At some point, Lamont Paris’s fourth season as University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head coach will come to a close.
No fewer than 18 scheduled games remain, 19 if you count at least one game in the Southern Conference tournament.
It’s not a surprise that when asked about how his latest team has gotten off to a 9-0 start – the best in UTC’s history – Paris and players alike refer to toughness.
“We all play together,” freshman guard/forward Jamaal Walker said after the Mocs’ most impressive win of the year, a 69-66 road victory over Alabama-Birmingham on Dec. 19. “We don’t care about who scores, we don’t care about who scores the most, we just care about winning, holding each other accountable, and trying to do the best for your team at all times.”
Toughness and togetherness are traits that can’t always be identified in recruiting. Talent? Usually obvious to the trained eye. Athleticism? Typically the same.