UTC Mocs logoAfter starting its week with away games in Wisconsin and Indiana, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team gets a much more manageable road trip today. The Mocs travel to Tennessee Tech for a 7 p.m. EST tipoff in Cookeville.
In a game being played 100 miles from McKenzie Arena, the Golden Eagles will be the first opponent this season on a general par with the Mocs. Hiwassee was overmatched in the season opener; Wisconsin, ranked No. 3 in the nation, was too much for the Mocs, and really so was Butler, although as expected, there were glimpses of promise for UTC in that game.
Tonight's game promises to be a grueling affair, as the Mocs will have to combat the size of Tech's starting frontcourt of 6-foot-10, 225-pound Charles Jackson and 6-8, 245-pounder Dwan Caldwell. The Golden Eagles outrebounded National Christian College Athletic Association opponent Piedmont International 61 to 28 in a 54-point win in their season opener and then went to Los Angeles and held a 42-33 backboards advantage over Southern California despite a 70-58 loss to the Trojans.
The Mocs have been outrebounded in their two games against Division I opponents.
"That game's going to be a bloodbath in the paint," UTC coach Will Wade said. "They are a heck of a rebounding team. It's going to be a close game, and both teams are going to go after it.
"It is time for us to grow up and get a win on the road."
UTC's first true road victory last season came on Jan. 4, when it defeated Furman 72-63. The Mocs did have a win over IUPUI as part of the Las Vegas Invitational, but a win tonight would be the program's first over a Division I team on the road in November since a 73-69 win over Kennesaw State on Nov. 17, 2010.
"Games like this and Wisconsin will really help us in the long run," junior guard Eric Robertson said after Tuesday's loss at Butler. "We are building on our team and getting better, and the best way to do that is to just play games together.
"We have to get more acquainted with each other and improve."
According to Wade, though, the "jelling" phase is over.
"We have to start growing up. We can't use our inexperience together as an excuse anymore," Wade said. "It is time to make our move and get better. We need to do that now; it is time to step up.
"We've thrown them into the fire with two tough road games, and we have to get better.
"We have to get better to beat Tennessee Tech."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.