Waking up this morning and reading about last night’s game was like stabbing yourself in the eye with a fork. Why bother? It’s games like last night’s (and ODU, Duke, Tennessee) where one wonders if we’re truly for real. Once things got tough in [...]]]>

The scene with 5 minutes left in the game.

Waking up this morning and reading about last night’s game was like stabbing yourself in the eye with a fork. Why bother? It’s games like last night’s (and ODU, Duke, Tennessee) where one wonders if we’re truly for real. Once things got tough in the second half, we looked like a JV squad out there, eerily reminiscent of our entire game against Duke.

As I sat at a Mexican restaurant last night (Don Juan’s in Kernersville, NC, if you wanted to know), I was on pins and needles waiting for text updates from my loyal friends. At first they were good, Niners were up early and seemed to be playing well. Then Dayton took the lead, and my gut, along with the ridiculous amounts of chips and salsa I consumed, dropped. Something told me, it’s about to get ugly. But as per the course with Niner fandom, there was a glimmer of hope as Gokhan SeerHAN (is Sirin that hard to pronounce? where did the H come from?) drained a three to bring the Niners within a possession at halftime.

I was able to get home just in time to watch Dayton start to kick the living crap out of us. With Phil and Chris on the bench, the Flyers took off and had a field day. We never stood a chance in the second half. We were outscored by 25 points in 20 minutes of basketball. That is ridiculous. When did Dayton get so good? Now they’ve beaten two teams tied for first place by over 20 points. How did the Flyers lose to Saint Joseph’s? And how did our 11-20 team beat this same team one year ago in Halton? Trying to understand Charlotte basketball is like trying to understand women, but worse.

There’s an alarming trend starting to surface, and it’s a scary one indeed. While we may have a tendency to fight with teams and pull out a tough W, it seems that once the margin gets beyond 10-12 points in the second half we give up and just let the game get out of hand. For the six games we’ve lost, the margin has been over 23 points. That is not the sign of a team that fights through anything. If the game isn’t going well on the road (double digit margin) with 15 minutes left, might as well go pour another beer, because it’s going to get so ugly the beer goggles will be necessary to see any positives from the rest of the game. The only loss where we really stood a chance at all was Georgia Tech, and that was at home. If you throw away the Georgia Tech game and look at just road losses, we’re losing by over 26 points. While margin of victory really means nothing in college basketball, the tendency of this team to curl into the fetal position is frightening, to say the least. We’re willing to fight when we think we have a chance, but there’s a point at which the team just says, “Screw this, we’re going to lose anyway, might as well try and break new records!”

I tried to get NLP to exchange emails with me this morning, but he’s still trying to recover from last night, rumor is he

What said flyer may look like.

was last seen around Charlotte posting “Missing: SWAGGER If found, please see Bobby Lutz” flyers on anything and everything. However, he did manage to steal some computer time away from the pervs at the local public library to send this brief, but correct breakdown of the Niners…

It’s pretty simple.  If you play tough man-to-man defense and you’re playing at home you will beat the Niners.  Handily.  If you play zone, or matador defense, you’re just plain stupid.  The scouting report is very much out.

There you go, to beat the Niners, don’t be stupid.

I will say this though, when a team shoots 25% from the floor and 14.3% from 3 on the road, they don’t stand a chance. We got buzzsawed, folks, but it would have been nice if we started throwing 2 X 4s into the blade instead of our arms and limbs.

But since GreenTintedGlasses.net is committed to being outwardly biased, there are two big positives to remember:

1. We’re still tied for first place with Xavier and Richmond
2. We still have chances to lock up an At-Large

Derrio Green week in the Atlantic 10 came to a close with a 34 point peformance as the Niners defeated UMass at the Mullins Center 72-58.  The win puts the Niners back in a three way tie (6-1) with [...]]]>

The Niners were all smiles as Derrio Green lit UMass up with 34 points.

Derrio Green week in the Atlantic 10 came to a close with a 34 point peformance as the Niners defeated UMass at the Mullins Center 72-58.  The win puts the Niners back in a three way tie (6-1) with Temple and Xavier atop the league and with a 16-5 record are off to their best start since 2004-2005 when they ran out to a 21-4 record before losing their last four.

Green was at his best, connecting from both inside and out as he topped his outstanding 26 point performance earlier in the week against Temple.  Green connected on 8-16 from 3-point land and 9-19 overall.  Phil Jones was the only other Niner in double digits with 12, 7 of them coming consecutively in a run that took a perilous 3 point lead in the second half and extended it to 10.  The run included a three pointer and another where he seemed to have just one foot on the line.

For UMass, it was another dreadful night shooting the ball.  The Minutemen managed just 4 makes from 28 attempts from beyond the arc.  Ricky Harris was the leading scorer for UMass, scoring 25 on 11-24 shooting including 3-10 from outside.  Anthony Gurley was the only other player for the Minutemen in double figures, scoring 11 on 4-11 shooting and missing on all five of his attempts from deep.  Former Niner recruit Sean Carter had a solid game on the defensive end, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking 4 shots.

Both teams opened the game trading buckets early on with Gurley hitting a basket to give UMass an early 9-6 lead.  A Shamari Spears put back and a Derrio Green three pointer gave the Niners their first lead, one they would not relinquish.  It was this first half where Green did most of his damage, scoring 21 points, including 5 three-pointers and a dazzling drive and finish near the rim on a difficult scoop-shot layup.  The outburst gave the Niners an 8 point lead at the half, 34-26.

The second half opened up with a sustained run by UMass that cut the Niner lead to just one at 37-36 on a Ricky Harris layup.  The narrow lead persisted over the next two minutes as the teams exchanged misses, turnovers, and fouls until An’Juan Wilderness broke a 4 minute scoring drought with a tough layup.  That’s when Jones took over, scoring the next 7 points including a 3-pointer about 4 feet behind the arc as the Niners re-built the lead back into double digits.  A parade of free throws by Charlotte extended the lead to 17 with 6 minutes to go.  However, the Niners appeared to lose focus a bit in the closing stretch of the game, allowing UMass to shrink the lead to 10 with about a minute to go with miscues by Charles Dewhurst and a pair of surprising turnovers by DiJuan Harris.

Overall it was a solid win for the Niners as they showed the team can win the trap games on the road, something Derrio Green acknowledged in his post-game comments.  For fans, it’s comforting to see his development, as it shows teams will have to choose their poison against the Niners:  try to shut down the Niner perimeter game?  Shamari Spears and Chris Braswell will hurt you inside.  Focus on limiting the interior game like UMass did tonight (Spears had 4 points on 2-8 shooting, Braswell with 7 on 2-6 shooting) and Derrio will make you pay.

Though the Niners were outrebounded on the night by 5 and UMass managed 12 offensive boards, this should come as little surprise.  As we mentioned in the pregame, the Minutemen are tough rebounders, particularly on the offensive glass.  The Niners managed to secure a victory in my personal favorite stat:  foul shooting.  Charlotte hit 21 of 30 FTAs, the makes being 9 more than UMass even attempted (9-12).  An advantage like that is very difficult to overcome and is a hallmark of tournament caliber teams coached by Bobby Lutz.

Up next for the Niners are the George Washington Colonials on Wednesday in Halton Arena followed by a trip to the Bronx to take on the Fordham Rams next Saturday.  A pair of victories and the Niners could be looking at their first trip into the Top 25 in 5 years.

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.

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!