Gold Rush: Charlotte 49ers Dominating In Non-Conference Play

Nine games into the 2009-10 college basketball season, the Charlotte 49ers are 8-1, off to their best start in recent memory. There are several factors that contribute to the success of the 49ers.

The depth of their bench is a good place to start.

The 49ers have 10 players that average 10 or more minutes per game. Having so many capable players enables Charlotte to keep fatigue from setting in, which has been a problem for the last few years. By having more quality players to rotate in and out of the lineup, the starters remain fresh and it feels more like a team effort.

Junior transfer Shamari Spears, a native of Salisbury, NC, has become the impact player for the 49ers. Having left Boston College and sat out a year (due to NCAA rules), Spears is averaging 18.5 points and 5 rebounds per game, as well as having led the team in scoring for six out of the first nine games.

While on the subject of scoring, Charlotte averages 82.7 points per game, while limiting opponents to just under 70 per game. That number is misleading, however, as the 49ers have only scored less than 80 twice—a 101-59 loss to Duke, and a 75-61 victory over Elon.

It’s also important to note that seven of Charlotte’s eight wins have come by double digits. The other win was by eight points over Hofstra.

Offensive rebounding has also improved. Junior Phil Jones and freshman sensation Chris Braswell, who dropped 21 points during an 87-65 thrashing of former Conference-USA rival Louisville December 5, lead the team in offensive rebounds with 24 and 25, respectively, leading to more second-chance opportunities that have not gone to waste.

Charlotte only has five games left before conference play begins. Sunday, the 49ers hit the road to face Winthrop and Old Dominion before returning to Halton Arena on December 29 to play Mercer. The final two non-conference games, however, will be the real test of this surprising team’s ability.

On January 2, the 49ers host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Halton Arena. While the Yellow Jackets are currently ranked No. 15, Charlotte has already proved rankings mean nothing this year, having dispatched of No. 18 Louisville. The Ramblin’ Wreck is currently 7-1, with their only loss coming to fellow Atlantic-10 member Dayton.

Don’t be surprised if lightning strikes twice.

Four days later, Charlotte travels to Knoxville, TN to take on the No. 8 Volunteers. This game could easily go downhill in a hurry, but provided the 49ers establish dominance from 3-point range early and often, it may be a closer game than most expect. The fans could be rewarded by an entertaining long-range shootout.

As long as the 49ers keep up this level of momentum, it should be a no-brainer—the 49ers will roll through the Atlantic-10 on their way to an NCAA tournament bid.