Athletics News
Lady Mocs basketball off to another great start
In a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world, Chattanooga Lady Mocs basketball fans will be eagerly awaiting the 2004-05 season to see if the success from a year ago can be exceeded. There is reason to believe it can.
Head coach Wes Moore certainly did not rest on his laurels, but instead collected a recruiting class he said “has the potential to be the best class ever signed at UTC.” Add that to seven returning letter winners, including four starters, and it is no wonder the preseason prognosticators have taken a shine to Chattanooga.
Several preseason magazines listed the Lady Mocs among the top 25 teams in the nation, and junior guard/forward Katasha Brown has received numerous preseason awards. Street & Smith’s 2004 College Basketball picked Chattanooga No. 16 in the nation, which was the highest ranking of any preseason poll. UTC was also listed among the nation‚s elite by Athlon Sports College Basketball 2004-05 and SLAM Magazine.
Moore, as usual, tempered his response about the recognition, which was the first time any Southern Conference team appeared in a preseason Top 25 poll. “The recognition gets our name out there for recruits to see and helps build excitement for the season,” Moore said. “Of course, we realize the rankings are based on last year and we have to prove ourselves all over again. No doubt that’s a great compliment to our program. It’s a tribute to all the young ladies who helped build our program over the last several years. All of them can take pride in this recognition.”
Street & Smith’s also put Brown among an elite group of players. The 2003-04 Southern Conference Player of the Year and SoCon Tournament MVP, Brown made the magazine’s “High Honorable Mention” All-America list. She was also listed among the Top 15 Players to Watch, according to Women’s Basketball Magazine.
Chattanooga‚s success will not rely solely on the slick-shooting Brown. No doubt, her 42.6 percent success rate on 3-pointers grabs everyone‚s attention, but she can score from anywhere (14.1 ppg last season), rebound well (4.0 rpg) and actually led the team in blocks (16) last season.
The Lady Mocs return essentially their entire front line, which features senior Tiffany Patton at center (6.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg), senior Shamya Sermons at forward (5.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg), senior Lyndi Sippel (3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg) at forward and junior Tiffani Roberson at forward (11.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg).
Junior guard Nicole Mattison (7.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg) has the most experience in the back court, but senior Holly Talley (0.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg) gained some valuable court time a year ago.
Five of the seven returning players logged at least 20 minutes per game in 2003-04 when Chattanooga captured its fifth consecutive Southern Conference regular season championship, fourth straight SoCon Tournament title and posted its fifth straight 20-win season.
Overall, Chattanooga returns 65.3 percent of its scoring from a year ago and more than 80 percent of its rebounding. The new faces, guards Amy Mohr, Laura Hall and Brooke Hand, swing player Alex Anderson, forwards Kristen Spann and KeKe McWilliams and center Sarah Gordon, should help fill the voids.
POINT GUARD
Chattanooga could play point guard by committee in the early going after losing a pair of quarterbacks to graduation (Katie Galloway and Heather McDivitt). Talley played sparingly at point guard last season while backing up Galloway and McDivitt.
Talley, who transferred from Cleveland State Community College, played in 18 games last season. She set the CSCC record for assists as a freshman and assists in a career, finishing 13th nationally in assists (135) her freshman season. Her maturity and leadership will be needed as Chattanooga melds an influx of young perimeter talent.
Two freshmen, Mohr and Hall, bring terrific high school credentials. Hall is a two-time All-State pick and had more than 2,000 points and dished out more than 600 assists in her career. Mohr averaged about 20 points per game over the last two seasons and was a nationally ranked point guard by All Star Girls Report. Both will be counted on heavily to fill the big void left by Galloway and McDivitt.
SHOOTING GUARD
The Lady Mocs must fill big shoes at shooting guard left by Miranda Warfield, a prolific scorer who finished her career ranked seventh on Chattanooga’s career scoring list.
Mattison’s on-court demeanor and strength are assets Chattanooga could use with a wicked early season schedule. She is regarded as one of the best rebounding guards in the league and often draws the task of defending an opponent‚s top guard threat. She was actually third on the squad with 78 assists a year ago, led the squad in steals (58) and was fourth in rebounding.
A two-time Alabama Class 4A Player of the Year, Hand scored more than 3,000 points in her career, and she was listed among the state’s “Super Six.” She holds the school single-season record for 3-pointers (110), most points (834) and tied her own single-game record for points (46).
SMALL FORWARD
Brown’s reputation will draw increased attention from opposing defenses, but she has the ability to score all over the court. She will likely be Chattanooga’s next 1,000-point scorer, needing 308 points to hit the plateau.
