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Marcus Watts
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Nicchaeus Doaks enjoyed the view from a few rows up in the North Charleston Coliseum. With his iPod nearby and his legs hanging over the chair in front of him, Doaks contained his excitement and tried to study the game between Elon and Furman.
His University of Tennessee at Chattanooga team was in line to play the winner.
As it turns out, the Mocs’ opponent tonight in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament is Elon, a team they faced one week ago. The Mocs escaped with a 57-56 victory when Brett James missed a last-second 3-pointer from the corner.
The Phoenix advanced after beating Furman 52-37 in the first round Friday.
“We just played them, so the scouting report will be very fresh,” Mocs coach John Shulman said. “We didn’t play very good over there, but they are a very difficult out in the tournament.”
Shulman and his coaching staff put the finishing touches on the report after watching Friday’s game from press row. They picked up on a couple of habits and had a chance to see the Phoenix play against a zone defense, which they hadn’t seen much of on tape.
“You don’t learn anything huge because we’ve watched hours and hours of tape on Elon,” Shulman said.
Players watched most of it from section 110. Some paid close attention, others chatted and Verice Cloyd typed on his laptop.
“It’s fun watching two teams fight for their lives,” Doaks said in the first half. “You can see tournament play and really get a feel for it.
“You see that every possession is important, because when somebody makes a turnover, the whole team puts their head down.”
The Mocs are familiar with playing in close games. UTC is 7-4 in games decided by seven points or less this season.
UTC is 17-0 when leading or tied with five minutes to play but 1-12 when trailing at that mark. Tournament games are typically very similar, low-scoring affairs often decided in the final five minutes or waning seconds.
“Tournament games are about ‘want-to,’” UTC senior Marcus Watts said. “You can draw up every play or every defensive scheme, but it comes down to which team wants it more. I think this Chattanooga team really wants it.”
Doaks was itching in his blue seat to get on the floor Friday evening. But that would have meant the Mocs played in the first round, which they experienced last year.
“I’d rather be out there now than sitting here,” Doaks said. “I’m tired of practicing; I’m ready to play.
“That’s what you come down here for — to play the games. I’m ready to lace them up.”
The day off should do him good. And so should the scouting report.
“Our guys will get their opportunity to play,” Shulman said. “I didn’t want to play today. I enjoyed having this day off. Our time is coming.”
David Uchiyama is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who began his tenure here in May 2001. His primary beats are UTC athletics — specifically men’s basketball and athletic department administration — and golf, which includes coverage from the PGA Tour to youth events. He also covers other high school sports, outdoor adventures, and contributes to other sections of the newspaper when necessary. David grew up in Salinas, Calif., and began working ...
