Jim Foster and Aryanna Gilbert have been in Mercer's position.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball coach and fifth-year UTC senior were part of the most recent Mocs team in the Top 25. UTC entered and stayed around the national rankings during the 2014-15 season, then started the following season in both polls.
This season it's Mercer, another Southern Conference program, that has inched its way into the USA Today Coaches Poll at No. 25 this week on the strength of a 22-game winning streak. The Bears (25-2, 12-0) host UTC (16-10, 7-5) at 7 tonight at Hawkins Arena in Macon, Ga.
UTC womenճ basketball coach Jim Foster watches from the sideline during the Lady Mocs home basketball game against Furman University at McKenzie Arena on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Mercer won the programs' first meeting this season 71-50 on Jan. 27, giving UTC its worst SoCon loss since the Bears beat the Mocs by 23 points on Jan. 21, 2016, in Macon. The Mocs finish the regular season Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. game at Samford, with the conference tournament March 1-4 in Asheville, N.C.
"They're a good team, and they're playing well right now," Gilbert said of the Bears before Tuesday's practice. "The last time we played them left a bitter taste in my mouth, so we're focused on getting stops and scoring more this game."
Gilbert is aware of the "boost of confidence" the Bears are likely experiencing from their ranking. The Mocs are also experiencing a boost of sorts, having put together one of their best performances of the season last Saturday in a 76-46 home win over Wofford. It's the most points UTC has scored in a regulation-length game this season, and it featured 11 3-pointers made and four players - not including Gilbert, the team's second-leading scorer this season - scoring in double figures.
Two days before the rout, Foster had blasted his team's poor performance, stressing a need to share the ball better. The Mocs had 19 assists against the Terriers.
"We needed to share the ball better. We needed to do some things better, and I think this group took that to heart and took responsibility of doing what they were capable of doing," Foster said. "When we do that, we're a pretty good team, and I think we got a glimpse of that Saturday."
Foster said the biggest thing he's looking for this week is improved play. On Tuesday, when asked if the first Mercer-UTC game was indicative of the teams, the Women's Basketball Hall of Famer said "it doesn't matter."
"The games that really matter start next week," Foster said. "This matters, but they (Mercer) have already clinched the regular-season title. We're working to reinforce some of the things we're doing well.
"I like the way this schedule is laid out, quite frankly. I like the fact we have to go on the road to tough places; it's good for us. It's better than sitting at home getting fat."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.