For the first time since taking over as University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball coach four years ago, Lamont Paris entered an April signing period without the burden of having a lot of spots to fill.
Consider his past springs with the Mocs when it came to roster management:
* When the former Wisconsin assistant replaced Matt McCall, who had left after two seasons at UTC for the University of Massachusetts, Paris inherited a roster losing six seniors from a 19-win team – and then promptly lost three players to transfers and all four commitments in a talented recruiting class.
* After his first season, which yielded a 10-23 record and ended in the Southern Conference tournament quarterfinals, the Mocs lost Joshua Phillips to graduation, five players to transfer and another, junior Makinde London, who went pro.
* His second season was slightly better from a record standpoint (12-20), but five players transferred out and Thomas Smallwood graduated.