 or better openings? There are only two: 1982-83 (26-3) and 1981-82 (27-3).
- Last 21-4 start? 1973-74 squad started 21-4 before finishing 21-5.
- Last time 11-1 or better in the SoCon? 1986-87 (14-1). Last time 10-2? 1996-97.
- UTC is 397-221 (.642) in regular season SoCon games, 242-67 (.783) at home.
- The Mocs are 37-8 (.822) in league play since start of the 2013-14 slate. They're 16-6 (.727) in McKenzie Arena over that span.
- Leading the SoCon in scoring margin (+11.1), FG% (47.5), blocks (4.8) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3).
- Individual league leaders: Justin Tuoyo in blocks (2.5). Complete SoCon stat rankings (overall & league games only) are on page 9 of the notes package.
- Greg Pryor has a 4.50 assist/turnover ratio (18/4) over last three games.
- Eric Robertson is fourth all-time at UTC with 170 3pt made. Needs four to reach top three and 30 to become third Moc with 200 (career record watch on page 2 of the notes package).
- Tre' McLean's last four games: 15.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.3 bpg, 62.9% (22-35) FG, 50.0% 3pt (2-4) and 82.4% (14-17) FT.
- During three-game homestand, Chuck Ester averaged 9.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.0 spg, 55.6% (10-18) FG and 50.0% (2-4) 3pt.
- Justin Tuoyo's averages during eight-game win streak: 16.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 2.5 bpg shooting 64.7 percent (44-68) from the floor and 74.1 percent (43-58) from the FT line.
- How balanced is the UTC offensive attack? 10 student-athletes have tallied double digits, all in multiple games: Tre' McLean (15 times), Greg Pryor (14), Justin Tuoyo (13), Eric Robertson (8), Duke Ethridge (7), Chuck Ester (7), Casey Jones (6), Johnathan Burroughs-Cook (6), Dee Oldham (2) and Peyton Woods (2).
- For more information, click the notes link above to access game notes for both programs.
 
HEAD COACH MATT MCCALL
- Head Coach Matt McCall is 21-3 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 8-3 on the road.
- First Mocs ball coach to start his tenure 21-3 or better. Next best through 24 games? 17-7 by Ron Shumate (1972-73), 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 BEARS          
- 18-6, 8-3 in the Southern Conference. They're 11-0 at home, 6-0 in league play.
- Four-game winning streak...7-2 since last meeting...two losses were in OT at ETSU & Western Carolina.
- Head Coach Bob Hoffman is in his 23rd year as a collegiate head coach, 26 including three seasons as women's coach at Southern Nazarene (Okla.). He is 162-104 in his eighth campaign at Mercer, 474-258 overall. He is 3-2 against the Mocs.
- The Bears lead the SoCon in FG percentage defense (38.8%), rebounding (41.5), rebounding margin (+10.8), defensive rebound percentage (75.3%) and offensive rebound percentage (36.9%).
- Stephon Jelks (9.0) leads the league in rebounding and defensive rebounds (6.4). 
- Jelks (12.2) and Phillip Leonard (10.0) average in double digits. Jestin Lewis (14.0) leads in scoring.
- Leonard is one of the league leaders in assists (5.1) and assist/turnover ratio (2.7).
 
LAST MEETING           
Chattanooga 74, Mercer 62 - Full box score.
5 Notes from the Jan. 5 meeting in Chattanooga:
- UTC raced out to an early 22-point lead (29-7) following two free throws by Greg Pryor with 9:04 left in the first half … Mercer cut it to two points twice late in the game … the last was 60-58 after a pair of Jordan Strawberry FTs with 2:59 left to play.
- Mercer won the battle on the boards 36-34 … only the fourth time this season UTC has been outrebounded … Mocs are 3-1 in those games … Mercer came into the game No. 9 in the nation with an 11.5 rebound advantage per game.
- UTC tied a season-high with nine blocks as a team.
- Justin Tuoyo broke the school career blocks record with the first of his three on the night.
- Greg Pryor earned first career double-double with 17 points and a career-high and game-high 10 assists. First time a Moc had a double-double points and assists since Gee McGhee (17/10) against Maine on Dec. 30, 2013.
 
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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).