UTC basketball coach Will Wade, right, directs player Duke Ethridge during practice.Duke Ethridge has memories of playing against University of Georgia football player Jay Rome when the two were in high schools in southern Georgia. Ethridge grew up watching the Bulldogs play football and basketball, and he really liked the thought of going to the Athens school at one point before settling on the junior college route that eventually led him to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball program.
Rome briefly played basketball for the Bulldogs before becoming the starting tight end in football.
Ethridge, who is from Lakeland, Ga., is one of two Mocs from the state of Georgia who will be playing against their home-state university tonight at 7 at McKenzie Arena. Starting center Justin Tuoyo, from Fayetteville, is the other.
Tonight will be the first time the Mocs have hosted a Southeastern Conference opponent since Tennessee came to town on Dec. 4, 2007.
"I watched a lot of their games and thought about playing there when I was younger. It's a good school to be at," Ethridge said. "I feel like I have to play to the best of my ability, play hard, play for my team and contribute to a win."
A good game will be needed from Ethridge along with the other "4" position players, senior Lance Stokes and Chuck Ester. The trio average a combined 10.4 points and seven rebounds, and coach Will Wade stressed Monday after practice that he is hoping for more production from the position tonight.
Georgia's physical front line features 6-foot-8 Nemanja Djurisic and Marcus Thornton.
In six games against Division I competition, Ethridge, Stokes and Ester have averaged eight points and 5.7 rebounds. The Mocs went with a smaller lineup last week, playing 6-5 Casey Jones, a natural perimeter player, at the 4 position.
"We desperately need minutes from the 4. We've been getting nothing from them," Wade said Monday. "I begged with them to give our team something. When we play teams like Georgia, we can't run our dog-and-pony show with Casey because we'll get mauled on the glass. We desperately need Lance, Duke and Chuck to step up -- not just tomorrow, but for the season. Tomorrow we'll need somebody to put resistance up on the front line."
Ethridge, who has averaged five points and 2.7 rebounds a contest, feels he has progressed in his first season with the program.
"I know I'm going to have to play my best, but I'm motivated," the junior said. "This game means a lot to me."
If the Mocs can pull the upset, which would be their first win over an SEC opponent since defeating Tennessee in 2004, along with their first win over an SEC team at home since defeating Auburn in 1991, Ethridge knows exactly what he'd do.
"Man, I'd be happy," he said. "I'd call all my people back home; it would be a big win for this team."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.