UTC men’s basketball coach John Shulman reacts during a game at McKenzie Arena in this file photo.Dressed head-to-toe in serious black, his eyes and voice brimming with passion, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball coach John Shulman was clearly excited to be back preparing for Southern Conference foes on Wednesday afternoon.
“Davidson’s beaten Kansas and [College of] Charleston’s beaten Tennesssee,” said Shulman of the league’s signature non-conference wins on the eve of tonight’s SoCon home opener against Western Carolina.
“But once you get into league play, you’re either up five or down five with five minutes to play in every game. You know everything they’re going to do, and they know everything you’re going to do. There are no secrets.”
Yet which Mocs team will show up against the Catamounts is a very big secret. Will it be the one that beat Longwood by seven more points than Vanderbilt did? Or will it be the team that lost home games to both Kennesaw State and Gardner-Webb?
“We’re in a hole,” said Shulman in reference to UTC’s current 0-2 league mark and 6-9 overall record. “These are clearly important games. But are they must-wins? I’m not going to say that. What happens if you say it’s a must-win and you lose?”