CofC (12-5, 5-0) at UTC (10-8, 6-0)

The UConn Huskies laugh at UTC's incompetence on the basketball court

College of Charleston (12-5, 5-0)
University of Tennessee Chattanooga (10-8, 6-0)
McKenzie Arena
Tipoff on CSS at 6pm
Preview by CofCSports

I still remember the game like it was yesterday. It was two years ago. I was a sophomore and had invited  a bunch of guys over to witness the CofC mens basketball team cut down the nets in Chattanooga. The Cougars had upset Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats in the Semi-Finals the night before and now were one game away from going to the big dance once again. All that stood in their way were the lowly Chattanooga Mocs, a team that barely finished above .500 in the regular season and had somehow made it to the final game on their home court. The Cougs had the championship in the bag.

If any of you already know what I'm talking about, you know what happens next. The Mocs fans showed up in droves and willed their team to a huge win over the Cougars to capture the Socon title in their own backyard. It sucked. It really really sucked.

The Mocs entered the Tournament as a 16 seed and promptly got embarrassed by the UConn Huskies in one of the most lopsided games in NCAA history. A year after Stephen Curry single handily brought the Socon to national attention with Davidson's upsets throughout the tournament, the conference was once again relegated as a laughing stock.



Of course the Cougars had no one to blame but themselves. The Mocs beat us that year quite soundly and we deserved a loss. But that was two years ago. I was in Charlotte last year to watch us absolutely annihilate the Mocs in the second round 96-69. That made the sting of 2009 a little more bearable. But this year they believe they really have another shot at going to the Big Dance, and they're record supports it. Like the Cougars, the Mocs are undefeated in the conference at 6-0. They still have Keegan Bell and have added a Georgetown transfer named Omar Wattad who leads them in scoring. The Cougars will most definitely get UTC's best shot.

Wiggins will probably be tasked with stopping Wattad and either Donovan or Drew will have to slow down Bell. Chattanooga has some big guys on the front line who help gobble up 40.5 rebounds per game (good for 16th best nationally). Simmons, Hall and Wiedeman will have to bring their A game and box out like their lives depend on it. The Mocs are also very good at depending the 3-pointer, which may cause Drew to resort to his floater and drive and kick abilities. If the Cougars have any shot at winning, they'll have to take the crowd out of the game early, out-rebound the Mocs and find ways to score if Drew gets shut down on the perimeter.

The game will be on CSS at 6 and there is definitely reason to be optimistic about a Cougar victory. Wiggins always plays well in his home state of Tennessee and will be playing in front of lots of friends and family. In their last two games against Samford and Citadel, the Mocs certainly struggled. They were pushed around in both games and barely escaped with victories in each. Best of all, the Cougars have a player named Drew Goudelock. A player who performs best in big games and is determined to carry the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament in his senior year. So sit back, invite some dudes over, and enjoy the Drew Goudelock show in Chattanooga tonight. It should be a good one.