Charlotte 49ers-Tennessee Volunteers: Game Preview

After a close home loss to Georgia Tech, the Charlotte 49ers will try to pull off one more strong non-conference upset (having already knocked off former C-USA rival Louisville) prior to the beginning of conference play. They’ll travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on the Volunteers tomorrow night, Jan. 6.

The 49ers did a number of things wrong against the Ramblin’ Wreck and correcting any of them could have produced a different result. Charlotte needs to focus on making the following adjustments if they plan on knocking off No. 15 Tennessee.

First of all, free throws played a major role in the game. The Yellow Jackets shot an above-average 90.6 percent compared to Charlotte’s 70.4 percent, which sparked momentum for Georgia Tech and left Charlotte just out of reach for most of the game.

The biggest offender was An’Juan Wilderness, who only hit four out of eight attempts from the charity stripe.

Wilderness, however, led the 49ers in offensive rebounding, which was also an issue. Previously, Charlotte had been pulling down nearly equal numbers of offensive and defensive rebounds, while Saturday night, they only managed seven on offense as opposed to 30 on defense.

Second-chance points are crucial to a team’s confidence and momentum, as well as putting more points on the scoreboard. When Charlotte can’t control the offensive glass, they get themselves into trouble.

This prompts the final big mistake the 49ers made: Not being a presence in the paint. Charlotte shot well from the three-point range, including strong performances by Dijuan Harris (who hit three out of four) and Derrio Green (7-15).

The problem is Charlotte hit one more three-pointer than other field goals. Translation: The 49ers live and die by the deep ball, and when you’ve got an abundance of natural ability from forwards Chris Braswell and Shamari Spears, there really isn’t an excuse to not dominate inside.

The X-Factor to this game, however, doesn’t relate to performance on the court.

Tennessee’s Tyler Smith, Brian Williams, Cameron Tatum, and Melvin Goins, having been arrested for gun and drug charges, will not play in tomorrow night’s game against the 49ers. This is a big blow for the Volunteers, as Smith and Tatum are second and fourth on the team in scoring, respectively.

Smith also averages nearly 27 minutes per game as well as sporting a .573 field goal percentage and a 2.8:1 assist to turnover ratio. He is currently third on the team in total rebounds and the team leader in assists.

Tatum doesn’t exactly slack either. While averaging about 20 minutes per game, he shoots 40 percent from three-point territory and has only committed nine turnovers in 12 games.

While the loss of these four players not only weakens Tennessee’s starting lineup and decreases the amount of bench players available, keep in mind this is a premier program and Volunteer backups would start on most mid-major squads. Charlotte can’t take their opponent lightly, and I guarantee coach Lutz won’t allow them to.

To win the game, the 49ers need to establish themselves from long range early as a way to open up the inside game. Phil Jones, Shamari Spears, and Chris Braswell need to attack the boards with all they’ve got and increase second-chance opportunities.

Points in the paint will determine who wins this game. Put controversy aside because once these teams take the court, the only thing that matters is the score.