The bus carrying the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball Mocs is going to need more than a few oil changes this season.
The Mocs’ 2010-11 schedule includes 15 road games within relatively easy driving distance, one at Miami and 15 games in the friendly confines of McKenzie Arena.
The Mocs will play eight home games within the first six weeks of the season and seven in the final two months before the Southern Conference tournament invades McKenzie Arena.
All of that is assuming the faculty athletics committee approves the schedule in the next couple of weeks.
“It’s an easy and accessible schedule for our fans,” coach John Shulman said. “Other than the Florida International game, it’s a schedule we and Chattanooga fans can drive to.
“But it’s also very challenging.”
The Mocs will open their season on Nov. 12 at Tennessee. Their other big-name games will be on Nov. 22 at Louisville and Feb. 16 at Georgia Tech. But Murray State, which beat Vanderbilt in the opening round of the 2010 NCAA tournament, will visit McKenzie Arena on Dec. 11.
“Tennessee, Louisville and Georgia Tech makes the schedule difficult,” Shulman said. “But those are games our fans can go to.
“And Marshall – our fans loved hating Marshall back in the day.”
UTC has a home-and-home series with Austin Peay and is in the Global Sports Shoot-Out being played at campus sites. The Mocs will visit former rival Marshall on Nov. 20 and Louisville two nights later and will host Jackson State on Nov. 24 and play at Florida International, coached by Isiah Thomas, on Nov. 27.
The Dr Pepper Classic, UTC’s holiday tournament, will open with Georgia State versus Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Montreat facing the Mocs.
NAIA member Montreat is coached by Lincoln Walters, who was a point guard on UTC’s 1997 Sweet 16 team.
“There’s a big difference between coaching and playing in McKenzie Arena,” Walters said. “We know we’ll be the underdog. But I know what that’s like, to be a Cinderella type, having played for the Mocs. I’m glad John is going to let us come up and play.”
UTC’s SoCon season begins Dec. 2 with a visit from Appalachian State, followed two days later by a visit from Western Carolina.
January includes a return trip to Austin Peay on the 3rd and four road SoCon games sandwiched by two home conference contests.
February will have the Mocs at home for three SoCon games, on the road for four plus the trip to downtown Atlanta.
Then the SoCon tournament returns to Chattanooga beginning on March 4. UTC advanced to the NCAA tournament the last two times the conference event has been on their home court.
“Where we are, with Samford, affects our schedule,” Shulman said. “We’re on the outskirts and that’s always been an obstacle for us.
“But that’s no excuse. We’re playing what we’re given.”