Ah, the proverbial “trap” game. Fresh off a big victory against Top 15 Temple (to go into a tie for first place), Charlotte now travels cold Massachusetts to take on the young but dangerous Minutemen.

In years past, I wouldn’t even advise watching this game. I’d tell you that [...]]]>

Bobby's Outfit for today.

Ah, the proverbial “trap” game. Fresh off a big victory against Top 15 Temple (to go into a tie for first place), Charlotte now travels cold Massachusetts to take on the young but dangerous Minutemen.

In years past, I wouldn’t even advise watching this game. I’d tell you that we’re probably going to lose and to spend your evening hoping to be surprised by the final score.

That’s the past though, and this Charlotte team has yet (knock on wood, now) to lose to a team that it shouldn’t. We’ve struggled against some, such as Saint Louis, but still managed to come out on top in the end. So call it hubris, but I think we’re going to win. Mostly because we’ve been consistent this year (ODU and Duke aside) and show up to play. For a team with so many new faces, it’s amazing how patient we’ve been as a team.

For those of you in the snow, fear not. This game is on ESPNU, so you don’t have to go out to a bar or watch a grainy feed on your laptop. Though, the crappy picture almost enhanced the experience against Richmond. Almost.

Predictions are below. The winner who leaves one in the comments will have their own Martin Iti big head to use at the next game.

J Felt – Charlotte 80, UMass 68. Niners struggle early, but Derrio “the Bayonet” Green tears up the Minutemen in the 2nd half.

NLP – I don’t want to play this game.  If I could veto any A10 game, it’d be this one. Lucky for us Derrio Green and DiJuan Harris turn into superheros when they don their jerseys.  Niners win in a tight one.  Charlotte 73 – UMass 72

D-Fo – Let’s keep it simple. Charlotte takes care of business.  WHO-Mass?  88-80 Charlotte.

JRitchie – The hottest team in the nation continues their streak by dismantling an inconsistent UMass team. Niners 84 Minutes 66

The Atlantic Ten.

The mere mention of the conference strikes fear into the heart of basketball players across the world. There is nothing more intimidating than conference play. This is where teams make and break their seasons.

It’s easy to go through a nonconference [...]]]>

"Bonnies" doesn't quite intimidate as a name, does it?

The Atlantic Ten.

The mere mention of the conference strikes fear into the heart of basketball players across the world. There is nothing more intimidating than conference play. This is where teams make and break their seasons.

It’s easy to go through a nonconference slate with only four losses, but it’s much more difficult to do that battling your conference foes. No more intimidating visiting teams, they’ve been here before. Home court advantage isn’t nearly as strong and no one is scared to play anyone.

With conference play, you can always expect one team to fizzle out after a strong start (see: Rhode Island 07-08), one team to really stand out (Xavier, past two seasons), and the majority of the conference to finish in a clump.

This year could be different as early on there seems to be a dividing line betweeen the top and bottom of the conference. At the top you see Richmond, Temple, Xavier, Dayton, and Rhode Island. At the bottom is everyone else. Charlotte has the potential to be in the top, but looking back at our non conference schedule, it’s easy to see us finishing near the middle. We have exactly two wins over teams with winning records (Louisville and Hofstra), and we’ve lost handily to every tough team we’ve faced. The 49ers are bound to win a tough game this season, but when will it be?

Tonight, we face the Bonnies of Saint Bonaventure. You’d think they’d be more creative with their mascot name, but who are we to say anything? We’re the 49ers because of some “pioneering spirit”. WHat does that even mean?

Expect the team to go inside tonight to Spears and Braswell, as the Bonnies will utilize a four guard lineup for much of the night. As per usual in games against opponents without multiple strong post players, Spears will have his way and gobble up points. Braswell will post another double-double and Derrio will continue to play well.

It was conference play last year when DiJuan Harris really shined, so here’s to hoping we can expect that this season as well. When our point guard plays like a leader and puts in a solid effort, our team as a whole plays much, much better. With Xavier looming shortly ahead, the Niners need to regain some Swagger.

