2012-13 CHATTANOOGA MOCS BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Tennessee Temple (2-1) AT CHATTANOOGA (0-0)
Game 1 | Nov. 12, 2012 | 7 p.m. | McKenzie Arena (10,928)
LISTENING
Listen to "Voice of the Mocs" Jim Reynolds' call on ESPN 105.1 FM in Chattanooga, pregame show begins 30 minutes prior to game time. Live audio (free) available via MocsVision on GoMocs.com where you can find live stats link as well. Just go to the men’s basketball schedule page for your links.
VIEWING
MocsVision provides the live video stream for GoMocs.com with the venerable Reynolds’ play-by-play.
It is a pay-per-view broadcast.
PROMOTIONS
- CHI OMEGA CHILI COOK-OFF: The annual Chi Omega Chili Cook-Off is outside McKenzie Arena pre-game.
- SONIC PROMO: If the Mocs top 75 points or the Lady Mocs 65 during the season, a lucky section receives a free food voucher from Sonic.
ABOUT TENNESSEE TEMPLE
- Tennessee Temple is 2-1 on the young season. The Crusaders own wins over Bryan (56-45) and Tennessee Wesleyan (71-66) sandwiched around a loss to Lee (80-62). TWC is ranked No. 17 in NAIA DII.
- Head Coach Brac Brady is in his first year in Highland Park. He spent the prior seven seasons leading the program at the University of Maine at Machias where he was 120-78. He also served as head coach at Manatee Community College in Bradenton, Fla., from 1999-2005.
- The Crusaders have been excellent on the glass with a +8.3 rebounding margin. Rashaud Bell comes off the bench to lead the team on the boards (4.7/game).
- TTU’s leading scorer is Brainerd High alum Corey Sanders averaging 9.3 per contest. Bell and Joe Quinn chip in nine per game as well.
- The roster includes 7’2”, 319-lb., John Reik who originally signed with Mississippi State out of high school.
- Sanders is the only Crusader on the roster from the Scenic City.
- TTU is big up front with two seven-footers and three more student-athletes who are 6’8” or taller.
OPENING TIPS
- Chattanooga is 25-10 during the DI era in season openers. That mark includes 19-0 at home, 2-9 away and 4-1 on a neutral floor. The Mocs are 30-5 (.833) overall in their first home game of the season.
- UTC holds an 8-0 series advantage against Tennessee Temple. Shulman is 2-0 vs. the Crusaders. See page three for more series info.
- Tonight’s Mocs probable starting lineup includes 32 career starts (Zlovaric 31/Mason 1).
- When is the last time Chattanooga had two freshmen in the opening night starting lineup? Well not once on record in the DI era (1977-78 to present). Josh Odem (2010) is the last freshman to get the nod on opening night (11/13/09 vs. Virginia Intermont).
- The Mocs will have three starters in the lineup making their first career start. It’s the first time since Virginia Intermont on Nov. 13, 2009 with three or more first-time starters. See expanded note on page two.
- This is the first UTC roster since well before the move to DI (1977-78) to not have a single junior college transfer on its roster. See expanded note on page two.
- Chattanooga returns one starter (Drazen Zlovaric) and eight of 13 letterwinners. UTC graduated 53.7% of its points, 42.5% of its rebounds, 73.7% of its assists and 54.5% of its minutes. Also gone are 57.3% of the Mocs shot attempts, 78.6% from three-point range. The departed shot 37.5% (398-1060) from the floor and 33.1% (188-568) beyond the arc, while the returners made 46.5% (367-789) from the field and 33.5% (52-155) from deep. See pages two and three for notes on the old and new faces.
- 18 home games this season break the Mocs’ school record of 17 set in the 1985-86 and 2011-12 seasons. See page three for more schedule notes.
- Chattanooga hosts a record-tying seven Division I home games including the CBE and Dr Pepper Classic fields. The last time seven DI schools visited McKenzie Arena was the 1990-91 season. It is the third time overall with seven on the 1989-90 slate as well.
- First time since 1990-91 that the Mocs have hosted two in-season home tournament events. Beat NE Illinois (106-66) and Tennessee State (95-77) to capture the Red Food Classic and San Francisco (92-79) and UC Irvine (88-68) for the Dr Pepper crown.
- The Kansas game marks the sixth time the Mocs have faced a previous season’s finalist. It is the second year in a row UTC has done it with Butler on the docket in 2011-12 (57-46 loss). Previously, the Mocs played North Carolina (1982 champ) at home on Dec. 21, 1982 losing 73-66, at Michigan (1993 runner-up) on Dec. 5, 1993 losing 97-86, at Kansas (2003 runner-up) losing 90-76 on Nov. 21, 2003 and Memphis (2008 runner-up) in San Juan, P.R., on Nov. 20, 2008 losing 83-71.