Once you get into a season, there is a daily grind to it. I don't know this as well as the players and coaches, obviously. But I write about basketball pretty much every day from November until March. There is a grind attached to it all.
It's easy to lose track of where we sit in the season. It's easy to lose track of where the team is, how much they've grown, and where they need to improve. That's why it is so important for me to sit and take notice of the milestones in a season. For example, the end of a month is a wonderful time to take notice of where the team sits.
The Mocs had their ups and downs in November. It was a month of growth, and a month of opportunity for the Mocs fans to see the potential.
The Mocs only went 2-4. Their best win was over Kennesaw State, of course. The Owls were the lone D-1 win for the Mocs. The worst loss was to Troy. The Trojans were the win the Mocs should have come up with, but didn't. Above all others, the Mocs should have won that.
But, I have been thoroughly impressed by the Mocs ability to rebound the basketball. This team, which is not big on height, has done a tremendous job of rebounding. According to Pomeroy's statistics, this team would be in the Top 30 in the country in rebounding percentage, meaning they get a very high percentage of rebounds that are available.
The Mocs also have been switching up defenses a lot. They are not playing great defense in terms of keeping the opponent from scoring. However, they have been doing some halfcourt trap, and there has been plenty of zone mixed in with man-to-man. It's been fun to watch them switch up their defenses, and it has pleased the fans.
They have started shooting better in the next two games, but this is still a team I am not convinced is a great shooting team. They have not been shooting threes. It's been really nice to see. The Mocs have been taking very few threes, and the guards are driving it to the basket. Z Mason and Drazen Zlovaric have been making plays on the inside. The athleticism of the young players, especially Gee McGhee and Casey Jones, has been on display, and that's why they are driving the ball so much. They can get to the basket. Farad Cobb is going to be a great shooter, and he has a ton of talent. Rico White has been looking much more comfortable the last couple of games.
The Lance Stokes injury did not help the Mocs in the early season. They needed his talent coming off the bench. It made them a little bit more shallow than they would have liked to be.
The biggest weakness the Mocs have right now is their ball handling. They are one of the worst teams in the country at committing turnovers. They need to do a better job of not turning the ball over. The Mocs are struggling with that at the moment. In truth, that's the worst thing the Mocs have going for them. They simply are not protecting the basketball like they need to, committing over twenty turnovers in their last two games. They really struggle with any kind of pressure defense. That should get better as the season goes along.
The Mocs are off to a solid start, but only are 2-4. It was a disappointing month in a lot of ways, but it left me, as a fan, with a positive taste in my mouth. I can see the team is growing and improving, slowly but surely. There is enthusiasm around the program in a bit of a way, in a way that the Mocs have not felt in a while. Yes, it is not this unbridled enthusiasm. But there is a positive vibe among the fans in general.
That being said, the fans have not come out in force yet. I wish Chattanooga would get behind this team, because there is plenty to be excited about regarding this squad. It probably won't start on Saturday night, with the SEC Championship Game finishing just as the Mocs-Davidson game is starting. But if the Mocs can have a solid December to back up a decent November, then the fans may come out in January- particularly if the team continues winning into January.
But there I go again- getting lost in thinking about the future, when the first pole of the season is just complete. I don't need to get ahead of myself. It's hard not to, though.
After all, during November, the Mocs gave me reason for hope.
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