Niners will continue their winning ways and bring their win total up to 11, well before they did last season. Predictions are below, leave yours in the comments and you could win a scholarship to play for Fordham.

JRitchie – Niners pull out a close victory to regain some confidence before heading to the Cintas Center. 81-77 Charlotte victory.

D-Fo – After getting punked by Tennessee’s B-Squad (let’s be honest here, people), Charlotte needs to take the Bonnies to the woodshed in this one just to get back some respect.  We’ll discuss “Swagger” as is necessary.  Charlotte 85, St. Bonaventure 68.

J Felt – Charlotte 81, Saint Bonaventure 68. Niners match win total from last season and get conference play off to a good start while Spears and Braswell feast on Bonnie flesh.

No one at GTG.net predicted a loss to ODU. And definitely no one predicted the beatdown we would receive. It was as if Gerald Lee walked on the court, screamed out, “NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!!!” and then he and his teammates punished us for 40 [...]]]>

Norm got a head start on bear killing.

No one at GTG.net predicted a loss to ODU. And definitely no one predicted the beatdown we would receive. It was as if Gerald Lee walked on the court, screamed out, “NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!!!” and then he and his teammates punished us for 40 minutes of basketball. Lucky for me, I was out to dinner that night, and only received the pain via text messages.

At one point they all stopped. One just said, “OK, you don’t want to know. Good night.”

But a 30 point loss is still, just a loss, so moving on to the Mercer Bears and the scoring ability of one James Florence. If there ever was a basketball name that didn’t instill any fear at all based on name alone, it’s that one. James Florence, not scary at all. Until you look at the numbers he’s putting up this year. Too bad for him the Niners will come into this game looking to play actual defense. One can imagine the practices Lutz has these guys going through after two miserable games in a row.

It’ll be nice to have the team back in Halton Arena, and I think we can safely assume that being back within the friendly confines of home, the team will regain the swagger it will inevitably need versus Georgia Tech. And while we at GreenTintedGlasses.net are looking ahead, hopefully the team isn’t. In addition to that, we held an official meeting and decided that Monarchs do not classify as animals, but rather as human royalty, and thus our undefeated record versus animal mascots remains.

Predictions follow, and those of you who get it right will receive a full size bear trap, courtesy of thesportsmanguide.com.

HP – The Lutz daughters toss their blonde locks in the air and confuse the Bears, the 49ers get a final 2009 victory, 84-69.

letsgoNINERS11 – Charlotte 92 – Mercer 68

JRitchie – Mercer becomes the receiver of our frustration, Charlotte 93-Mercer 48

D-Fo – Ok, so ODU was an embarrassment.  We all know it.  Tuesday night, Charlotte goes out and starts the campaign to get back some respect and perhaps, dare I say, a bit of  that recently elusive “swagger.”  Charlotte 81-Mercer 63.

J Felt – Charlotte 84, Mercer 69. We struggle early, but the Bears grow tired early in the second as Shamari pulls the final trigger and starts scoring again.

NLP – The Niners put the Mercer Bears on the endangered species list:  Charlotte 87 Mercer 59

It feels like it’s been a month, but it’s finally gameday again! Even better, it’s a home game in Halton Arena! The Niners are set to take on the Pirates of East Carolina University, a school known as EZU and recognized more for its [...]]]>

49er Blackouts are known to cause this in opponents.

It feels like it’s been a month, but it’s finally gameday again! Even better, it’s a home game in Halton Arena! The Niners are set to take on the Pirates of East Carolina University, a school known as EZU and recognized more for its baseball and STDs than it’s basketball program. Any other time we take on ECU, it’s a “big deal” type of game, because traditionally, ECU sucks, bad. But there’s still a bad taste in our mouths from January ’05, when some guy named Mouse gave us our third loss and sent Niners fans home dejected and in an ice storm. Everything about the day sucked. Greenville sucked, Curtis Withers sucked, our team sucked, their crowd sucked, and losing sucked. The only way to help us forget that day is for the Niners to destroy ECU, just as they should’ve years ago.

