Mocs look ahead

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Troy Cage bit his jersey and had his left arm around Ridge McKeither, who had his jersey pulled over his head as the clock ticked down on the season.

Minutes earlier, they saw teammate Ty Patterson head off to the hospital.

The surreal moment in Bojangles Coliseum punctuated a season that was simply one darned thing after another for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, starting in August when the Mocs headed to Canada for an exhibition trip.

"It's been a long season," coach John Shulman said. "I knew it would be a tough season after losing five starters. Then you add (players unavailable for) 60 missed games, ups and downs, and that equals one long season."

The Mocs finished 15-18 overall and 6-12 in the Southern Conference, one year after winning the SoCon tournament and dancing with Final Four participant Connecticut in the first round in Philadelphia.

A live appearance on Jimmy Fallon's television show was the last public gathering for a senior class of six that propelled that run, resulting in a rebuilding year for 2009-10.

"A lot of people have rebuilding seasons and go 6-23," Shulman said. "We won 15 games in a really bad year for us. I really can't find a whole lot of positives other than we won 15. We were close, but we never could find 'it.'"

Injuries, suspensions, illnesses and family deaths throughout the season made the starting rotation a revolving door. UTC used 12 different lineups in 33 games. Nobody started every game.

"As soon as we were doing well, something bad would happen, and it's 'Why does this have to happen to us?'" sophomore Ricky Taylor said. "It was just a struggle. We kept fighting throughout the season, but it did not work out our way this season."

There weren't many highlights.

"It's definitely been frustrating and disappointing," sophomore point guard Keegan Bell said. "We had some really good moments and some really low moments. We were a young team, and that's what comes with it."

In their first game of the season against a Division I team, the Mocs won 85-76 over East Tennessee State, which is going to the NCAA tournament as Atlantic Sun champion. UTC raised expectations above a .500 season with that victory.

The play of the year came at the end of their win over The Citadel. UTC trailed by two with 3.4 seconds left only to have Bell bury a 3 at the buzzer for their sixth win in a row.

UTC beat Davidson for the first time since the 2005-06 season on senior night, which celebrated Patterson. And the Mocs won handily in their opening round game of the tournament.

"One of the memorable times we had this year was senior night, and we sent Ty out on a good note," Taylor said. "And that game against Georgia Southern was probably our most perfect game.

"But our goals weren't met this year."

Patterson will be gone next year. New players will be Georgetown transfer guard Omar Wattad, who practiced with the Mocs this year, former Tennessee forward Philip Jurick from Chattanooga State and high school guard Anthony Banks.

"Everybody is coming back, and we have experience now," Shulman said during halftime of the Lady Mocs' semifinal in Time Warner Cable Arena. "We brought our kids to support the women and to see this venue. We didn't get to play in this venue.

"I wanted them to get a taste of what this is all about."