"That's the place we are in right now. We are in a bad place," said Mocs head coach John Shulman following Sunday's loss to Mercer. UTC is now 2-8 on the year with six straight losses at home. Said Shulman,"I'm frustrated. I know our fans are frustrated, and our players are frustrated. I hate our record, but I like our team. We've just got to hang in there and keep on battling."
The Mocs just battled through perhaps the toughest part of their schedule. Said Shulman,"Davidson. LSU. Eastern Kentucky. And Mercer. That is a tough stretch. I don't care how good you are. That's still a tough stretch.
Poor shooting has been an issue, the Mocs are shooting just 38-percent from the floor. And turnovers have also been a problem. Said forward Z Mason,"We've just got to cut those out. Those are simple mistakes that have really been hurting us."
The Mocs played five true freshmen against Mercer. Some of the new guys are getting more time thanks to injuries to forward Lance Stokes and senior point guard Dontay Hampton, who has yet to play this season as he recovers from knee surgery. Said Shulman,"Those are two great defenders, and Dontay is our best shooter. Like I said once again, we're not playing with a full deck."
And Shulman can't wait to play with a full deck. Said Shulman,"The game is being very cruel to us at this moment. So be it. We're going to be better in the long run. But we just have to get to that long run."
