Randy Smith
In the midst of what is an exciting college football season, I thought we might talk some college hoops as the Chattanooga Mocs are gearing up for what could be an amazing 2016-2017 season. Coach Matt McCall returns practically every starter from last year's squad that won the SoCon regular season and tournament titles as well as a school record 29 wins. The Mocs scored wins at Georgia, Illinois, and Dayton on their way to those 29 victories, and in most every pre-season poll I've seen so far, the Mocs are picked to dominate the Southern Conference once again.
Coach McCall can thank his predecessor Will Wade for a lot of the talent the Mocs had in storage when he arrived.
McCall enters his second season as the Mocs head man, and once again the cupboards are stocked full. That wasn't the case for Murray Arnold when he took over the Mocs' helm in 1979. It wasn't until Coach Arnold's second season that the Mocs won the first of three straight SoCon titles. In every instance when the Mocs have been really good, they have had a great point guard. From Nick Morken to Tim Brooks and now Greg Pryor, when they've had a great leader at the point, the wins stacked up quickly.
Pryor returns as a three year starter at the point for the Mocs. Last year he averaged just under ten points per game as well as 3.5 assists per contest. Those are not amazing numbers at all, but when you consider the tremendous balance the Mocs had last season, Pryor's value to his team are much more than just stats. " I think perception wise, he's the best point guard in our league," said Coach McCall. " It's not because of one thing. It has a lot to do with his make up and mindset, and the way he approaches each day."
With the addition of freshman Rodney Chatman to back up Pryor at the point, Jonathan Burroughs-Cook is now free to move to a more natural two position on the floor. The Mocs are deep at the wing as well and they also have 6-10 235 pound Justin Tuoyo back in the middle with scoring punch as well as a school record 181 blocked shots.
Could this be the Mocs best team ever? Possibly. There are always debates and discussions over the greatest UTC team ever. The 1982 squad led by Willie White, Nick Morken and Russ Schoene was a dandy one. They upset N.C. State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The next season led by White and newcomer Gerald Wilkins was also good as they spent a good portion of the season nationally ranked. Some of Mack McCarthy's squads in the early 1990s were outstanding and the 1997 team, his last at UTC made it all the way to the NCAA "Sweet 16."
Great basketball teams at UTC are more common than one would think. The Mocs have won 11 SoCon Tournament titles since joining the league, and a banner for number 12 will likely be ordered at the conclusion of the upcoming season. Since season tickets are now on sale, it might be a good idea to order yours now before the good seats are gone. I'm going to buy my seats soon, because this could be a magical season inside McKenzie Arena.
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Randy Smith has been covering sports on radio, television and print for the past 45 years. After leaving WRCB-TV in 2009, he has written two books, and has continued to free-lance as a play-by-play announcer.
His career has included a 17-year stretch as host of the Kickoff Call In Show on the University of Tennessee’s prestigious Vol Network. He has been a member of the Vol Network staff for thirty years.
He has done play-by-play on ESPN, ESPN II, CSS, and Fox SportSouth, totaling more than 500 games, and served as a well-known sports anchor on Chattanooga Television for more than a quarter-century.
In 2003, he became the first television broadcaster to be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame. Randy and his wife Shelia reside in Hixson. They have two married children, (Christi and Chris Perry; Davey and Alison Smith.) They have five grandchildren, Coleman, Boone, Mattingly, DellaMae, and CoraLee.