Lee’s Flames are eager to face Mocs
Ryan Montgomery and his Lee University basketball teammates are eager for the chance to play against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Thursday.
But only as an opportunity to get better. The NCAA Division II program from Cleveland will be the 2018-19 Mocs’ initial opponent in an exhibition game at McKenzie Arena at 7 p.m. The Flames, who won 16 games last season, have three players from Hamilton County schools: Montgomery (Central) and two newcomers, junior guard Daaron Maston (Ooltewah) and freshman guard Kentrell Evans (Brainerd).
The game wasn’t initially on the Flames’ schedule but was a welcome addition for them.
“We really just want to get out there and show everybody we can compete at a high level,” Montgomery said Monday afternoon. “We feel like it’s going to be a fun showing.”
The 6-foot-6 junior averaged 10.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 2017-18 while shooting 49 percent from the floor, and he has 469 career points.
“When we saw the game on the schedule, we got fired up,” he said. “Once we knew we were playing them, they’re right down the road. We knew we could get people from our city to go down there and get people from Chattanooga to come out. It lit a fire for everybody to come out and play hard so we can prove something.”
Montgomery was once a recruiting target for former UTC coach Will Wade. That was two head coaches ago for the Mocs. For Lee coach Bubba Smith, Thursday’s game is more about seeing his team get better before the Flames’ season opener Nov. 9 against Embry-Riddle. They do have another exhibition Saturday against Piedmont College as part of Lee’s homecoming weekend.
“I think it’s a great game in a lot of ways,” Smith said. “We’re in close proximity to UTC, and we hope we can get this game consistently. We have guys from Chattanooga and it’s fun for them to go back and play in front of friends and family, but you want to be able to know your team improved.
“You want your guys to get better and improve. If we get a win out of it, that’s great, but they’ll be ready to compete and get better.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.