There's something different about the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team's preseason practice this year.
Maybe it's the extra intensity on the face of Lady Mocs coach Wes Moore, who appears more demanding than he has in recent seasons. Maybe it's all the new players: Five of the 12 on the roster are freshmen, several of whom will be needed right away.
Or maybe it's the fact that the Lady Mocs are now often going up against a group of male practice players.
"We were hurting on numbers and just felt like we really needed some people, some bodies," Moore said. "Michael Scruggs, our [graduate assistant], he was a practice player at Tennessee, so I put him in charge of finding some guys."
Moore said he tried using some male players a few years ago but "ended up not utilizing them much." So far this preseason that hasn't been the case.
At Wednesday's practice, four male players made up the bulk of the "other" team. The Washington Generals, Moore jokingly called them.
While the Generals might be the Harlem Globetrotters' designated losers, the former high school players facing the Lady Mocs often had the upper hand. They were aggressive and used their size and speed to block shots, make steals and get out in transition.
"At first I was excited, 'yeah, practicing against some guys,' but then once we had our first practice, I was like, 'OK, really?'" junior point guard Tenisha Townsend said. "Practicing against the guys, it's pretty tough, but in the end it's only going to make us better."
Sean Jones was an all-district player at Morristown West High School his senior year. Now a UTC sophomore, he said he's enjoyed the practice sessions and has been impressed by the Lady Mocs' play.
"I've never really played against girls, ever in my life, so this is a new experience for me," he said. "You can tell they're out here for a reason. They're all talented."
Male practice players are used by many of the top women's programs, including Tennessee and Rutgers. Using guys has at times been a controversial issue in the sport, with some coaches and NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics members feeling they take away practice time from team members.
Moore said that furor has died down in recent years, but he is conscious of the fact he needs to make sure everyone is involved in practice.
"I've got to be careful. There's a fine line in there to when you worry about conditioning, if we're subbing too much and if key players aren't getting enough reps," he said. "It's something we're going to have to learn along the way."
Lady Mocs center Whitney Hood might be getting as much out of the experience as anyone. The 6-foot-2 junior is continually tested in the low post, both when she's going up for a shot and when trying to rebound.
"It's going to make us stronger, especially working on those box-outs every day," she said. "We'll be able to box out with the best after a while."
The Lady Mocs will pay an exhibition game against Lee University on Nov. 4 and open their season Nov. 12 against East Tennessee State.