Chattanooga Looking For Some Mocs Madness in SoCon Tourney

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Even though the Mocs finished with a losing record in the Southern Conference, they still earned a first round bye in the SoCon tournament. The fight for the league’s ticket to the Big Dance begins this weekend in Asheville.

March Madness is more than a catch phrase.
UTC coach Lamont Paris says you can feel it at the SoCon tournament.
Said Paris:”It’s a different. A different vibe thats around it. It’s exciting. It’s invigorating.”
Said forward Ramon Vila:”And that’s what March is about. Anybody can beat anybody.”
So what will it take for Chattanooga to experience some Mocs madness in Asheville?
Said Paris:”Biggest thing I think is two things. One is stay healthy, and two, shoot the ball at a relatively normal or above normal clip. I think that’s important.”
Getting freshman Kevin Easley back last Saturday from an ankle injury was good news for Chattanooga.
Said Paris:”He represents a threat. A legitimate threat from the four spot in a lot of different ways. He shot the ball well from the three-point line. In ball screen situations, he has been very physical around the basket, so when he ball screens with a point guard, are you going to switch that, and have a smaller guy on him.”
Paris hopes the SoCon tournament will bring out the best in his team.
Said Paris:”I think you can tell I get excited about any post-season type deal. It’s a lot of fun, and I think it just reaches in and grabs the competitor out of you.”
Said Vila:”It’s up to us. We can make this a one game run or go to the end. That’s really up to us. So now we have a week to work, and we’ll try to go as far as possible.”

The Mocs open tournament action on Saturday at 2:30pm against ETSU.