Mocs' Lamont Paris sees hope in Queen's 'We Are the Champions'

UTC's Nat Dixon (5) dribbles to the basket while Wofford's Fletcher Magree (3) defends in their game at McKenzie Arena last Saturday.
UTC's Nat Dixon (5) dribbles to the basket while Wofford's Fletcher Magree (3) defends in their game at McKenzie Arena last Saturday.

Driving to McKenzie Arena for last Saturday's Southern Conference game against Wofford, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball coach Lamont Paris caught himself listening to the Queen song "We Are the Champions."

"What a great song!" he said postgame. "If you think about it, YouTube it and watch the words. It's what I stand for."

The well-known song starts with the lyrics, "I've paid my dues, time after time. I've done my sentence but committed no crime. And bad mistakes - I've made a few. I've had my share of sand kicked in my face, but I've come through."

photo First-year UTC basketball coach Lamont Paris encourages his young Mocs as a tough season winds down.

Wise words for a first-year head coach who inherited a program that lost nine players in the offseason as well as a coaching staff. Paris chose to build the program from scratch, with six newcomers mixed with six players who, in some cases, played sparingly during the 2016-17 season and were being thrust into new roles.

The Mocs have struggled mightily this season, suffering through the program's first 20-loss season since 2011-12 with the second-youngest roster in the country. In recent weeks, they've battled hard against Southern Conference competition but have had problems finishing games, with a 3-7 record in league games in which they've held a second-half lead. One of the wins was against second-place UNC Greensboro (22-7, 13-3), UTC's opponent tonight in the next-to-last SoCon game of the regular season. The Mocs end at Virginia Military Institute on Sunday.

Or, as the final four stanzas of the second verse read: "But it's been no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise. I consider it a challenge before the whole human race.

"And I ain't gonna lose."

But despite the season up to date, the team - like the coach - believes.

"I feel like the way we've progressed this year, the games we've been in, the games we've won have shown us that if we trust Coach's process, great things can happen," junior Nat Dixon said. "This is a young team, and we're building more and more every single day. We've got to keep in mind there's a bigger goal out there, and it's not going to happen overnight. We just have to keep progressing, keep playing hard, and those things will fall into place."

UTC players have been unavailable for a total of 62 games, with only two players - sophomore guard Makale Foreman and freshman guard David Jean-Baptiste - having played in all 29. Point guard Rodney Chatman is currently questionable with an ankle injury suffered against Furman last week.

Dixon, the team's leading scorer who himself missed two games due to a coach's decision, called the season one of the "most adverse" that he's been around, but also called it satisfying.

"Not just personally, but as a team," Dixon said. "To see this team grow, to see the young guys progress has been really good and really fun."

And if this team continues to progress, Paris could be able to sing the lyrics of one of his favorite songs in a not-too-distant March.

"That song is what I stand for," he said. "We'll keep on fighting until the end. ... We are the champions of the world."

And regardless of the outcome of the 29 games played so far, his team has continue to fight.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.

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