ASHEVILLE, N.C. – During a season of inconsistency in most aspects, there has been at least one constant for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball team: good effort.
With the Mocs’ season on the line tonight, they’ll need to continue that.
The 10th-seeded Mocs (9-22) play No. 7 Samford (10-21) at 7 in the first round of the Southern Conference tournament at the U.S. Cellular Center. The winner will face second-seeded East Tennessee State in the quarterfinals Saturday.
UTC men’s basketball coach Lamont Paris instructs David Jean-Baptiste during a home game this season. The Mocs hope their experience in close games this season will be beneficial at the SoCon tournament.The Mocs have been short-handed most of the season because of injuries, though they could be at full strength against the Bulldogs. That will depend on sophomore point guard Rodney Chatman, who has missed the past three games with a lower-body injury. He went through Thursday’s walk-through practice but was listed as “day-to-day.”
In their first season under coach Lamont Paris, the Mocs have played on regardless of personnel.