The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball team wrapped up the nonconference portion of its 2025-26 schedule with a win Sunday, beating Alabama A&M 73-66 in Huntsville.
The Mocs finished nonconference play 6-7 and with only three victories against fellow NCAA Division I programs — on the road versus Alabama A&M and South Carolina State of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and at home against North Alabama of the Atlantic Sun — but the reigning National Invitation Tournament and Southern Conference regular-season champions have faced some notable roster challenges over the first two months of the season due to injuries.
UTC now gets the benefit of a 10-day break from competition before tipping off SoCon play at UNC Greensboro (4-9) with a 4 p.m. matchup on New Year’s Day, the fourth date of a five-game road swing that is taking the Mocs to five states outside of Tennessee.
“It’s hard to be good,” UTC coach Dan Earl said. “There’s so many things you have to do off the floor as well to be preparing yourself to be successful on the floor. The other team is trying to win, too, and it’s how you respond as much as anything. We’re all going to be there at some point or another as coaches as well, and I’ve got to check myself all the time, because we haven’t been nearly as successful as I’d liked in this nonconference season, but as players, it’s how we respond.
“You’re going to have tough nights, and we have a couple other guys not playing to their capability or their potential or how well they think they can play, and they’re in a tough spot. It’s how you respond to that, and always keep your head down, continue to row as hard as possible, remain coachable. Those things help your cause, and I’m hoping everybody can get on the same page going forward.”
Sunday against the Bulldogs (6-6), junior point guard Jordan Frison, a first-year transfer from Division II’s Pittsburg State, scored his season high in points with 27 (he was 9-for-9 at the foul line) while adding nine rebounds, five assists and two steals with just one turnover, while senior guard Jikari Johnson had 17 points and five rebounds off the bench.
They were two of four UTC players who logged at least 30 minutes, with the others Billy Smith and Brennan Watkins, who each had nine points, three 3-pointers and three assists. That quartet also combined for all but one of the dozen 3-pointers the Mocs made as a team on 26 attempts behind the arc.
Alabama A&M led for eight-plus minutes in the first half before the Mocs settled in to take a 37-33 lead in the break, and the Bulldogs never fully went away, getting within five points twice in the final two minutes. The hosts were led by a trio of double-digit scorers: Koron Davis (19 points with 10 rebounds), Kintavious Dozier (17 with 8-for-8 foul shooting and four assists) and P.J. Eason (11 with 11 rebounds).
Here are three storylines from UTC’s win.
The consistent one: Frison continued his solid play at the point, taking opportunities when they presented themselves, finding teammates for open shots when they didn’t, and attacking the glass. In the past four games, Frison has topped 20 points each time and has totaled 20 assists to just four turnovers. Due to the rash of injuries on the team, Frison has had to take a larger role, but he has been up to the task.
Signs of stepping up: One of the players who has struggled to find a consistent role for the Mocs so far has been Johnson, the 6-foot-4 ultra-athletic graduate transfer from D-II’s Trevecca Nazaren. He has played less than 20 minutes in 11 of 13 games and less than 10 minutes in five of those contests, but he got going early Sunday with 13 points in the first half on the way to setting his Division I career highs in points, rebounds, and 3-pointers. It’s the sort of breakout game that could be valuable for both Johnson and the Mocs this winter.
“We really need everybody on the team to add value,” Johnson said, “but I was looking for an opportunity, and any opportunity I get, I’m just going to try to make my team better. So whatever I have to do, I plan on doing that for the team and I’m glad I could help out today.”
Walk-on bench minutes: The injuries UTC has dealt with have obviously played a part in the team’s inconsistency, but that situation has also led to opportunities for a pair of sophomore walk-on players from Chattanooga. Parker Robison, who prepped at McCallie, has been a part of the rotation all season long, but with the dearth of bigs available, 6-4 former Silverdale Baptist Academy standout Houston Holland has played some big minutes — including a career-high 17 against the Bulldogs. The two combined for just four points Sunday, but Robison was plus-12 in his 12:54 of playing time, meaning the Mocs outscored the Bulldogs by 12 in that stretch, while Houston was plus-7 in 17:27.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.