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‘Big Maple’ helping Mocs make their NIT run that much sweeter

Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC forward Collin Mulholland, left, a 6-foot-10 redshirt freshman, has emerged during the postseason as a contributor for the Mocs, who will face Loyola of Chicago in the NIT semifinals Tuesday night in Indianapolis.
Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC forward Collin Mulholland, left, a 6-foot-10 redshirt freshman, has emerged during the postseason as a contributor for the Mocs, who will face Loyola of Chicago in the NIT semifinals Tuesday night in Indianapolis. Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC forward Collin Mulholland, left, a 6-foot-10 redshirt freshman, has emerged during the postseason as a contributor for the Mocs, who will face Loyola of Chicago in the NIT semifinals Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

By Gene Henley 5 min read

The moment was overwhelming for Collin Mulholland.

The redshirt freshman forward had just hit a big 3-pointer for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the second overtime of the Mocs’ game against Middle Tennessee State University in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

Overrun with emotions, the 6-foot-10, 218-pounder from Kitchener, Ontario, yelled an audible “Boom!” as the ball went through the net the night of March 18 in Murfreesboro. Said tongue in cheek, it was a way of blowing off some steam for the even-keeled Mulholland, who moved into the starting lineup the first week of this month after senior Frank Champion‘s lower-body injury days before the Southern Conference tournament and has become UTC’s breakout star of this postseason.

Mulholland’s usually calm demeanor came naturally, the result of watching his parents Jason and Janet Mulholland — accomplished volleyball players — compete when he was younger.

“They didn’t really ever show any emotion, so they sort of passed that down to me,” said Mulholland, whose nickname “Big Maple” is a nod to him being from Canada. “It’s not really just with basketball, it’s more like my whole life. I’m not ever jumping around or getting excited, but I’m definitely showing emotion on the inside.”