Not only will Brown be a legitimate SoCon Player of the Year candidate, but she is getting some mention as a potential All-America pick from several national publications. Her long-range accuracy (42.6 percent on 3-pointers last season) combined with her height (5-foot-11) and deceptive quickness makes her difficult to defend.
Anderson has the bloodlines to be an impact player. She is the daughter of former University of Georgia and NBA standout Willie Anderson. She is the niece of Shandon Anderson, who also starred with the Bulldogs and currently plays for the New York Knicks.
While Anderson played mostly forward in high school, she has the ability to step out on the perimeter. Her height, athleticism and 3-point range could be a difficult match-up for opponents.
POWER FORWARD
Chattanooga’s deepest position is the high post with returnees Roberson, Sermons and Sippel and the addition of Spann. The Lady Mocs will need all the bodies they can get with an up-tempo style that can wear down most opponents.
Roberson was an All-Southern Conference pick as a sophomore and will be counted on heavily to be the inside threat to counter Brown‚s perimeter prowess. She hit nearly 50 percent of her field goals last season and stepped up big at crunch time. She has a soft touch on shots and hit almost 73 percent on free throws.
Sermons suffered a season-ending knee injury late last season, but she has worked extremely hard to rehabilitate it and appears ready to return to form. She has been Chattanooga’s top rebounder the last two seasons and was ranked fourth in the conference in rebounding in 2003-04, despite limited minutes.
Sippel picked up the slack after Sermons‚ injury, but then Sippel suffered a back ailment that kept her out of Chattanooga‚s NCAA games. At 6-foot-2, Sippel provides a dangerous combination of ambidextrous scoring on the interior and 3-point range.
Spann was an all-state performer who averaged 18 points per game and possesses a keen shooting eye from long range.
CENTER
After three seasons, Patton is ranked No. 1 on Chattanooga‚s field goal accuracy chart, hitting 55.4 percent of her shots. She increased her rebounding average by nearly two boards per game from her sophomore season to her junior campaign. Her 6-foot-2 frame helps neutralize opponents by being a presence in the middle.
McWilliams has the potential to be a dominating interior force with a good shooting touch and fierce backboard work. Gordon is 6-foot-5 and is the tallest recruit ever by the Lady Mocs. She averaged a double-double for the last two seasons and blocked more than 400 shots in her career. Because of Chattanooga‚s depth in the post, Gordon could redshirt this season.
SCHEDULE
The first part of Chattanooga’s schedule is one of the toughest in Moore’s tenure. The first three opponents and four of the first eight were NCAA Tournament participants in 2003-04: Tennessee, Auburn, Northwestern State and Austin Peay.
Chattanooga opens its season at home against the Lady Vols, a team most publications pick as a preseason No. 1, and a McKenzie Arena sell-out is expected. Three days later UTC ventures to Auburn, and then it’s off to the west coast for a Thanksgiving weekend tournament in San Francisco. UTC meets Northwestern State in the Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic and will either play host Saint Mary’s College or Washington State the next day.
Following a Dec. 1 trip to UAB, the Lady Mocs quickly open their SoCon season against College of Charleston. Two more non-league home games against High Point and Austin Peay are on the docket before Chattanooga begins league play in earnest.
One interesting twist to the home schedule will be a “Throwback Game at Big Mac” on February 19 against Elon. That game will be played at Maclellan Gym, which used to be the home of Lady Mocs basketball before moving to McKenzie Arena in 1999-2000.
For the first time ever, Chattanooga will not have to hit the road for the Southern Conference Tournament. UTC will host the women’s first and second rounds at Maclellan Gym and the semifinals and championship will be played at McKenzie Arena.
COACHING
Moore was the 2003-04 Southern Conference Coach of the Year after directing Chattanooga to its record-setting campaign. This year’s campaign will be his seventh season on the Chattanooga bench.
For the first time in three seasons, the Lady Mocs will have some changes on the sideline. In fact, Moore had to replace his entire staff for the 2004-05 season. Moore welcomes Toni Leopard, Nikki Blassingame and Tom Hodges to the staff as UTC sets out to make even more headlines this season.
Shulman assesses the team that beat the Vols
John Shulman could have gone on to the riches of the Southeastern Conference.
When former Chattanooga Head Coach Jeff Lebo left the Mocs last April to become the head coach at Auburn, he asked Shulman, his top assistant, to join him on the staff, promising Shulman the chance to be one of the highest paid assistant coaches in the SEC.
But Shulman, who was named interim head coach for the Mocs the day Lebo left, had higher aspirations. He had an intense desire to take over the UTC basketball program and have the interim title removed from his name for all the right reasons.
