With Saturday’s win over Saint Bonaventure we’ve not only matched our win total from last season, but we also crossed the mid point for our regular season. At 11 wins last year, we were in February. At 11 wins this year, we’re just starting [...]]]> Please hold the Bon Jovi references to the comments section.

With Saturday’s win over Saint Bonaventure we’ve not only matched our win total from last season, but we also crossed the mid point for our regular season. At 11 wins last year, we were in February. At 11 wins this year, we’re just starting conference play. That’s an improvement I’d take any day of the week.

However, compared to last year, any winning record at 15 games would be an improvement. But that doesn’t mean we’re all content in Niner Nation. Even the most optimistic of the fanbase (contributors to GreenTintedGlasses.net, perhaps) are feeling almost disheartened at this season so far.

We’ve been absolutely demolished twice (@ ODU and @ Duke), solidly defeated once (@ Tenn), and missed a great opportunity to make a statement against Georgia Tech in Halton. Of course, if you look at those losses as just Ls on paper, they aren’t bad. Duke is pretty darn spectular, and Georgia Tech just beat them. Tennessee took down undefeated #1 Kansas and ODU is a solid team all around and hard to beat at home. So our losses (again, not looking at score margin) aren’t that bad.

What about our wins? Our fantastic eleven wins. Well, they look alright on paper, but taking a closer look they aren’t that impressive. We have one key win at Louisville, one fairly solid win at Hofstra, and then 9 wins over teams we might’ve beaten last year.

The truth is, we might be really good and don’t know it yet. Or we could be really bad and have just padded our record versus terrible teams. Or we’re just mediocre. It’s hard to tell at this point, but we’ll see how things go in conference play. Here’s a look back at the past half-season…

Best Game – @ #18 Louisville, Charlotte wins 87-65

Is there another game this season that even comes close to the smack down we put on the Cardinals in Freedom Hall? While the Cardinals may have been out 3 players, there’s a good chance we would’ve won that game anyway when you consider the way we played. Chris Braswell put up a 21/14 double-double, Derrio and Bowden poured in 37 points, and DiJuan Harris looked unstoppable breaking the press. Blame this game for everyone’s expectations being raised.

Worst Game –

No question, it’s the Duke game.  From opening tip-off to the end of the game, the Niners were in the fetal position.  It was a comedy (dark comedy) of errors, turnovers, wild three-pointers, and turnovers and errors, and wild three-pointers.  Duke of course responded with transition basket after transition basket and the Blue Devils steam-rolled the Niners by 42 points.  I think I still have a bruise from that game.

Most Memorable Play – Derrio Green’s 3 at the half against Louisville

I wanted to mention his barrage to open the game, but I refuse to be mathematically challenged and instead opted for Green’s dagger at the half against the Cardinals.  You could feel the crowd seething as Derrio swaggered off the court with his hand holding up three fingers.  In all, it was Derrio’s 4th three-pointer of the first half and was really his first coming out party for the Niners.

Honorable mention goes do DiJuan’s shot to give the Niners a 1 point lead against GT, capping a furious comeback from a deficit that was as large as 15 points in the second half.  The basket nearly blew the roof off the arena, but the celebration wasn’t to last.

Most Forgettable Play – Ian Andersen steps on the line at Tennessee

If one moment summed up why Ian has moved into the “disdain” category for 49ers fans, it might be this one. In the midst of a semi-comeback against the Vols, Ian Andersen inbounds the ball to Phil Jones and goes for the handoff in the corner. Usually this play is followed by a three pointer, instead Ian Andersen hadn’t stepped across the inbounds line, and was essentially still out of bounds. Boneheaded plays like this will lose close games later in the season.

Biggest Surprise –

The Turkish Terror, Gokhan Sirin.  After looking absolutely lost against JCSU, he’s performed well in spots.  Particularly encouraging was the 12 points in just 7 minutes of action against Winston Salem State.  Though WSSU isn’t exactly top notch competition, it’s always good to see freshman play well when given the chance, and Sirin showed he’s much more than a spot-up shooter.  Sirin hit a nice mid-range pull-up jumper in transition and also attacked the basket on occasions.

