Sometime around 9 tonight the least-satisfying University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball season in nearly a decade will unofficially end.
The Mocs no doubt hope to send senior sharpshooter Ty Patterson out with a win against bitter rival Davidson inside McKenzie Arena, but regardless of that outcome another Southern Conference hoops season inside Bigger Mac will fade to black until next November.
This isn’t to say UTC is out of opportunities to better its current 13-15 overall record and 5-10 SoCon mark. The Mocs have one last gruesome league road trip to Appalachian State and Western Carolina. Then comes next week’s league tourney in Charlotte.
Given his sterling past in that event – two championships and three trips to the title game in five years – there’s no reason to believe March magician John Shulman can’t coach his team to one more improbable NCAA Tournament berth.
But whether the Mocs delight us or depress over the next two weeks, the long-term health of this program may depend far more on contributions than coaching in the years ahead. Money talks, and UTC has seen precious little of it in recent years regarding men’s basketball.