<BillNo> <Sponsor>
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 640
By Vital
HJR0640
007294
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A RESOLUTION to honor the Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball
team on winning the 2025 National Invitation
Tournament.
WHEREAS, it is fitting that this General Assembly should salute those student athletes
who, through their extraordinary efforts, have distinguished themselves as true champions of
whom we can all be proud; and
WHEREAS, one such exemplary group of young men is the Mocs basketball team of the
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC or Chattanooga), whose members have proven
themselves to be the fiercest of competitors and truly worthy of admiration by winning the 2025
National Invitation Tournament (NIT), a victory that made history; and
WHEREAS, the 2025 NIT crown is UTC's first NCAA-sanctioned tournament title in its
Division I history, as well as the first such title won by any Southern Conference (SoCon)
program in the conference's 105-year history; and
WHEREAS, Chattanooga also matched a school record for total wins, finishing with a
29-9 overall record; the Mocs closed out the 2024-2025 season on a tremendous hot streak,
winning seventeen of their final eighteen games; and
WHEREAS, after winning the SoCon regular season championship with a 15-3 record,
Chattanooga fell in the semifinals of the SoCon tournament for their final loss of the season; and
WHEREAS, determined to get revenge for that loss, UTC entered the NIT with a
determined outlook and a chip on their shoulders and proceeded to win five straight games; and
WHEREAS, the Mocs defeated Middle Tennessee State 109-103 in a triple overtime
thriller and then knocked off Dayton 87-72 in the second round; and
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WHEREAS, Chattanooga bested Bradley 67-65 in the quarterfinal round and defeated
Loyola-Chicago 80-73 in their semifinal match-up to advance to the title game; and
WHEREAS, the championship tilt between Chattanooga and UC Irvine was one of the
best postseason basketball games of the year, featuring fourteen lead changes and nine ties,
and neither team led by more than eight points during the contest; and
WHEREAS, Chattanooga scored with eleven seconds remaining in overtime to take a
one-point lead; the Mocs then survived a last-second attempt to claim the 2025 NIT title with a
thrilling 85-84 victory at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse; and
WHEREAS, the Mocs were led to the promised land by NIT Most Valuable Player Trey
Bonham, who scored 19 points and pulled 10 rebounds; Collin Mulholland, who also put up 19
points; All-Tournament selection Honor Huff, who scored 14 points; Garrison Keeslar, who
made the game-winning bucket and finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists; and
Bash Wieland, who performed yeoman's duty in posting nine points, seven rebounds, and four
assists; and
WHEREAS, the UTC squad also included contributing players, Jack Kostel, Sean
Cusano, Latif Diouf, Makai Richards, Parker Robison, Noah Melson, Ryan Lopez, Frank
Champion, Houston Holland, Liam Vitters, and Isaiah Otyaluk; and
WHEREAS, Chattanooga's NIT title would not have been possible without the expert
guidance of Head Coach Dan Earl; his assistant coaches, Ander Galfsky, Scott Greenman, and
Ricardo Rush, Jr.; and Director of Basketball Operations Alan Treakle; and
WHEREAS, the 2025 NIT title stands alongside the Mocs' league-best thirteen regular-
season SoCon titles and league-best twelve SoCon Tournament titles, UTC's 1997 run to the
Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament, and Chattanooga's 1977 NCAA Division II National
Title as one of the program's crowning achievements; and
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WHEREAS, we find it appropriate to acknowledge and applaud the UTC Mocs for their
historic season on the hardwood; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we honor and congratulate the members and coaches of the Chattanooga
Mocs men's basketball team on winning the 2025 National Invitation Tournament, the historic
first Division I tournament title in UTC and Southern Conference history, and extend to them our
best wishes for every continued success in all their future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.