Team MVP –

DiJuan Harris.  Statistically it’s probably Shamari Spears but DiJuan is the one who makes it click.  We go as he goes.  When he’s in we play much, much better than when he’s out, and it’s clear the players respond to his leadership.  DiJuan is by no means the flashiest player we’ve ever had on the court, nor the most statistically productive, but he has tremendous heart and that’s a intangible that’s hard to put a measure on.

Best Newcomer –

Shamari Spears, but Derrio and Braswell are also invited to the conversation.  Spears wins because he gives scoring in the paint, which the Niners have lacked for years now, and he commands a near constant double and sometimes triple team.  Though he doesn’t pass out of the pressure in the paint like he should, it does free up opportunities for other players.

Best Returner –

DiJuan Harris.  See above.

Biggest Disappointment –

This is easy.  Definitely Shamarr Bowden.  Heralded as a savior of sorts, Bowden is one of the first things people point to when suggesting last year’s 11-20 record would have been much improved were it not for personnel losses of the likes of Bowden.  Pointing to his performance in Canadia last summer where he led the team in scoring, you can see the reasons for optimism.  Unfortunately it didn’t pan out once the games started counting.  Aside from his outburst against UNCA in the first game of the season, Bowden has been anything but consistent… or patient.  This combination culminated last with Bowden’s decision to leave the program.  We respect Bowden here at GTG.net and wish him well, but wonder what might have been if he learned to play within himself and the team.

Coach’s Grade –

Some here would want to put a big fat F and cite our losses to Duke, ODU, GT, and Tennessee. It’s hard to fault a team for losing all of those games, but sometimes our fans can expect too much right away. Duke, GT, and Tenn were all ranked opponents, and OSU is no slouch at home. And while the ultimate blame falls on the coach, he isn’t the one that curled into the fetal position against Duke and ODU, our players have to step up. We should have beaten Georgia Tech, and our shot selection was part of that, something Bobby is known to have little control over, but it’s hard to hold the loss against Tennessee against anyone. That “depleted” squad just knocked off the #1 team in the nation. All in all, Bobby’s doing a lot of the things this year we have wanted him to; reign in his shooters and go inside to our bigs Spears, Jones, and Braswell. However, our defense alone prevents him from getting a great grade. We’re giving him a B minus. The B is because we’re 11 and 4 and haven’t lost to any “bad” teams, the minus is because we don’t play defense. This could very easily turn into an A if we show some improvement and return the swagger, but a C or D isn’t out of the question as we go into conference play.

Expectations for rest of season…

We at GreenTintedGlasses.net collectively have no clue what to expect for the rest of the season. Ask us in Febuary.

The Niners ended CUSA throwback week by throwing down the gauntlet, regaining some of that swagger of years past, and knocking out Louisville 87-65 Saturday night. Three 49er newcomers led the charge with Derrio Green (20 points), Chris Braswell (21 points, 14 rebounds!), and Shamarr [...]]]>

Yeah, about that basketball in your hands... GIMME!

The Niners ended CUSA throwback week by throwing down the gauntlet, regaining some of that swagger of years past, and knocking out Louisville 87-65 Saturday night. Three 49er newcomers led the charge with Derrio Green (20 points), Chris Braswell (21 points, 14 rebounds!), and Shamarr Bowden (17 points) each having sensational performances.  Beyond their stellar play, it was truly a team effort in securing perhaps the single most complete performance I have witnessed the Niners play since  the dismantling of the same Louisville Cards in 2001 by the Rodney White-led team.

The Niners started the game hot, with Derrio Green hitting three straight 3-pointers on three straight possessions.  Of course TV viewers like myself had to wait out the end of the Oregon-Missouri snooze fest as ESPNU felt we should watch the Tigers run up the score in a game that was essentially decided at halftime.  By the time the game switched over, Niner faithful across the nation saw the 3rd of Green’s shot as the Niners extended to a 13-6 lead.  Those early moments were the closest the game was, as the Niners extended their lead throughout the game.  Early efforts by Louisville to force turnovers with Rick Pitino’s trademark fullcourt press failed to rattle Sr. PG DiJuan Harris, who had but 1 TO the entire game (late game pass swing pass that was picked off) to go with 7 assists and 12 points.  Harris’ ability to break the press on his own and quickly get up court provided ample scoring opportunities for Niner marksmen like Bowden and Green as well as interior studs Braswell and Spears.  For his part, Spears struggled a bit with his offense, missing the range on a number of baseline jumpers over defenders.  He did however make his mark with 9 rebounds and chipped in 9 points.  It was the second game in a row that Spears struggled with his offense, but teams are quickly finding out that the new-look Niners are much more than a one-trick pony.

