Lamont Paris will begin his second preseason practice time as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball coach this afternoon.
His first team finished 10-23 and was last in the Southern Conference with a 3-15 league record. The Mocs did win in the play-in round of the conference tournament before falling to East Tennessee State in the quarterfinals.
The Mocs lost seven players from that team, most of them in the lineup rotation. Joshua Phillips, who joined the team after football season, has graduated. Makinde London went pro and now is playing in Italy. Nat Dixon is a graduate transfer at Southern Methodist.
Guards Rodney Chatman (Dayton) and Makale Foreman (Stony Brook) and forward James Lewis (Appalachian State) transferred, as did freshman guard Jonathan Bryant, who moved to Tyler Junior College in Texas, meaning that most Paris's second roster will be new players to the program.
Today, the Times Free Press looks at five questions about the program heading into practice:
1. Who are these guys?
Paris again will be starting from scratch, although for a completely different reason. Senior center Thomas Smallwood is a graduate transfer from Alabama-Birmingham. Juniors Rod Johnson and Jonathan Scott came from the junior college ranks, while classmate Jerry Johnson was in the program but sat out the 2017-18 season after transferring from Fairfield. Sophomore Ramon Vila is also a transfer, coming from Arizona State, but he won't be eligible until after the first semester. Freshmen Justin Brown and Duane Moss redshirted - although Moss played in seven games last season - while Maurice Commander, Kevin Easley, Keigan Kerby and Donovann Toatley came from the prep ranks. It's been a complete overhaul, but it's a far better roster.
2. Where will the scoring come from?
The Mocs will be more versatile in their scoring, and therefore not dependent on a particular player. Jerry Johnson averaged just under 10 points per game for Fairfield and shot 36 percent from 3-point range, and he should be one of UTC's leading scorers. Scott will be a threat as well, as will sophomore David Jean-Baptiste - the lone player with any experience in conference play. Smallwood will be a threat from 3-point range, while Vila will provide an interior presence once eligible. Commander, Easley and Toatley likely will have their moments in their initial seasons with the program.
3. Who becomes the team leader?
Jerry Johnson appears ready to be one of the team's leaders, in part based on his actions since arriving in Chattanooga. Smallwood also could be a voice, as could Jean-Baptiste as the only player who's been through the rigors of league play.
4. What's the biggest position question?
That's likely point guard, just because there's no experience returning there. Chatman was the only departure that caught the coaching staff by surprise. His decision to transfer left the Mocs with only Commander and Toatley - true freshmen - at the position, although it's possible if not likely that Jean-Baptiste will slide over and get some minutes there as well.
5. How good can this team be?
The Mocs are going to be a considerably better, more cohesive team than last season. The schedule sets up to get some easy wins early in the season that will allow Paris to give everybody playing time. There will be an adjustment once Vila becomes eligible in early December, but a few nonconference games prior to the league schedule beginning in January will give the 6-foot-8 forward a chance to get his feet wet, as well as allow Paris to get comfortable with a rotation. By the end of the season, UTC will be a tough out.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.