2012-13 CHATTANOOGA MOCS BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Reinhardt (5-5) at Chattanooga (2-8)
Game 11 | Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 | Noon | McKenzie Arena | Chattanooga, Tenn.

LINKS
Media Guide | Schedule | Roster | Tickets (Home) | Reinhardt

MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TV: N/A

RADIO: The Mocs Sports Network flagship station is ESPN 105.1 FM the Zone in Chattanooga. Jim Reynolds is in his 33rd year as the play-by-play "Voice of the Mocs".

MOCSVISION: Video (PPV) and audio (free) are available online at GoMocs.com via MocsVision. Links for video, audio and live stats are available on the men's basketball schedule page.

PROMOTIONS: ALL UTC Employees admitted free. Lunch Break Special: $10 lower level seat with hot dog, popcorn and soda. Halftime visit from Santa Claus.

NEXT UP
Chattanooga returns from holiday break to host the Dr Pepper Classic December 28-29. Austin Peay and Utah Valley square off in the opener at 4:30 p.m., followed by High Point and the Mocs at 7. The consolation game is at 4:30 on the 29th with the championship tilt at 7. It's the 23rd edition of the holiday classic in Chattanooga.

UTC MOCS CLUB/ALUMNI EVENT IN ATLANTA JANUARY 2nd
The UTC Mocs Club and the UTC Alumni Association are hosting a pregame reception for all fans at STATS restaurant in Atlanta prior to the UTC-Georgia Tech men's basketball game. The event begins at 5 p.m. and concludes at 6:30. The cost to attend the reception is $25 and includes an appetizer buffet of cheeseburger sliders, spinach and artichoke dip, roasted vegetables and spicy buffalo wings, as well as one drink ticket. There is a cash bar during the event. We are also offering a package where you can attend the reception and get a game ticket for $35. To RSVP, contact the UTC Mocs Club office at 423-425-4233, or click here to sign up online. The last day to RSVP is December 28th.

OPENING TIPS
- Just the second meeting between two schools with Chattanooga up 1-0. The last meeting was also on December 21 in 2010, a 107-48 final. It was the first Noon mid-week contest heading into the holidays. Series note on page 3.

- Eagles Head Coach Jason Gillespie was on Jeff Lebo's Tennessee Tech staff with John Shulman in 1999-00. Gillespie served as Director of Basketball Operations as he completed his Master's.

- Shortest trip home for a Mocs? Dontay Hampton is from Chattanooga. Longest? Martynas Bareika and Drazen Zlovaric are both more than 5,000 miles away from home but due to the quick turnaround, neither is heading across the pond. Farad Cobb has 714 miles to traverse to West Palm Beach, Fla.

- The last time the Mocs started 2-8? The 2008-09 Southern Conference Championship season ending with the 10th NCAA Tournament trip in school history.

- Chattanooga has been tough on the glass to open the season. The squad leads the SoCon in offensive rebound percentage claiming 38.8 percent of their own misses. That equates to 15.0 offensive boards per contest which ranks 19th in the nation through Tuesday's games.

- The Mocs have grabbed 10 or more offensive rebounds in every game this season. The fewest number, 11, came in the last Sunday's game with Mercer. It marks 17 games in a row with 10 or more for the team dating back grabbing eight at Davidson last February. The last time there were 18 straight from Feb. 2, 2002 through Dec. 29, 2003.

- The last time UTC opened the season with 11 consecutive games with double digit offensive boards was the 1996-97 Sweet 16 season. That team started the season 4-6 with three wins over non-DI competition.

- Chattanooga is second in the league in rebound margin (+5.9) just behind UNCG's +6.0. The +5.9 is 54th-best in the nation through last weekend's games. The Mocs are third behind UNCG and Wofford in defensive rebound percentage (.720).

- UTC has out-boarded opponents by 10 or more four times thus far.

- Last five games for Z. Mason: 13.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game shooting 54.0 percent (27-50) from the field including 40.0 (4-10) from three-point range.

- Mason has had a block in five straight games including three in the last outing (Mercer). Posted his career high of four to start the stretch at Kennesaw State.

- Last six games for Gee McGhee: 12.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game shooting 40.7 percent from the floor (24-59) and three-point range (11-27). He had five double-digit scoring nights in six of those games with nine vs. Eastern Kentucky as the only non-10+ game.

- McGhee has played 24 or more minutes in every game with a high of 31 (Troy/EKU). He is the only student-athlete on the squad to do so averaging a team-best 28.0 minutes per contest. Ronrico White is second at 25.7 minutes per game.

- McGhee has overcome his early season troubles shooting the basketball.

- White is third in the SoCon in free throws made (39) and fifth in free throw attempts (50) leading all guards. McGhee is 10th with 44.

NON-DI HISTORY
UTC is 89-1 against non-DI competition since the move to DI in 1977-78. The lone loss was on December 16, 1999 to Southern Poly, 73-69.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
- Reinhardt is 5-5 on the season but hosts Southern Poly Wednesday night, the 19th, prior to our game on Friday.
- Jason Gillespie is in his first year with the Eagles. He has headed the programs at Bluefield and Cincinnati Christian. He is 171-134 in his ninth season as a head coach.
- Reinhardt has already made a trip to the Scenic City losing 79-77 in double overtime at Tennessee Temple (11/26).
- The Eagles are on a four-game win streak heading into the Southern Poly game.
- Ouinton Wood's 16.4 points per game leads three double-digit scorers.
- Reinhardt is averaging 11.9 steals per game while forcing opponents into 18.6 turnovers per contest.

MURRAY ARNOLD
The Chattanooga Mocs lost a legend on Nov. 14, 2012 as former Head Coach Murray Arnold passed away in Florida. He laid the DI championship foundation coaching for six years, 1980-85, with a 135-46 record. He coached collegiately at four institutions (Birmingham Southern, Western Kentucky and Stetson) amassing a 420-229 mark in 22 seasons. The Mocs captured four SoCon Championships in six UTC campaigns advancing to three NCAA Tournaments and two NITs reaching the Elite 8 (NIT) in 1985 and narrowly missing the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1982.

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