After going through the interview process, it was determined that Shulman was the perfect candidate to oversee the program and return the Mocs to basketball greatness.
If it was possible to turn up the intensity of his work ethic as an assistant, Shulman has done that as a head coach. His feet have not hit the ground, and his head is a stranger to a pillow since becoming the new Mocs mentor.
“It’s been very hectic,” Shulman says. “I am a doer. I try to do everything. We had over 1,800 kids here for camp this summer. Recruiting, scheduling and dealing with the upcoming season. I have not had a lot of time to enjoy it.”
Of all his accomplishments in the preseason, perhaps his most intelligent deed was taking his squad on a two-day, four-game tour of Ottawa, Canada, in September. With seven new players and redshirts and only two returning starters, Shulman saw a need to get a jump on the competition. The NCAA allows a team taking an out-of-the-country basketball trip 10 days of practice prior to the trip. The Mocs took advantage of the early workouts and ran away to four victories over Canadian college teams in the Great White North.
“The purpose of this trip is that when we start practice on Oct. 16, we will have had 10 extra practice days and four games under our belt,” Shulman says. “Seven of our 12 players have never been on the court in a Mocs uniform. This will be a great thing for us. It gives us a big jump start. We will have a good base from which to draw when we officially open preseason practice.”
The Mocs, who have played for the SoCon title each of the last two seasons, welcome back two starters, senior forward Mindaugas Katelynas and senior wing Chris Brown, as well as 24-minute-per-game substitute Alphonso Pugh. Also returning for the Mocs are junior forward Charles Anderson, sophomore guard Casey Long, redshirt sophomore guard Ricky Hood and redshirt freshman center Matt Malone.
UTC’s recruiting efforts brought in three junior college players and two high schoolers. Steve Cherry, Jerice Crouch and A.J. Mastin add junior college experience to the roster, while prepsters Jayson Herring and Kenny Hunt will look to make an impact as true freshmen.
Despite five newcomers and two redshirts, Shulman is not planning on changing much from the Mocs‚ system of the past two seasons.
“I don’t want to change a lot on offense,” he says. “We were sixth in the nation in scoring last year and among the top 10 in field goal percentage. To change what we do on offense would not make sense. We have to get better defensively. We have to get our base defense down soon. We can’t finish in the bottom three in this league defensively if we are going to win in the conference.
“I like Jeff Lebo’s offense. He has a great offensive mind. Defensively, Alan LeForce has had the biggest influence on me. They are both fantastic at what they do. I need to try to find a balance or a happy median between the two.”
To be sure, the Mocs averaged 82.1 points per game in 2003-04, ranking fifth behind Arizona, Troy State, Wake Forest and North Carolina. They ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage at 49.2 percent. Defensively, UTC allowed 75.3 points per outing and 47.8 percent field goal shooting.
The head coach points to two keys to this season, the correct fusion of veterans and newcomers and the consistency of Pugh.
“I don’t know where our strengths are right now,” Shulman says. “We have Chris Brown, Alphonso Pugh and Mindaugas Katelynas, three starters in the front court. On paper our backcourt is extremely talented but inexperienced. We have new guards with huge reputations, and they have never even played in a Division I game before. Ricky Hood and Casey Long have played one year. We don’t have an experienced backcourt to be successful.
“It was very comforting to see that our veterans have been very good in dealing with the newcomers. They all talked on the phone this summer, they worked together in the weight room and helped each other move in on campus. Our chemistry was not good last season. Our older guys understand that, and chemistry is all they have talked about in the off season.”
Brown, 6-foot-7, was diverse enough to lead the team in blocked shots, rank second in assists and three-pointers and fourth in scoring and rebounds. He dazzled fans with his fast break dunks but has the talent to pull up on the run and nail long-range jumpers. His top game came in a win at Western Carolina where he drained 7-of-9 three-point attempts for a season-best 31 points.
Katelynas, 6-9, may be the most fundamentally-sound player on the squad. It took some time for his European-style knowledge of the game to mesh with the UTC and Southern Conference method. But once it did, he became a dominant inside force. Forty-three percent of his scoring total came in the final month of the season. His astounding .672 field goal percentage for the season was high enough to lead all SoCon players, but he did not attempt enough shots to officially qualify for the rankings.
“Mindaugas was really struggling until the first East Tennessee State game in January,” Shulman says. “He finished the season as one of the better players in the SoCon. It shouldn’t take him 18 games this year. He knows he is going to have to bring it every night.
“Chris Brown and Alphonso Pugh have to mature on the court. They have to bring their A game to practice every day. They are capable of doing that. If Chris Brown can have the kind of focus that Mindaugas has, he should be one of the top players in the league.”
