Nobody knew what to expect. Coach John Shulman didn't have a clue.
Would it be a 20-point loss? A 20-point win? Or a nip-and-tuck battle typical of East Tennessee State playing the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
The end result turned out to be an 85-76 win for the Mocs in a display that shows the Mocs have talent and they can win close games, but they're still far from championship form.
"The anxious moments from last night were because I didn't know where we stood," Shulman said. "We went out there knowing that the last time they were on the court they got beat at Toronto and by Guelph. That was our measuring stick.
"Now I think we know and our guys understand Division I basketball."
It took a good 20 minutes for some of the newcomers to figure it out. Junior center DeAntre Jefferson looked lost in the first half. But he hadn't played against somebody of similar size and strength other then a scrimmage at Auburn and every day in practice.
"I couldn't rely on anybody in the first half," Shulman said. "We'd been telling our guys how physical ETSU is and it's like, 'Yeah coach.' Now they understand, they know what it takes."
Some of their lessons were less tangible and more mental. The Mocs (2-0) trailed by 60-55 with 15:40 to go in the game. Over the next 10 minutes, they limited the Bucs to four points and built a 70-64 lead with six minutes to play.
"When it wasn't going our way -- and that's the first time this year things didn't go our way -- we stuck together," point guard Keegan Bell said. "In adversity we came together. We all wanted everybody to do well."
They proved they can come from behind against an equal opponent. They're not going to fold easy. And they can succeed despite having four forwards on the bench in street clothes because guys like freshman Josh Odem and junior Jeff Smith can exceed expectations.
"I still have a lot to prove because this is just one game," Smith said. "There are six or seven more games until they come back. I have to keep improving."
And after facing ETSU, Smith and the Mocs know exactly what they need to keep improving.
"I had nothing to go on, we have a brand new team and four guys out," Shulman said. "Now I have something to go on. We grew up in the second half.
"We were going to be better if we won or lost because we needed an experience. It's a better experience because we won."
Early still out
Sophomore forward Chris Early underwent an X-ray of his injured right hand Wednesday and found out he is not ready to return to action for the Mocs. Coach John Shulman said Early will remain out of the lineup until his next scheduled X-ray after UTC returns from the South Padre Island Invitational at the end of the month.
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 ...
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