Not long after joining the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball program, Silvio De Sousa was having a conversation with some of his new teammates about the possibility of playing in the NCAA tournament.
At that point, it was just a dream for the Mocs. For the former University of Kansas big man, it had been a reality just a few years earlier, when the Jayhawks advanced all the way to the 2018 Final Four before losing their semifinal to fellow No. 1 seed and eventual national champion Villanova.
His UTC teammates’ dream started to feel real after last Monday’s Southern Conference tournament title game victory, which guaranteed the Mocs a spot in the NCAA tournament’s 68-team field. The details of the dream came into focus Sunday night, when the bracket was revealed and the Mocs (27-7) received a No. 13 seed and learned they will face fourth-seeded Illinois (22-9) of the Big Ten at 6:50 p.m. Friday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. TNT will televise the game.
“One of the first practices, I remember telling them that if they thought playing ball is fun, make it to the NCAA tournament,” De Sousa said last week. “You’re going to have fun, a lot more fun, and I hope they get to enjoy it. I told them once we get there to have fun, but it’s good to go to and a great experience.”
Sunday night capped an amazing week for the profile of the program since David Jean-Baptiste’s 35-foot shot hit nothing but net and propelled the Mocs to a 64-63 overtime victory over Furman at the SoCon title game in Asheville, North Carolina. Jean-Baptiste and UTC fifth-year coach Lamont Paris have been on shows all across the country, talking about the play and the program.