Mocs Basketball Team Off to 6-2 Start For First Time in 10 Years
Chattanooga-(WDEF) After whipping Tennessee Wesleyan on Tuesday, the Mocs basketball team pushed their record to 6-2 on the year. It’s the first time Chattanooga has enjoyed a 6-2 record since the 2004-2005 season.
Even though Chattanooga is off to their best start in over ten years, they’ve played their last two games without 6’10 center Justin Tuoyo, who got a concussion in practice.
Even though Chattanooga is off to their best start in over ten years, they’ve played their last two games without 6’10 center Justin Tuoyo, who got a concussion in practice.
Said head coach Matt McCall-"We were at (Louisiana) Monroe. We were practicing. He actually took a charge, which your best shot-blocker, I don’t know if you want him taking charges all the time. But it was a bang-bang play. He took a charge. He fell back. He hit his head on Jackson White’s knee. He popped right up. Thought he was okay. Couple of minutes later. He started to feel a little dizzy. We knew something was wrong."
Taking a 6’10 shot-blocker out of the lineup obviously makes a difference.
Said McCall-"I think a lot of times, some of our bad habits show up when he’s not playing. We’ve got to get better there."
Said forward Tre’ McLean-"It is tough because it’s different when you’ve got your shot-blocker down there. Got to protect the paint a little bit harder because he does bail us out sometimes or really a lot of times when we get beat."
One player trying to take up the slack is Duke Etheridge. He put on a dunking clinic Tuesday against Tennessee Wesleyan.
Said McCall-"There are not too many athletes or people as athletic out there in the country, much less the Southern Conference. I think Duke was a borderline All-American football player in high school. Not all Georgia, but All-American."
Besides celebrating a win on Tuesday, the Mocs also celebrated the end of exam week.
Said McCall-"With school finally being over. There’s not the 20-hour a week rule, so we can watch as much film as we want. We can give individual instruction. Practice. We can do it all."
Leave a Reply