Any way you add up the stats, it was a dominating performance for the men in green.  The Niners outshot the Cards 45.5% and 41.7% from the field and 3-point arc respectively compared to 35.9% and 25.0% for Louisville.  On the boards Charlotte finished +12, including 18 offensive rebounds (both teams played a lot of zone and as such, picked up a lot of offensive rebounds).  From the line, the Niners hit a sizzling 17-19, continuing their excellent start to the season from the charity stripe.  There can be only one explanation.

Another who deserves ample credit is coach Bobby Lutz.  The rotation was tightened and chemistry and execution was favored over trying to find whatever works.  When it looked like Louisville was about to make a run, Lutz wisely chose the correct spots to call a 30-second timeout.  And when he did, the players responded.  Case in point was midway through the second half.  Louisville ran off a 6-0 run that included a pair of Niner turnovers, dropping the lead to 14 points and rousing some signs of life from the deathly-silent crowd.  One 30 second timeout later, Chris Braswell scores on a beautiful offensive rebound where he caught the ball, turned in with his left shoulder, and hit about the quickest scoop shot I’ve ever seen.  Next possession following a defensive stop, Phil Jones hits a beautiful jumper at the top of the key.  That sequence, in my opinion, sealed the victory for the Niners.  It was a thing of beauty to see the Niners keep the pressure on an opponent and not let them back into the game.  I’d be lying if I didn’t think about various setbacks over the years where big 2nd half leads dwindled to nothing and ultimately resulted in losses (Indiana twice, Rutgers and Alabama in 2004, etc.).   But it wasn’t to be tonight.  Swagger ruled Freedom Hall.  Maybe it’s the stache?

The Swag-o-meter is exploding.

Looking forward, let’s put this win into context.  Yes, Louisville was depleted, but taking stock of the Niners, it’s increasingly clear they have responded the right way to

the Duke loss.  I know Lutz alluded to the sentiment on NinerNation.net after the loss, but one thing was pretty commonly held among the Niner faithful:  We knew that the loss didn’t have to define the team.  They could chose how they responded to the loss, and they did it the right way.  Defense has improved.  Shot selection has improved.  Rebounding has improved.  The team can score the ball without Spears putting up huge numbers.  They have gotten better and we have taken notice.   I think it’s time to raise the bar of expectations.  Coming into the season I didn’t know what they had or what they’re capable of.  I do now.  The Niners have what it takes to make the tournament.  It’s just a question of going out and doing it.  Let’s take another step towards that and de-horn Winston-Salem State.  Go Niners!

Ah, Freedom Hall. The venerable dump is hosting its last season of home games for the Louisville Cards.  The Niners have had many memorable victories there, such as the 1992 and 2001 conference tournaments as well as forcing Denny Crum into retirement [...]]]>

Rick's about to join this downed bird at the retirement center.

Ah, Freedom Hall. The venerable dump is hosting its last season of home games for the Louisville Cards.  The Niners have had many memorable victories there, such as the 1992 and 2001 conference tournaments as well as forcing Denny Crum into retirement with a 106-72 blitzkrieg that was the worst of his illustrious career.  After forcing the ECU Pirates to walk the plank Wednesday night in Halton Arena 80-68, Charlotte hopes to complete CUSA throwback week with a victory against the Ricktator and his suddenly depleted team.

