Once members of rival boys high-school basketball teams in Arlington, this past winter Alan Treakle and Liam Vitters played different roles for the same Division I men’s college squad that won a national championship.
Treakle, a Wakefield High School graduate, was the director of basketball operations, and Yorktown High grad Vitters was a walk-on freshman forward for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs, which won the National Invitational Tournament with a 5-0 record.
“This is a big deal and we are grateful to be part of this,” Treakle told ARLnow. “The city of Chattanooga has embraced this entire team here. I can’t explain how exciting this is and to be living in Chattonooga. It’s a great place.”
Vitters said he also was fortunate to be part of a national-championship team.
“To get two championship rings in my freshman season is pretty good. I wasn’t expecting that,” Vitters said.
The rings will be awarded for winning the national championship and the Southern Conference regular-season title.
The age differential between Treakle and Vitters meant the two didn’t play against each other in high school — or even know each other until they met at Chattanooga. Vitters graduated from Yorktown in 2023 and Treakle from Wakefield in 2017.
Vitters was coached by Treakle’s father, Kevin, in youth league basketball in Arlington.
After high school, Treakle went on to play five seasons of college ball, where he was a standout by scoring 1,337 career points, for the Division II University of Mount Olive team in North Carolina.
Treakle then began his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at Chattanooga, being promoted to his current position that he’s had for two years.
After an accomplished three-year varsity basketball career at Yorktown, for one year and in a sixth-man role, the 6-foot-5 Vitters attended and played for the Kiski School in Pennsylvania, a college-preparatory boarding school.
He next had opportunities to play for Division II or III college teams, but made the decision instead to attempt to make the Chattanooga team as a walk-on.
“Liam showed up here at Chattanooga with great work ethic and with so much energy and enthusiasm,” Treakle said. “He checked all the buttons that a walk-on needs to have.”
Vitters said he “bet” on himself that he could become a Division I player.
“I really wanted to be a walk-on at Division I and be the big-energy guy on the end of the bench,” Vitter said. “It has worked out well. Now I hope I can make the story better going forward.”
Vitters saw only limited playing time this past season, as often is the case for Division I walk-ons. He participating in nine games, making his two shots from the floor, and was 1 of 2 from the foul line to score five points, going with three rebounds and an assist.
“Making my two shots, I had the best shooting percentage on the team,” Vitters joked.
Vitters said the Kiski experience was helpful in making the Chattanooga roster.
“Playing at Kiski taught me to be happy with the sixth-man role and be of value in that situation,” Vitters said. “I’m happy playing any role or position and doing anything that’s needed to contribute. Plus, winning a national title has been crazy.”
