UTC basketball player Duke Ethridge shoots the ball during UTC’s first mens’ basketball practice of the season Friday, Oct. 3, 2014, at the Chattem Practice Facility in Chattanooga.In the past 48 hours, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball team has needed a boost, a wake-up call or a message of some sort being sent from somebody outside of the coaching staff.
The unlikeliest of messengers was the one to play that role.
Coming off the best performance of his brief UTC career, Duke Ethridge has spoken out about the team’s recent struggles. Although the Mocs were 7-2 in the month of January, they haven’t looked the same in the past couple of weeks, and it came to a head in a 72-70 loss Saturday at Western Carolina.
The team held a practice at 6:15 Monday morning, and Ethridge — who while quiet and reserved to most media representatives has been described as very talkative and outgoing within the team — was one of its loudest voices.
“I was just telling the guys that it’s another day to be great, that practice was going to make us stronger,” Ethridge said Monday. “We have to keep moving forward; we can’t dwell on the past. We have to make sure we’ll be great tomorrow and the next day, so Thursday we’ll prepared to get this win. We have to keep going when we want to stop.
“I had to be that guy today. I want to do whatever it takes to win, so if that’s what I have to do to win, I’m willing to do that.”
Junior Casey Jones said the Western Carolina game helped give Ethridge a voice that he’s been itching to use in recent weeks.
“He’s always telling me little stuff in my ear about trying to do some things, trying to help the team,” said Jones, the Southern Conference player of the month for January. “After the Western Carolina game, we lost, we were on the bus sitting down, he spoke up and told us a lot of stuff. I think it helped him come out of his shell, because he wants to become more of an impact presence on the team — both on the court and spirit-wise.”
Ethridge has scored more points in a game (14 against Montreat). He’s had more rebounds (seven against Hiwassee). Yet Saturday’s game against the Catamounts was by far his best performance of the season. He had 13 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, showing the type of athleticism that made him a junior college All-American his last season at South Georgia Technical Community College.
“It was nice to see that from him,” UTC coach Will Wade said. “That was the player we recruited. It was the first time we’ve seen that in a game all year, but that’s what I was expecting pretty much the entire season.
“Better late than never, I guess.”
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound junior didn’t play when UTC faced Wofford on Jan. 5 in Chattanooga, but Wade said Monday that Ethridge had earned the opportunity to start when the Mocs visit the Spartanburg, S.C., team Thursday night. The shakeup in the lineup is one of a few potential changes that Wade alluded to, although he wouldn’t divulge any more at the time.
The biggest thing Ethridge has had to learn is just how to do things on the court.
“Saturday I just played as myself, relaxed, and didn’t worry about anything else,” he said. “Coming from juco here, not playing a lot had a big effect on me, because I wasn’t used to sitting on the bench. I feel like I can be a big help to the team by being on the court, and I just had to start playing harder and doing the little things right to earn a spot on the starting five. It took a while to figure that out and adjust to it.
“I’m very excited that I’m starting. We have to get the momentum going, and I’m ready to play, go hard and get this win. I’m going to be in this game for 40 minutes — either playing or on the bench cheering. I have to bring high energy both when I’m on and off the floor. We need the whole team to be ready to play, because we know it’ll be a tough game.”
Jones averaged 16.4 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 53 percent (58-of-109) from the floor in January. He had four 20-point games and four 10-rebound performances and hit the winning shot in overtime to beat East Tennessee State on Jan. 10.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.