CHATTANOOGA---Basketball season is officially over. It was an upside-down campaign that saw the Chattanooga Mocs persevered coming within two games of yet another 20-win season. The 18-8 mark was impressive in a lot of ways. First off, there was just one returning starter from the previous year's 20-victory campaign.The squad entered the season with a 15-man roster. Only three student-athletes played in all 26 contests with just nine making it into 10 or more. It was an ever-changing lineup making the 18-win run even more impressive.
That roster was developed from high school signees, 4-year & grad transfers as well as walk ons. All areas showed that impact as the player development worked at every level.
The Mocs got All-Southern Conference work from 5th-year signee David Jean-Baptiste and transfer Malachi Smith. Stefan Kenic had the best offensive year of his 4-year career after transferring before the start of 2020 campaign from Cleveland State while Josh Ayeni
Former walk-ons A.J. Caldwell and Jamaal Walker were key contributors. Smith, Walker and fellow redshirt freshman Jaden Frazier showed the development piece that went into their 2020 sit-out year. That piece was the plan for Darius Banks and KC Hankton coming in from James Madison and Saint Louis, respectively. The NCAA transfer clearance saw Hankton excel and contribute in an opportunity he didn't get with the Billikens. Banks came in a little later developing in a slightly different role than he previously played with the Dukes but setting up for an exciting 2021-22.
Key performances came from across the roster from Caldwell's dagger at ETSU to Kenic's explosions against Mercer and Western Carolina to game-winning plays by Walker at UAB and Tennessee State. We'll go in-depth review the season player-by-player over the coming weeks. Here are a few highlights to whet the appetite.
Historic Start
- 9-0 opening was a school record
- Only undfeated non-conference run in school history
- Seven DI non-conference wins for just the 5th time: 1987-88 (7-4), 2015-16 (9-2), 2016-17 (7-4), 2019-20 (7-4) & 2020-21 (7-0)
First Time Since...(Malachi Smith Edition)
- Ever: First Moc to lead the squad in scoring, rebounding & assists for a season
- Ever: First Moc to open his career with back-to-back doubles with eight in his first 10 games
- 2014: Averaged a double-double for the November (2 games) and December (7) at 16.1 ppg and 10.9 rpg in December. First such month of double-double dominance since Z. Mason '14 posted 19.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in three contests. Mason averaged 18.8 points and 10.3 boards over the final 25 games of that senior campaign.
Returning/Lost
- Four of five starters and seven of the top eight in the rotation projected back
- Eight different returning student-athletes made nine starts or more
- Euro Pro Leagues: Stefan Kenic/Transfer Portal: Trey Doomes, Prosper Obidiebube/Graduation: Alex Tostado
Over? It's Not Over Until WE Decide It Is
- The return from 19 down (40-21) with 2:25 remaining in the first half against Mercer ties the school record set on Dec. 17, 1985. That Mocs crew trailed 23-4 at Mississippi State through 13 minutes before coming back for a 48-47 win over the Bulldogs.
- 13-point comeback in the final 9:45 at Tennessee State is one of the best in school history. It also came six days after "flipping the script" on UNC Asheville turning a 3-point deficit into a 3-point win in the closing 13.3 seconds. Came from behind with 1:23 or less in each of the final three non-conference wins over UNC Asheville, at UAB and at Tennessee State.
- Overcame 12-point deficit with 3:24 to go in Western Carolina home OT win.
Record Setters
- Current 11-game non-conference winning streak is a school record
- Stefan Kenić's blistering 7-7 performance in the Western Carolina home win set a new school record bettering 6-6 by Gary Robb '94 & Brandon Born '95
- 78.3 percent free throw obliterated former mark of 75.7 percent in 2002-03
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SEASON REVIEW: 2020-21 Season Special in So Many Ways - University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics - GoMocs.com
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