UTC quarterback Jacob Huesman runs the ball during the Mocs' 45-19 win over Furman on Nov. 23, 2014.1. The newcomers are starting to settle in: When things were rolling in the first half, they were rolling. Chuck Ester made some nice moves towards the basket, while Duke Ethridge had a nice spin move and dunk which was followed up by a 3-pointer from the right wing -- his first of the year. Tre was 2-for-4 from 3-point range, which bumped his percentage up 12 points. I tweeted moments before the game that I thought a newcomer would break out against Tech; well, in the first half, the three combined for 25 of the team's 43 points.
2. Foul trouble, foul troub...nevermind, you get it: One of the Mocs' best traits is that they are physical from the point guard on down the roster. That's fine when you're not fouling, but again, they were on the road. Calls you might get the benefit of the doubt on at McKenzie, you won't get on the road. From my vantage point, most of the fouls that occurred 25 feet away from the basket were legit; they were a result of overzealous pressure, which led to too much "hands-on" pressure. That won't work more often than not.
3. Eblen improvements obvious. Now where are the fans?: The Eblen Center has made a lot of improvements. Drastic ones. I was last in the arena back in 1998, and I didn't even recognize the place when I walked in. The place holds over 9,000 now, which is great if you have a fan base that wants to come to games. A game that has the potential of being a budding rivalry, such as UTC-Tennessee Tech, should draw more than "1,276" fans, and with less than 20 percent of an arena that size being full, doesn't provide for the greatest of atmospheres. I could hear a fan trying to have a conversation with Casey Jones for most of the game, from the other side of the gym.
4. Second-half woes: At this point, the Mocs can be considered anything but a second-half team. In their three games against Division I competition, UTC has given up 41.7 points per game -- including 88 total in losses against Butler and Tennessee Tech, games that they entered the second half with a chance to win. The last two opponents have shot just under 50 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes after shooting only 35 percent in the first half. That could be expected against a good-shooting team like Butler, but Tech's 50 percent shooting came primarily from layups and shots in the paint.
5. Nobody wants to see how the pig is slaughtered: I'll say it again: This season will be a constant work in progress. When the Mocs put 40 minutes together, they have the chance to be special, and as the season goes on, the team will mesh and figure out how to close in those opportunities. But it's not going to be pretty at times. There could be another frustrating loss like Saturday night. Still, after watching what the team is capable when they are clicking, Chaos -- the 2.0 version -- will lend more happy times in the near future than heartbreak.