Mocs basketball schedule features 14 home games

photo UTC Chattanooga Mocs
Arkansas-Oklahoma State Live Blog

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball schedule for the upcoming season includes 14 home games with Middle Tennessee State as the most notable non-conference game in McKenzie Arena.

The schedule for next year will be much more appealing and be void of any non-Division I teams.

"It's a challenging schedule this year, but it allows our team to grow a bit in the early portion," coach Will Wade said. "Most importantly, it sets us up for really good schedules in the future."

The Mocs will begin their season on Nov. 8 at 5:30 against Covenant College as part of a double-header with the Lady Mocs. UTC will play three non-division I teams this year. Wade promised every home game next season will be against Division I competition.

"My goal was to put together the best all-D1 schedule, so I had to get us some games that we would not have to return next year," Wade said. "I think next year will be very attractive.

"I had to set it up this year for the future."

The Mocs will play at Nevada and UCLA (in Pauley Pavilion) before heading to Las Vegas for two more games in the Las Vegas Invitational. They will also play at the University of Georgia in a two-for-one agreement that will have the Bulldogs playing in McKenzie Arena next year.

The Mocs will also play at Alabama-Birmingham this year and the Blazers will return the favor next season.

The Dr Pepper Classic will include the Mocs, Grand Canyon -- a first-year Division I team -- Maine and MTSU. The Mocs will play in Murfreesboro next year. Wade said the Mocs and Tennessee Tech will also likely start an annual series starting next year, but couldn't find a spot to start the series this season.

The Mocs' Southern conference schedule -- which will be an unbalanced schedule in a conference with no divisions -- begins Jan. 4 at Furman then at The Citadel two days later. Their SoCon home opener will be Jan. 9 against Samford.

"We had to get some things off the books to implement our plan to get as many home games as we can to put ourselves in position to build," Wade said. "I'm not one of those guys who looks at the whole schedule and looks for trends. I've barely looked at our SoCon schedule."

Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6484. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.

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