Pugh, 6-6, has never started a game but puts up starter-like numbers. He was second on the team in rebounding and third in scoring in 2003-04. He displayed his all-around game in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament with five three-pointers, six rebounds and 21 points in a win over the College of Charleston. He completely took over the game and brought UTC back from the dead in a win at Tennessee State, making 9-of-13 shots for 24 points.
“If we are going to be where we want to go, Alphonso has to be the go-to guy,” Shulman says. „He will not put up numbers like Ashley Champion did. He has to be a threat to have 10 and 10 every night, and it will be a major disappointment if he doesn’t. That is pressure that he has to deal with.”
Long, 6-2, played the point as a true freshman last year but already handles himself like a senior. He took over the starting role from senior Ray Trowell in six games late in the season and helped the Mocs to a 4-2 record in those outings. The coaches love his leadership skills and plan on moving him to a shooting guard role so Crouch and Hunt can run the point.
“He did a great job playing for Ray Trowell last year,” Shulman says. “But we may move him to the two position. The more people you have on the court who can pass, catch and handle the ball, the better. Now you have two point guards. He has unbelievable leadership skills. He will be out there.”
Crouch, 6-0, was recruited for his talents. But there was another major factor that attracted the coaching staff to the Syracuse, N.Y., native, his potential to be able to keep up with and compete with East Tennessee State‚s all-everything point guard Tim Smith.
Crouch was the Conference Player of the Year last season at Palm Beach Community College after averaging 18.6 points and 5.6 assists per game. He also won a high school state championship his senior year back in New York.
“Jerice was one of the top 10 point guards in the nation last year,” the head coach says. „He comes here with high expectations. He is a jet with the ball, close to Tim Smith‚s speed. He has the ability to pass, handle the ball and score points. He is a threat.”
Another Florida junior college player, Cherry, 6-4, was the runner-up for the Panhandle Conference Player of the Year Award as a sophomore. He averaged 14.3 points per contest and collected 151 rebounds, and his game may remind some of Jason Rogan’s from the last two seasons.
“Steve is a big, strong guard who can get it to the basket and can score,” Shulman says. “He is the guy on the floor who can get fouled and get points. He played a lot of ball with some Florida State players this summer and is used to talented competition.”
The third member of the junior college trio is Mastin. A Chattanooga native, Mastin, 6-2, honed his skills at Saint Catharine‚s College in Louisville, Ky., for two years. Saint Catharine‚s is the same school which produced Trowell, the Mocs‚ point guard for the last two seasons. Mastin was averaging 19.6 points per game last year before breaking his foot and missing the remainder of the season.
“A.J. really has the ability to shoot the ball,” Shulman says. „He can hit from about anywhere and has unbelievable range. He is a great kid who quickly fills our need for a shooter.”
The two freshmen may possess the better credentials. Herring, 6-5, was rated one of the top 15 seniors in the State of Tennessee by three different rating services. He averaged 20.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.0 blocks per game last year for Bartlett High School near Memphis.
Hunt, 5-11, was the Class A Player of the Year for the State of Virginia as a senior and led Altavista High School to the state championship. He averaged 29.0 points per game in 2003-04 while shooting 46 percent from three-point range and 83 percent from the free throw line.
“Jaycen Herring can play the 1, 2 or 3 and is as talented as anyone in the program,” Shulman says. “He needs to improve his strength and maturity. It is not where it needs to be at right now. He has to adjust to the fitness level of basketball and spend hours in the weight room and in the cafeteria.
“Kenny‚s top reputation is that he can really score. He can also shoot from three, handle the ball and use his body to get to the basket. He is highly recruited, and we think he can be good in the SoCon quickly. We certainly don‚t want to overload him.”
The Mocs have help off the bench on the inside from junior Charles Anderson and redshirt freshman Matt Malone. Both have the biggest bodies on the squad.
Charles Anderson, 6-8, was forced to sit out the first five games of the season last year after transferring from Middle Tennessee State. He averaged 1.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game last season, but coaches are looking for more contributions from him inside the paint. Malone, 6-10, suffered from an ankle injury and a bout with mono early in the season and used the year to bulk up to 255 pounds.
“One of them will have to step up,” Shulman says. “Matt Malone is so talented offensively. He will have to get in great shape, and he will get tested early.
Charles Anderson had a disappointing 2003-04. He came here with high expectations after a great freshman year at MTSU. He has really changed his attitude and work ethic. He is in shape and we are expecting big things from him.”
Sophomore Ricky Hood used his redshirt season last year to his advantage. His development during that period may be the most pleasant surprise of the team. Hood, 6-4, played with a traveling team overseas this summer, and the improvement in his skills and maturity is evident.
