There’s no doubt the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball program needed to update and upgrade its roster after last season.
There were talented players in the program, but over the course of the 2021-22 schedule, it became clear the biggest challenge was depth. Defections prior to the season had drained the available bodies, and a UTC team that included six players classified as freshmen – four in their first season of college competition – had to deal with inexperience that cost the Mocs in key moments, led to a program-worst 7-23 record and ended Katie Burrows’ tenure as head coach after four seasons.
Throw in losing Abbey Cornelius – the team’s best player – for seven games midway through the season due to COVID-19 and a lower-body injury, and it ultimately became too much to overcome.
New head coach Shawn Poppie recognized the need to replenish and improve the roster. Although the final determination of whether the former Virginia Tech assistant succeeded won’t happen for months, an early look suggests he did just that.
One major objective for Poppie is better play on the offensive end. The Mocs were in the bottom half of the country last season in nearly every offensive category, due to poor shooting and ball handling.