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.

Georgia Tech's bus ride home will look like this.

the Jackets and wish for their misery, let’s commend them for having the jewels to step up to the challenge. [...]]]> For the second season in a row, Charlotte is playing host to an “almighty” ACC team in Halton Arena. Before we begin to taunt

Georgia Tech's bus ride home will look like this.

the Jackets and wish for their misery, let’s commend them for having the jewels to step up to the challenge. Clemson did it last year and almost walked away with a loss to one of our worst teams ever. But almost only counts in horseshoes and weight loss, this season we’re much improved and looking for another solid W for the ole’ tournament resume. When was the last time we actually checked our resume for typos, let alone actually thought it might land us a spot?

We haven’t been playing our best basketball as of late, especially on the defensive end, we were basically putting up traffic cones versus ODU and Mercer. Luckily, our offense was in gear for the Mercer game and we literally outscored them on our way to victory. We won’t be able to do the same versus GT. Our guards are going to need to step up their game and put some pressure on the ball and guard the perimeter. Oh and probably hit some shots from the outside as well. I think we’re due for a Shamarr Bowden offensive showcase, and hopefully it’s tonight.

Derrick Favors is a legitimate player, and our big guys will need to step up their games even more. While Phil and KJ have played good defense, Braswell and Spears play soft on that end. Would love to see them step it up tonight and win the battle of the paint.

So what do we predict? Is it too much to predict a win against a ranked team for the second time this season? It’s definitely possible, but it will be an all out war. The Charlotte 49ers who showed up at Louisville will have to reappear. Leave your predictions in the comments and the closest will win something amazingly awesome that words can’t describe.

J Felt – Charlotte 87, GT 80. Bobby locates the Jackets’ nest, pours gasoline in, lights the match and enjoys the show.

D-Fo – This one’s really gonna test Charlotte’s toughness down low.  Good thing Spears and Braswell come in hungry and chew up the ‘Jacket frontcourt, both scoring in double figures.  I can see this one being a brawl…Charlotte 85 – GT 79

HP – Hoping that Georgia Tech’s inside size is somewhat negated by Charlotte’s inside quickness. A few 3s will drop and the 49ers sneak out with their first 2010 win, 82-75.

Bust – Niners start the new year off with a splat.  Sanitation technicians work into the wee hours cleaning up Yellow Jacket guts. Guys in green win a thriller. Charlotte 82, Ga. Tech 77.

NLP – I’ll keep it simple:  We’re gonna win.  Charlotte 75 GT 73

Don’t you love a good thrashing?

Charlotte came out and dominated every facet of this game from start to finish. Just as we should, since the Rams are next to last in RPI overall and have practically dropped all expectations to ever compete in [...]]]>

Real Ram's Wool - Just in time for Christmas!

Don’t you love a good thrashing?

Charlotte came out and dominated every facet of this game from start to finish. Just as we should, since the Rams are next to last in RPI overall and have practically dropped all expectations to ever compete in D1 basketball this year. We controlled every part of this game. From defensive rebounds (28 to their 10) to offensive rebounds (22 to 17) to assists (18 to 10) to field goals (35-20), the 49ers completely shut down WSSU’s entire game plan (did they really have one?).

The performance of the night, without a doubt, goes to Chris Braswell. He was phenomenal, scoring 16 points, 7-7 FGs, and bringing in 15 rebounds. He also had one assist, and it was a beauty. That high-low assist to Phil Jones for the dunk is the perfect example of what this team has lacked for a few seasons. 3 pointers, alleyoops, break away dunks, all nice, but legitimate post play is what we want to see. The best part of all? He’s a freshman!

Before this author gets lazy and starts bullet-pointing it, it would be unwise to go without mentioning the very entertaining conclusion of the game. Sure, it was WSSU, but we showed some serious depth. Our walk-ons seem legitimately serviceable, and who didn’t get visions of Plavich in their head when Colby shot that three pointer from Bass Pro Shops?

