UTC basketball coach Will Wade, right, directs player Duke Ethridge during practice.This is the third of four Tuesday features highlighting the UTC men's basketball newcomers for 2014-15.Name: Duke EthridgeHeight: 6-foot-6Weight: 225 poundsHometown: Lakeland, Ga.Last school: South Georgia Tech Community CollegeStats: 2014 NJCAA second-team All-American; averaged 19.1 points with 8.9 rebounds while shooting 47 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from 3-point range.
The legend of "Rimgate" took on a life of its own in recent weeks, to the point where Duke Ethridge finally had to respond to the speculations.
Rumors floated around that the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior had ripped a rim off the backboard at the Chattem Practice Facility during the summer. As more people were asked about the incident, it became evident that the 6-foot-6, 225-pound former outside linebacker had reverse-dunked a basketball.
Ethridge recently confirmed it.
"I was in the gym, and when I dunked it, I snatched the rim down," he said. "I was scared when it happened; I didn't know what (coach Will) Wade was going to do.
"I thought I would get in trouble."
There was no penalty for Ethridge's feat. Actually there was more adulation that somebody could take a rim off a backboard without breaking the glass, but the current chatter around the program is how well Ethridge has adjusted to his new home.
"Duke has made one of the biggest jumps as far as his improvement," junior Casey Jones said. "He's really bought into what Coach is telling him. He's like an offensive lineman on the court; he's the strongest guy on the team and very athletic."
Getting used to being challenged on the court was something new for the naturally gifted athlete, who had a lot of football offers including from Florida and Marshall. He said it took a while to get accustomed to what the Mocs coaches were asking him to do.
"I'm not used to being pushed this hard, but now it's started to become normal," he said. "I feel like I'm a better player than I was before, and I'm ready to help the team."
Wade used the phrases "violent dunker" and "reckless abandon" when describing Ethridge.
"He makes a lot of good plays," Wade said recently. "He's a big-time athlete, but he must continue to grow and has to learn the game, and we're trying to help him grow in the game.
"He's made good strides. He's a good rebounder and he pursues the ball well, and now we're working on trying to teach him the intricacies of the game."
The fact that the Mocs were picked second in the recent Southern Conference preseason poll behind Wofford serves as motivation for Ethridge and the rest of the team.
"It makes us drive and try harder to be better, but it lets us know that people are focused on us," Ethridge said. "We're going for it all, though. We're not settling for (No.) 2."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.