CHATTANOOGA (November 19, 2024) --- The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball program and head coach Dan Earl have officially announced the signings of three scholastic prospects, who inked their commitments last week as part of the NCAA Division I basketball NLI early signing period.
 
The trio includes six-foot-four guard Zach Bleshoy (Marietta, Ga./Pope High School), six-foot-nine forward/center Josh Bowman (Huntsville, Ala./Huntsville High School) and six-foot-four guard Tate Darner (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic). The class boasts intriguing size, talent and expectations, but most importantly, features a group who will represent the 'C' on-and-off the court.
 
"We are excited to add three tremendous players to the Chattanooga basketball program," said head coach Dan Earl about the class.
 
"Each signee brings skill, versatility, and a great work ethic that will help our team. They are also high character student-athletes that will be great representatives of UTC."
 
Learn more about the three signees below. Chattanooga (2-3) returns to the Roundhouse for a Thursday night contest against NAIA-member Johnson (TN) with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. (TICKETS)
 
Zach Bleshoy – 6'4 – Guard – Marietta, Ga. – Pope High School
AAU: New Balance Atlanta Timberwolves (Atlanta, Ga.)
 
Bleshoy comes to Chattanooga via Marietta, Ga., and Pope High School where he plays AAU ball out of the New Balance Atlanta Timberwolves organization. The 20^th-ranked prospect in the state of Georgia (4^th ranked PG) according to HoopSeen, brings a fast-playing style, sharp-shooting capabilities and a high-level of competitiveness to the guard position, a perfect fit for both parties.
 
"Zach is a player that we have been recruiting for years," said Earl. "He is a strong guard that has the playmaking ability to create his own shot and get others involved. He is extremely competitive and can guard multiple positions."
 
A big-time get, Belshoy selected Chattanooga over Tulane, Towson, Murray State, Northeastern, Stetson, Youngstown State, Southern Illinois, Boston, NJIT, Ohio and North Florida, among others. In addition to HoopSeen's rankings, Bleshoy was tabbed a three-star prospect and the No. 69-ranked shooting guard nationally for the class of 2025 by 247Sports.
 
Josh Bowman – 6'9 – Forward/Center – Huntsville, Ala. – Huntsville High School
AAU: Under Armour Pro One (Alabama)
 
Bowman is also a regional prospect, making his way to the Scenic City via Huntsville, Ala., and Huntsville High School while playing AAU competition for Under Armour Pro One (Alabama). The six-nine forward is ranked as Alabama's No. 9 overall prospect for the class of 2025 (No. 2 forward/center) by HoopSeen and has appeared on numerous national watch lists.
 
Earl stated, "Josh comes from a winning program in Huntsville High School and has great skill for his size while having the ability to play multiple positions. He is a worker and plays with a relentless motor that the Chattanooga fans will enjoy watching."
 
Bowman, who stated the outpouring fan support at Chattanooga as one of his deciding factors in committing, chose the Mocs over programs such as Murray State, Lipscomb, Kennesaw State, Miami Ohio, Illinois-Chicago, Tennessee Tech, Central Arkansas and North Alabama, among others.
 
Tate Darner – 6'4 – Guard – Lakeland, Fla. – Santa Fe Catholic
AAU: Puma 1 Family (Florida)
 
Darner heads to Chattanooga from the Sunshine State as a Lakeland, Fla., native and product of Sante Fe Catholic and the Puma 1 Family (Florida) AAU organization. A prolific scorer, elite shooter, and physically developing long guard, Darner is a 2024-25 nominee for Florida's 2A Preseason Player of the Year after leading Santa Fe Catholic to a 24-6 record and district runner-up finish.
 
"Tate is an extremely cerebral player that has an elite feel for the game," added Earl. "He is a great shot maker that can play with or without the ball. He comes from a great basketball family and will translate perfectly into our system."
 
Tate's father, Linc Darner, is currently the head coach of NCAA DII Tampa after serving as Green Bay's (Horizon League) head coach from 2015-2020, guiding the Phoenix to the 2016 NCAA Tournament. He also led Florida Southern to an NCAA DII National Championship in 2014-15 behind a 36-1 overall record while finishing his nine-year stint 219-72 (.753) overall with six Sunshine State Conference titles.
 
Tate chose Chattanooga over Furman, Jacksonville, Stetson, Boston, USC Upstate, Dartmouth, North Florida, and Lemoyne.
 
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