.---“Chaos” is coming Chattanooga…and it’s coming fast. The Chattanooga Mocs basketball team starts practice this Friday, September 27, in preparation for the November 8 season opener against Covenant in McKenzie Arena.
While the on-court version of “Chaos” is un-veiled in November, the comprehensive plan has been in the works since Head Coach Will Wade hit campus in April.
“We’ve implemented all the individual drills, now we’ll have a chance to bring it all together,” Wade stated. “Workouts have been all offense or all defense or all pressing…now the whole practice will focus on everything combined to help us prepare to play as hard as we can for four minutes at a time.”
The NCAA changed practice dates for the 2013-14 season. In past years, the men’s basketball program started its full practice schedule in mid-October. Now the Mocs are allowed 30 practice days in the six weeks before the season-opener to prepare for their 31-game regular season slate.
“I like it on the surface,” Wade noted. “We’ve spent a lot of time discussing how we want to utilize the extra time…the most efficient way to use the days.
“I think it helps with injuries,” he added. “We have to be real careful not to run our guys into the ground. We don’t have a lot of depth right now so we have to be very cognizant of injuries and make sure we have fresh legs to start the season.
“It will help with the wear and tear, limiting the mental and physical toll preseason took in past years.”
Chattanooga returns four starters from last season. That number is misleading since the squad is back to square one with a new system on both ends of the floor.
“Everybody’s brand new,” Wade continued. “Everybody has a clean slate. We’re all learning something new. I’m learning them, they’re learning me, and I think we’ve made great strides since we got here in the spring. It’s new for everybody; we all start on even footing.
“It’s time to compete and see who is going to win some spots.”
Season tickets are on sale at GoMocs.com or by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627). Plenty of good seats remain in the newly-renovated lower bowl.
KEY DATES:
9/27: Practice Begins
10/12: Open Practice in McKenzie Arena
10/14: Single-Game Tickets on Sale
11/8: Season Opener vs. Covenant