Being the underdog is a different role for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team this season, one that junior point guard Tenisha Townsend doesn't want.
Winners of 11 consecutive Southern Conference regular-season championships, the Lady Mocs were picked to finish third in the league by the SoCon coaches and media, the conference announced Tuesday.
"It kind of does bother us," said Townsend, the only player on the roster to have played two full seasons for UTC. "We're the underdogs now - we don't have the same people as last year - but that means we have something to prove. We're going to get after it and it only motivates us."
The Lady Mocs, who open their season Friday against East Tennessee State, return two starters (Townsend and sophomore guard Kayla Christopher) and two of their top seven scorers from last season's squad that won the SoCon regular-season and tournament titles.
Coach Wes Moore said following Tuesday's practice that being picked third doesn't feel right, "but I think if you look at it logically that's the way it should be."
Samford, which has challenged UTC down to the wire the past two seasons, was picked to win the SoCon for the first time since joining the league in 2007. Bulldogs senior guard Emily London was picked to be the player of the year, a postseason honor that has gone to a UTC player each of the past four seasons.
Christopher was the only UTC player named to the coaches' preseason all-conference team.
The Lady Mocs enter this season without much experience or depth, and certainly without much experienced depth. There is some good news, however.
After deciding during the summer that she didn't want to play college basketball, signee Taylor Hall - last year's Tennessee Class AAA player of the year - has changed her mind and will enroll in January.
Moore, who briefly left UTC for East Carolina this spring, said he could empathize with her having a change of heart. Hall might have some conditioning work to do, and she'll have to learn UTC's system, but she will be eligible to play right away.
"She'll be a welcome addition," Moore said, "and I'm hoping that she can catch up quickly."
The 6-foot-1 forward led Morristown West to a 34-2 record and the Class AAA state final last season, earning Gatorade state player of the year and the Class AAA Miss Basketball honors. She averaged 18.3 points and 9.8 rebounds a game as a senior.
Contact John Frierson at jfrierson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6268. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/mocsbeat.