The Pros

• Post play is legit, we were looking inside all night and seemingly scoring at will
• Our defense doesn’t force turnovers (only 12), but it is working by forcing bad shots (WSSU shot just 30.8%) and getting the rebounds
• Dewhurst seemed to be in a funk to start the game, but he’s getting comfortable on offense
• Wilderness is back on the court and showing that “must-kill the humanoids” mentality we all enjoy
• Harris may have developed a jumpshot
• It may have been WSSU, but we were getting it inside pretty easily
• Our transition offense is coming together
• Gokhan Sirin showed off his beautiful shot again
• Two home games in a row with an airballed free throw, can we make it three?
• Oh yah, Chris Braswell Chris Braswell Chris Braswell

Put on your Green Tinted Glasses

• Spears may have led all scorers with 17, but he seemed to be forcing it
• Bowden was colder than ice and willing to sacrifice our love
• Kyle Church didn’t get a basket, though he did get a sweet assist to the Turkish Terror

Last season at six games in, we were 1-5. Now, at 5-1, as Phil Jones put it in his post game interview, “Well, it’s a lot better than last year.” There’s not a better way to put it than that, really. After downing ECU [...]]]>

Pirates fans watch the game come to a close.

Last season at six games in, we were 1-5. Now, at 5-1, as Phil Jones put it in his post game interview, “Well, it’s a lot better than last year.” There’s not a better way to put it than that, really. After downing ECU in easy, but frustrating, fashion, Charlotte is off to its best start in years, and boy does it feel great!

Oh, you want to read about the game? If there’s one worrisome trend that’s developing (other than lack of defense), it’s the lack of a “kick the opponent when he’s down” mentality. At one point early in the second half, we were within one field goal of a twenty point lead but never could make it happen. Instead, we let ECU get back within seven and had to utilize awesome free throw shooting to ice the game. This teams needs to learn how to step on the throat, twist the knife, steal the eye-patch, shave the eyebrow, etc.

The best part? Our best player, Shamari Spears had a terrible game, and we still won. Limited to only 12 pts and 5 rbds, Spears almost seemed to do more harm than good, giving up 5 of our 13 turnovers. However, his presence on the court leads to scoring from our other players as he draws double and triple teams. The turnovers came when he tried to force his offense, but when he learns how to pass out of the double team, our offense will be that much more deadly. Braswell also failed to follow up his great performance versus Yale, but that is to be expected from a freshman. Phil Jones was able to step it up, with 10 points (2 on dunks), 9 rebounds, and even had his own block party with 4 blocks. With those blocks, Jones has come into a tie for tenth place in the all-time blocks list, and we can expect him to climb up the charts through the season.

DiJuan Harris had a stellar game with 17 points, 6 assists and only 1 turnover. One highlight of the game for DiJuan was the wide open three pointer he hit in the flow of the offense. In order to be respected as a threat on offense, DiJuan needs to consistently hit that shot.

Now for bullet points:

Positives

• Phil Jones had a great first half, in fact, the whole team did
• Derrio doesn’t seem too bothered by his Planter Fascia during games
• RaShad Coleman had a great game, and definitely played within himself and didn’t try to do too much
• Shamarr hit two threes, but that 30 footer was a momentum killer
• An ECU player airballed a free throw, he is probably destroyed for the season
• The black out looked great
• ECU turned the ball over 13 times, is our defense improving?

Put on your Green Tinted Glasses

• Still took some stupid threes
• We had difficulty assisting Spears while he was being double-teamed
• We let a guy named Brock torch us for 24 points
• Nobody is stepping up to stop the dribble drive penetration, move your feet on defense!!!!

Either way, it’s wonderful to be 5-1, and now we look forward to finishing out CUSA Reunion Week at Louisville versus the Cardinals and Rick Pitino in Freedom Hall. Lutz has a good record in there, as well as some good memories – hopefully we’ll make one more!   – J Felt

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