The Cards enter the game like the Niners with a 5-1 record.  Louisville has taken care of business so far on their home court with victories over Arkansas (wow, why are they so awful this year?), ETSU, Morgan State, App State, and most recently Stetson.  The lone loss came at UNLV in a game that resulted in injuries to guards Preston Knowles (9.6 ppg, 50% 3 point) and Peyton Siva (5.2 ppg), who sat out against Stetson and will quite likely miss Saturday’s game.  There are also rumors that Jerry Smith has an Achilles injury and will also miss the game (now confirmed).  This is a significant development as Smith is their third leading scorer at 9.7 ppg.  The larger implications is the potential effect it will have on the Cardinals strategy.  Louisville is well-known for it’s constant full court pressure following made baskets and also extensively utilizes the 3 point shot to achieve excellent floor spacing.  With three guards out, this will perhaps limit opportunities for Louisville to press.  But hey, who cares?  If Bobby Lutz has one particular strength, it’s effectively dealing with full court pressure.  It will however be interesting to see how this edition of Niners deal with the traps.

The Louisville scoring attack is lead by Sr. guard Edgar Sosa.  Sosa is off to a strong start averaging 14 ppg on 48.3% shooting overall and 45.5% from behind the arc.  Sosa is also excellent at the line converting just under 85% of his freebies.  That he leads the team in minutes played with just 26.3 mpg illustrates just how deep a team Louisville is.  Joining Sosa in carrying the brunt of the scoring burden for the Cards is So. forward Samardo Samuels.  Samuels is averaging a very solid 16.3 ppg in just 24.8 mpg on 54.2% shooting.  Containing him in the paint will be a challenge for Braswell and Jones as he will be difficult to contain with his athleticism.   We might just have to let Shamari Spears’ beard devour Samuels itself.  Rounding out the bulk of the Cards’ scoring are Reginald Delk (6’5″ guard who’s hit 8-14 three pointers) and Jared Swopshire (6’8″ forward averaging 6.7 ppg and also occasionallyshoots the 3).

For the Niners, opportunities will come from breaking the Louisville trap and getting into transition.  Point guard extraordinaire DiJuan Harris will try to do his best Mitchell Baldwin impersonation and get to the rim before the Cards have a chance to

I quit!

settle into their zone (likely 2-3).  When the Cards do have a chance to set, they will try to make things difficult for beast-of-burden Shamari Spears.  Our very own Green Lantern struggled a bit against the ECU double teams on Tuesday and hopefully will respond with earlier recognition of the defense collapsing on him.  Hopefully fellow low post partner Phil Jones will build on his dominating first half performance against the deck swabbers and take some of the inside scoring load off of Spears.  Chris Braswell also needs to be ready to crash the offensive glass and get second-chance points for the Niners to be effective.  When Louisville is playing the zone, ball movement will be a key, whether for perimeter players to shoot over the zone or through frequent passing to open up lanes against the zone when it tries to rotate from side-to-side.  The Niners did a fantastic job of doing this in the first half last week, and it resulted in easy buckets and always-pleasing Big Phil Jones dunks.  I’m gonna take a sip from the green Kool Aid right now and predict Jones channels his inner Jermaine Williams and dunks all over Samardo Samuels, starting a Brandon Bender-esque milk cartoon watch for the clipped Cardinal.

The Niners could possibly be welcoming back The Wilderness on Saturday for the first  time since the JSCU mascot out-stepped Norm in our exhibition opener.  He’s still practicing with pain, and if he does return, it’d likely be in limited action.  Personally I’d like to see Wilderness sit this one out and get healthier for next week, particularly with the steadier play of both Coleman and Chucky Dewberry.  With the TURKISH TERROR and Barnett also available, we have plenty of options at the 3 and any limited benefit of his return in the absence of game conditioning is outweighed by the possibility of re-aggravating the calf strain.  I’m also gonna fess up and admit I Lou Holtz’d the team a bit earlier this week with the ECU preview.  I know we’re not playing to our max potential but I see improvement.  This is a chance for a scalp and with our history of the building and our familiarity with Pitino’s coaching style, this is one we need to come into thinking we can win.  I smell a strong outside shooting night.  We’re due.  Shamarr and Derrio are going to combine for 30+ points.  I’m calling it now.  Go Niners!

Keys for Louisville:

• Force more turnovers.  They’re only +6 on the year
• Maintain their rebounding advantage
• Don’t let Shamari Spears get going

Keys for Charlotte

• Don’t settle for just shooting over the zone
• Handle the pressure and don’t succumb to the moment like we did against Duke
• Continue to shoot the ball well