Spears should dominate these guys, and it won’t be pretty. For many Niners, he’s the first consistent low-post scorer we’ve ever been able to see in person, and it’s a wonderful sight to see. But what if he gets in foul trouble? This is a question that needs to be solved as soon as possible if we’re going to be any good this year. We can’t expect Spears to dominate the other team’s big men from the bench, though it’s definitely a possibility versus ECU. Put on your Green Tinted Glasses people, FIVE AND ONE is basically here, it’s ECU, it’s Halton Arena, it’s Shamari Spears, and it’s ECU. Hell, even dogs on youtube hate the Pirates…

Predictions are below, add your own in the comments, and the winner will receive one free memory wipe of that ECU game and all of March ’05 as well.

J Felt – Charlotte 84, ECU 63. Niners run away in the second half as ECU can’t hang with Spears, Phil Jones has a block party while wearing an eye patch just for kicks.

HP – Pirates wash away in the rain storm as 49ers roll, 86-68.

D-Fo – The Pirates will leave Halton with a true peg-legged limp after Dijuan and Derrio finish breaking their ankles all night.  Spears goes for 25, Bowden gets hot again and goes off for 5 or 6 three-pointers.  At the end of the night, the Pirates walk the plank back to Greenville to the tune of an 89-75 loss.

Bust – Charlotte 84, EZU 71. Niners take the week off of gold mining as the pirates bring the treasure to them.  Pirates walk the plank (with one pirate scoring his personal best)

NLP – Charlotte 73 EZU 68. Shiver me timbers.  All hope abandon, ye who enters Halton Arena!

letsgoNINERS11 – EZU steps into the black hole that will be Halton Arena and Shamari feasts for 30.  Sharpshooter Shamarr Bowden is gonna go Navy Seals on the Pirates from long distance for 18 and Chris Braswell chips in 15-10.  81 – 65 Niners FTW.

JRitchie – Ian Andersen single handedly defeats that Pirates after they black out… Niners win 93-68

The last time the Charlotte 49ers faced the EZU Pirates, it was the Niners who were forced to walk the plank, losing 54-51.  That game featured an ice storm that kept many faithful from making the drive to [...]]]>

No amount of bleach to the eyes could erase this horrible game from my mind.

The last time the Charlotte 49ers faced the EZU Pirates, it was the Niners who were forced to walk the plank, losing 54-51.  That game featured an ice storm that kept many faithful from making the drive to Greenville and a dominating performance by Moussa Badiane (16 points, 9 rebounds, 3  blocks, and a key charge drawn) and a dreadful shooting night by the Niners (18-56 from the field).  Though the faces on the court have changed in the years since the last game, revenge will be on the minds of fans as Halton Arena welcomes the scourge of the Carolinas with a blackout Wednesday night.

EZU enters the game 2-4 (sorry, the win against Clinch Valley College doesn’t count) with their most recent contest a win Saturday at fellow slave-name institution, UNC Greensboro.  Despite the poor record, the Pirates should not be taken lightly by the Niners (really, no argggggguing with me).  EZU shoots a very high percentage from the field (47.0%) and gets to the line regularly (nearly as many makes as their opponents attempt).  The Pirates are also adept rebounders, enjoying a more than 5 rpg. advantage over their opponents.  Where EZU struggles is maintaining possession.  Turnovers have been the key stumbling block in the early season, with the Pirates averaging nearly 20/game.

A surprising source of frustration has been the play of Jr. PG Brock Young, who last year was second in the NCAA with 7.57 assists/game and a healthy 2.44 assist:turnover ratio.  Despite leading the team in scoring this season (14.4 ppg.) he’s actually committed more turnovers than assists, possibly out of a desire to create more for the team and be the focal point of the offense.  The Niners must head caution to his ability to make things happen for the Pirates and not take his turnover problem for granted tomorrow night as he looks to create for a very potent frontline for EZU.  Terrific young forward Darrius Morrow has emerged as a rising star in his sophomore season, averaging 13.6 ppg. on 63.6% shooting and 7.0 rpg.  Morrow is joined in the paint by Jr. C Chad Wynn, who is chipping in just over 9 ppg. On 59.2% shooting and 5.3 rpg.  Rounding out the perimeter for EZU are wings Jontae Sherrod (12.6 ppg., 35.5% from 3) and Jamar Abrams (7.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg.).  For the Pirates Wednesday night, the focus should be clear:  limit turnovers and use strong interior play to get quality looks and draw fouls.  On the defensive end, force the Niners into tough shots and use the rebounding advantage to limit second-chance scoring opportunities.

