The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga team bus is scheduled to make a detour on Friday to the North Charleston Coliseum.
Coach John Shulman has made this detour before, stopping to explain that it will be the site of the Mocs? three most important games of the year ? the Southern Conference tournament.
The Mocs? road to the arena began more than two months ago with a Dec. 1 game against The Citadel and Dec. 15 against the College of Charleston.
UTC will play the Cougars tonight at 7 in Kresse Arena and the Bulldogs on Saturday at 2 in McAlister Fieldhouse.
?It feels more like two years ago since we played them,? Shulman said while making the seven-hour trip to the coast.
The Mocs (15-10, 10-5 SoCon) are a different team than the last time they faced the Cougars (11-13, 6-8).
The new additions to the team have molded into key contributors. Reserves who did not play back then have been asked to play early with the game still on the line.
?We?ve matured, and we?ve been through the wars together,? sophomore Matt Gwynne said. ?We?re a lot closer than we were then. We know what it takes to win and be successful. It?s just a matter of doing it.?
Everybody was healthy before Christmas, except for a few bruises. Now, the injuries are more substantial.
Shulman described senior point guard Kevin Bridgewaters as ?possible,? with a sprained left ankle. He did not practice on Wednesday and boarded the bus without a walking boot.
?He thinks he can play,? Shulman said and Bridgewaters confirmed. ?But he thought he could play Saturday.?
The injury report also includes Khalil Hartwell who obliterated his ACL but can play at least 15 minutes, and Keyron Sheard who is getting strength back in his left shoulder and confidence in his dribbling.
?We have a few guys dealing with injuries so we?re not at 100 percent,? Hartwell said. ?But we?re mentally tougher, and we can get through it.?
Charleston coach Bobby Cremins said the Cougars have evolved as well over the last two months. After simply surviving a 10-game stretch with nine away from the confines of Kresse, Charleston seemed to hit its stride.
?Then we kind of ran into a wall,? Cremins said. ?I can?t put my finger on it. We stopped playing competitive basketball.?
Charleston is 2-5 in its last seven games and UTC is 3-3 since returning from a swing to Appalachian State and Davidson.
?At this moment, you?re either on top of the world or in a valley,? Shulman said. ?Yes, we need to play well; yes we need to win.
?It?s tough to stay level.?
But it?s not hard to find the Coliseum. Shulman wants to drive up to it several more times this year.
Coach John Shulman has made this detour before, stopping to explain that it will be the site of the Mocs? three most important games of the year ? the Southern Conference tournament.
The Mocs? road to the arena began more than two months ago with a Dec. 1 game against The Citadel and Dec. 15 against the College of Charleston.
UTC will play the Cougars tonight at 7 in Kresse Arena and the Bulldogs on Saturday at 2 in McAlister Fieldhouse.
?It feels more like two years ago since we played them,? Shulman said while making the seven-hour trip to the coast.
The Mocs (15-10, 10-5 SoCon) are a different team than the last time they faced the Cougars (11-13, 6-8).
The new additions to the team have molded into key contributors. Reserves who did not play back then have been asked to play early with the game still on the line.
?We?ve matured, and we?ve been through the wars together,? sophomore Matt Gwynne said. ?We?re a lot closer than we were then. We know what it takes to win and be successful. It?s just a matter of doing it.?
Everybody was healthy before Christmas, except for a few bruises. Now, the injuries are more substantial.
Shulman described senior point guard Kevin Bridgewaters as ?possible,? with a sprained left ankle. He did not practice on Wednesday and boarded the bus without a walking boot.
?He thinks he can play,? Shulman said and Bridgewaters confirmed. ?But he thought he could play Saturday.?
The injury report also includes Khalil Hartwell who obliterated his ACL but can play at least 15 minutes, and Keyron Sheard who is getting strength back in his left shoulder and confidence in his dribbling.
?We have a few guys dealing with injuries so we?re not at 100 percent,? Hartwell said. ?But we?re mentally tougher, and we can get through it.?
Charleston coach Bobby Cremins said the Cougars have evolved as well over the last two months. After simply surviving a 10-game stretch with nine away from the confines of Kresse, Charleston seemed to hit its stride.
?Then we kind of ran into a wall,? Cremins said. ?I can?t put my finger on it. We stopped playing competitive basketball.?
Charleston is 2-5 in its last seven games and UTC is 3-3 since returning from a swing to Appalachian State and Davidson.
?At this moment, you?re either on top of the world or in a valley,? Shulman said. ?Yes, we need to play well; yes we need to win.
?It?s tough to stay level.?
But it?s not hard to find the Coliseum. Shulman wants to drive up to it several more times this year.
