Neither Jonathan Bryant nor A.J. Bowers entered this basketball season expecting to be needed to contribute to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga interior. Coach Lamont Paris didn't expect that of them, either.
But that's where the team is now.
Entering tonight's Southern Conference game against Furman at 7 at McKenzie Arena, the freshmen have been asked to play minutes inside for the Mocs (6-10, 0-3) with varying results.
UTC guard Jonathan Bryant II (33) dunks over Tennessee Wesleyan forward Kenny Dean (10) during the Mocs home basketball game against Tennessee Wesleyan at McKenzie Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.Bryant is a 6-foot-3 guard who got caught up in the numbers of the Mocs' perimeter rotation. Bowers is a 6-5 forward but won his spot on the team in a walk-on tryout, due to some preseason injuries and the need for additional practice players.
Now, with three forwards out of action for the second-youngest team in NCAA Division I, any contribution the two can add has been welcomed. Paris said before Tuesday's practice that the thought of the current rotation issues never occurred to him, but with Justin Brown not being available all season, Duane Moss being out since Nov. 28 with a ruptured disk in his back and James Lewis suffering a shoulder injury on Dec. 23 against Georgia State, Bowers and Bryant are needed.
Bowers' job when he enters a game has been essentially to provide effort, energy and hustle. He's played in nine games this season and made all three of his field-goal attempts, as well as both of his free throws.
Bryant has played the same number of minutes in the last four games (47) as he did in the first seven and has chipped in eight points, including five - a season high against a Division I opponent - in the Mocs' loss to East Tennessee State last Saturday. He chipped in a career-high six rebounds, four on the offensive glass.
"A.J.'s role is to play as hard as he possibly can, to defend how we want him to and rebound when he can," Paris said. "I thought Jonathan played well for the circumstances of the last game; he just hasn't played minutes. He hasn't developed in a lot of areas, which is why he hasn't played minutes, so he hasn't been on the court as much, so everything is new. He'll play well in one game; in the next game he'll see something he hasn't seen before.
"He's just trying to get better, more familiar with what we're doing and how he can contribute. That's the big thing."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.