“Ricky Hood is a different guy,” Shulman says. “He is now at 6-4, 220 pounds. His trip to the Dominican Republic did him some good. He’s like a glue guy who can defend. He has a nice mid-range game, and he is athletic. He is going to play. The best thing is he is dependable on the court.”
UTC will play in the SoCon’s North Division for the second straight season. That means home-and-home dates with East Tennessee State, the two-time defending conference champion who has defeated the Mocs in the title game each of the last two years.
Shulman puts the target as SoCon favorite on the back of the Buccaneers.
“Until someone comes along and figures out a way to beat Tim Smith and ETSU, you won’t be able to stop them,” he says. “Things won’t change until someone dethrones them. Davidson returns everybody. Georgia Southern will be extremely good. Furman will be young but good. College of Charleston is College of Charleston. Those four in the South and ETSU in the North should be the favorites. We won’t back down. We will give them a race.”
The Mocs‚ non-conference dates include a berth in ESPN’s Bracket Busters. UTC will not know which mid-major program it will visit on February 19 until the Bracket Busters schedule is announced January 30. The Mocs also have trips set for Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Belmont and Austin Peay State.
Although the program will be under the direction of a first-year head coach, its goals remain the same: to win the Southern Conference Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
“Our guys know the expectations of this program,” he says. “We have it on our wall. Our goal is clear, to win the Southern Conference and go to the NCAA Tournament. If that is not your goal then something is wrong.”
Cross Country Team and Coach Sweep SoCon Championships
The Chattanooga men’s and women’s cross country teams swept the Southern Conference Championships at the Furman Golf Course in Spartanburg, S.C., with both teams claiming individual titles and placing four runners in top 10.
“This is what coaches hope for,” UTC head coach Bill Gautier said. “You never come to a race hoping for second. It was an emotional day for all of us. I’m so proud of both our teams.”
The Lady Mocs took first with 29 points, Appalachian State was second with 54 and 2003 team champions Davidson was third with104 points. Host Furman finished fourth overall at 106 and College of Charleston was fifth with 118 points.
“The girls dominated,” Gautier said. “It was amazing to finish one-two-three. It was such a fun day and the Mocs should be proud.”
Wommack returned to the course this season following a redshirt year to reclaim her SoCon Champion and Runner of the Year title from 2002. The Conyers, Ga., junior outran the pack and finished first in a time of 17:38.95. She was followed by fellow Georgian, sophomore Kathleen Turchin at 17:50.28. They were the only two runners to finish under 18 minutes. In third place was junior Lanni Marchant at 18:00.98. Sophomore Nettie Halcomb earned All-Conference honors as the 10th place finisher with a time of 18:59.09 and Ellen Davis had a strong race placing 13th overall at 19:16.34 giving the Lady Mocs their fourth SoCon title since 1997.
“It helped having Shannon (Wommack) in the race,” Turchin said. “We could run off her and each other.”
In the men’s race, UTC repeated as the league champion ahead of preseason co-favorite Appalachian State. The men finished the race with 34 points, the Mountaineers were second with 56 and host Furman was third with 72 points. UNC Greensboro was fourth overall with 114 points and Western Carolina was fifth with 121.
The Mocs placed four runners in the top six and all five finished in the top 20. Steven Kocsis became just the second Chattanooga runner to repeat as the SoCon Champion since Nic Crider won three straight from 1996-98. The Princeton, Ontario senior ran with the front pack from the start and made his break with three miles to go in the 8000m race, but couldn’t shake Furman’s Tyler Johnson until the end. He took first with a time of 25:34.18, four seconds ahead of Johnson. Teammate Colin Sullivan was third overall with a time of 25:48.35 and Ian Mayne was fifth at 26:08.56.
“With three miles to go I made my break and put a bit of a gap between us,” Kocsis said. “I knew (Johnson) was running well and that I couldn’t let up.”
2002 SoCon Champion Gediminas Banevicius was sixth overall with a time of 26:11.54 for his third straight All-Conference honor. Rounding out the scoring for the Mocs was Robert Hatcher at 19th in a time of 26:55.85.
“Back-to-back titles is exciting,” Gautier said. “This is a great pay-off to those who stuck around and a testament to their strength. Robert (Hatcher) at fifth was just as important for us as the first place runner.”
Gautier was named Coach of the Year for the fifth time as the women’s head coach and third time as head coach of the men’s squad. This marks the second time in his career at UTC that Gautier has earned the honor for both squads in the same season. He was men’s and women’s coach of the year in 1998, the last time both teams claimed the title in the same season.