The Niners will counter with standout forward Shamari Spears.  Through 4 games Spears has asserted himself in the early mix as an A10 POY candidate averaging 24.3 ppg. on a scorching 62.3% shooting from the field.  Another bright spot in the revamped Niner front court has been the play of frosh forward Chris Braswell.  Last week against Hofstra, Braswell notched the second double-double of his young career with a 15 point, 11 rebound performance in the victory.  Where concern rises is the scoring beyond Spears.  Despite having 7 other players reach double-figures in scoring already this season, no consistent second and third options have emerged.  DiJuan Harris. Derrio Green, and Shamarr Bowden are each averaging between 8.0 and 9.2 ppg.; however, neither are shooting better than 40% from the field.  In fact, it’s not until 6^th leading scorer Phil Jones (6.6 ppg.) do the Niners have a player shooting better than 40% from the field (and that being a low figure for a post player).  Bowden is the quintessential case of inconsistency, having not reached double-figures in scoring since his 21 point eruption against Asheville in the season opener.   Help should be on the way shortly, with the return of An’juan Wilderness to the lineup, but not until Saturday against Louisville.  Until then, the Niners will have to continue to search for consistent scoring.  Hopefully deliverance will come in the form of better shooting, with signs that Derrio Green is emerging from his early shooting slumber.   – NLP

The EZU mascot needs updating.

Keys to the game for EZU:

• limit turnovers (absolute must for the Pirates)
• maintain a rebounding advantage
• dominate the Niner interior (really no one has done this yet)

Keys to the game for Charlotte:

• shoot the ball better (>45% will be a feat)
• get offensive rebounds
• force Brock Young to try to do too much himself

Last time we [...]]]> Nevermind the fact that for a possession or two we were losing to Yale by one point, the Niners are 3-1! That’s way better than last season, which I think we all want to forget. A winning record, that by itself we only had for one game last year, right? Harsh.

Last time we faced Yale, we only won by six points, and that was back in 04-05, the last time we went to the NCAA tournament. Does that mean this team (having defeated Yale by 14), is eight points better than Eddie Basden’s last 49er team? Of course. That’s how sports works.

Actually, this game served as the official debut of Mr. Derrio Green, who is destined to be good for us because his last name is “Green”. He remembered how to hit three pointers and went 6-11, scoring 18 points in all. Not a bad night, for sure. And of course, Spears was a beast as usual, feasting upon the Bulldogs for 28 points on 13-15 FG. Shamari Spears is a monster, really.

As for Yale, well who didn’t want to punch that Gibson kid in the face? Watching Listening to that game was frustrating, hearing his name over and over as he won the coveted “GTG. net Unheralded Player Gets Career High Vs. Niners” He torched our non-existent D for 25 points.

The Positives

• Shamari Spears can do almost everything
• The Dewberry was very impressive (8 pts, 7 rbs, 5 Asts, 1 Blks, 4 Stls, 2 TOs) and may be 100% back
• Shamarr Bowden passed the ball and didn’t just shoot it right away
• DiJuan Harris was solid
• 22 Asts on 30 FGs, not bad at all

Take off your Glasses for a look

• We got off to a 14 pt lead, and then took our foot off the gas (need that killer instinct)
• We were losing to Yale in the 2nd half
• Chris Braswell disappeared, but he’ll be back
• We may as well put up traffic cones on defense

Either way, bring on Hofstra! Time to get revenge for that horrible day two seasons ago!   – J Felt