This is the final installment of a four-part GoMocs.com series previewing the 2009-10 men's basketball season. The series ends with a look at the schedule.
This year's slate is not the gauntlet of ranked opponents a year ago, but it will still be a challenge for the young Mocs.
A Dec. 14 visit from ACC member Georgia Tech highlights a 17-game home schedule (including an exhibition game with Tennessee Wesleyan on Nov. 7). The Yellow Jackets will be the first ACC opponent to visit the McKenzie Arena since Dec. 16, 1992 when the 16th-ranked Georgia Tech squad topped the Mocs 81-74.
The 2009-10 schedule features six 2009 postseason teams with four NCAA Tournament participants. It also has four 20-game winners and eight teams with 17 or more wins last year. It will be a stern test for the 2009 Southern Conference Champions which graduated all five starters.
The 2009-10 season opener is at home with NAIA-member Virginia Intermont on Friday, Nov. 13. Traditional in-state rival and 2009 NCAA Tournament participant, East Tennessee State comes to the McKenzie Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
From there, the Mocs take a four-game-in-eight-day road trip for the South Padre Island Invitational. It starts in the commonwealth of Virginia at Richmond (Nov. 22) before flying to face Missouri (Nov. 24), which reached the NCAA Elite Eight, two nights later. From there, eight teams gather in South Padre Island, Texas on Nov. 27-28. The Mocs' group includes Bethune-Cookman, Longwood and Texas Pan Am. The Broncs of UTPA are the Mocs' initial opponent.
The remainder of the non-conference schedule is at Jacksonville State (Dec. 1) and Murray State (Dec. 19), while hosting Mississippi Valley State (Dec. 12), Georgia Tech and Tennessee Temple (Dec. 21). Eastern Kentucky, Long Island and Morgan State come to town Dec. 29-30 for the annual Dr Pepper Classic.
The SoCon opener with Elon is in the McKenzie Arena on Saturday Dec. 5. The SoCon schedule will once again be challenging for the young Mocs. Chattanooga faces North Division rivals Appalachian State, Elon, UNC Greensboro, Samford and Western Carolina twice as well as South Division foes The Citadel and College of Charleston. The Mocs have single matchups with Davidson and Furman in Chattanooga, while traveling to Georgia Southern and Wofford.
