Mocs pushed through hard times to succeed
Winners of three consecutive Southern Conference basketball games and sitting a lofty fourth in the league standings, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men seem, despite their relative age, quite comfortable.
To get where they are, however, required more than a little discomfort. For most of the players on the active roster — made up of one senior who is a graduate transfer, two juniors, three sophomores and six freshmen — the transformation from individual star to someone earning a role as part of a team required a crash course in college hoops.
“The guys have done some of the hardest things, which is to go against what are your normal and natural instincts,” second-year Mocs coach Lamont Paris said. “‘This is what I’ve done my entire life. Coach, you’re asking me to do something that no one has ever asked me to do before. I’ve never seen or heard of that terminology, and I’ve never had to quite practice or play that hard.’
“I feel really good with what they’ve accomplished and what they’ve grown into, I really do. Whether we’re home or on the road or whatever the next challenge may be, I feel good about this team. There is a lot of growing that needed to take place, trust me, and there is still more.”
Freshman star Kevin Easley saw that right away. Pickup games this past summer were full of offensive show and little else.
“No one was stopping anyone,” Easley said, laughing at the memory. “We didn’t know how to play together.”
The road to 10-10 overall and 5-2 in the SoCon has been rocky. UTC’s three-game debacle at a November classic in Mobile, Alabama, suggested equaling last season’s 10 wins would be difficult. The Mocs lost by 19 points to host South Alabama (which is currently 9-10), by 21 to Southeast Missouri State (6-13) and by eight to Jacksonville (5-13).
“We are such a young team,” said junior transfer Jonathan Scott, “and the growing pains were big for us. I think people know that because of our age. We just didn’t expect it to be that difficult.”
To make matters worse, there was no natural leader for the young players to gravitate to on the roster — of the current Mocs, only sophomore David Jean-Baptiste played enough a year ago to earn a letter. It was a serious area of concern for Paris and his staff, but one that had to work its way out naturally.
“If someone had tried to come out here and be a leader from day one, it would have been great, but how valid is that?” Paris said. “We’re doing it pretty much by committee at this point. We don’t have guys who have played in this program for three years. In order for guys to be leaders, they have to establish certain things, and every single person on this team has been trying to establish those things.
“So, I think I like the way it’s gone. Any two people can say something to each other — whether it’s constructive criticism or encouragement — and the guys have taken to that.”
The Mocs’ three straight league wins, all at home, have been by five, three and two points, games that came down to late key possessions. The team, which was boosted by the in-season additions of transfers A.J. Caldwell and Ramon Vila, is at full strength for the first time, giving Paris as many as 11 players to use in games.
He knows he’s going to need them. While UTC’s five SoCon wins are impressive, they have come against teams with a combined 8-28 record in league games this season. This week’s road trip to South Carolina — tonight at fifth-place Furman (15-4, 4-3) and Saturday at firstplace Wofford (15-4, 7-0), with both tipoffs scheduled for 7 p.m. — will test the Mocs’ progress.
“We’ve played well. Can we keep playing well is the question?” Paris said. “It’s two really good teams on the road. Defensively and in transition, it’s a challenge.”
Statistics suggest the Mocs have overachieved where their league record is concerned. They rank ninth out of 10 SoCon teams in scoring with an average of 73.3 points per game and seventh in average points allowed (72.8). They are seventh or worse in scoring margin, field-goal percentage, field-goal percentage defense, rebounding, assists, steals and turnover margin. Yet, they are winning. “We can be really good,” the effervescent Vila said. “We’re having a better season than last year already and we’re really young, really young. Look at the other teams in this league. ETSU, you know, has a ton of experience and they know what to do in certain moments and in situations.
“With time and experience we will figure it all out, I can promise you.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296.