Five takeaways from UTC's two wins in the Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland event:
1. A step in the right direction: I couldn't help but notice the vast improvement in the Mocs' defense in the wins over Robert Morris and Coastal Carolina, especially in the second half in each game. Robert Morris isn't what one would call a strong-shooting team, but it was limited to 27 percent shooting in the second half. Coastal Carolina is a really, really strong team, but it seemed as though the Mocs' pressure eventually got to the Chanticleers. They shot 35 percent from the field, and after hitting their first 13 free throws, they missed five of their last seven.
2. Small ball for y'all: UTC coach Will Wade has transitioned to a smaller lineup, with Casey Jones playing at the 4 position. It has been able to create mismatches against more traditional "power forwards," but Jones also has been a beast on the boards, averaging 11 rebounds in the two wins. Not sure it's a permanent change yet, though; the Mocs will still need the services of Chuck Ester and Duke Ethridge, and Wade has been looking for ways to integrate them into the offense and flow. Ester hit his first 3-pointer of the season Thursday, and Ethridge's only rebound came on an impressive one-handed putback.
3. Getting to the line -- and converting: The Mocs averaged trying 31 free throws a game against Robert Morris and Coastal. The 62 attempts are impressive, but even more telling is the fact that they were 31-for-39 in the second halves of those games. With the aggressive style of play the Mocs employ, they are going to have to convert such opportunities, and at least in the friendly confines of McKenzie Arena they did.
4. Settling in with the vets: The minutes had been spread out in the first four games of the year, but when things got tight, six players logged most of the time: Greg, Rico, Tre, Casey, Tuoyo and E-Rob. There will still be opportunities, and the rotations are still being tinkered with -- the starting lineup during the Mainland event was the third used by Wade this season -- but he said postgame on Thursday that he wanted to use a more experienced group with the game on the line. And they delivered.
5. Now take this act on the road! The Mocs are 15-2 at home during Wade's tenure, including 3-0 this season. They're 0-3 on the road, but only the Tennessee Tech loss looks bad at this point, considering Wisconsin is in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game while Butler defeated top-five North Carolina before falling to Oklahoma in the semifinals. Early indications are that the TTU loss could have been an early turning point to the season; Tuoyo said as much Monday after practice. Saturday they'll get a noon tipoff at Kennesaw State and a reasonable chance for that elusive first road win.
My plus-one
I hope people realize ... The Coastal Carolina team the Mocs beat is good. The Chanticleers battled UCLA for almost 30 minutes before falling 84-71 last week. Just last season, they won the Big South Conference and hung with No. 1 seed Virginia in the NCAA tournament "second" round, eventually falling 70-59, and returned four starters from that team. They have size, strength and exceptional guard play and could be back in the Big Dance. And the Mocs beat them, at times overwhelming the visitors.