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Team Preview: 6th Place - Charlotte 49ers
By Andrew Stark | November 10, 2008
Charlotte was a team in transition a season ago. The 49ers welcomed eight new players, Coach Bobby Lutz had an unsettled contract situation, and the Niners were expected to finish in the bottom half of the Atlantic 10. However, they surprised many naysayers and jumped out to a 13-6 start, including key wins over Wake Forest, Davidson, Southern Illinois and at Clemson, ranked 19th in the country at the time.
Leemire Goldwire was the leader of the team in many facets, and he has graduated. Goldwire was a clutch shooter, good defender and the heart and soul of the team, sometimes willing the 49ers to victories.
While a late season 2-6 skid hurt Charlotte, they rallied and won their final three regular season games heading into the Atlantic 10 tournament.
In the tournament, Charlotte defeated Rhode Island and, in their biggest comeback of the season, surprised eventual NIT finalist UMass with a late Goldwire three-pointer. Temple proved to be too much for the 49ers to overcome in the semifinals of the tournament, but Charlotte landed a bid in the NIT before their season was brought to an end by Nebraska.
Probable Starters:
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DiJuan Harris, 5-9, Jr.
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Ian Anderson, 6-4, Jr.
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An’Juan Wilderness, 6-6, So.
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Lamont Mack, 6-7, Sr.
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Charlie Coley III, 6-7, Sr.
In 2008-09, Lamont Mack returns for his senior season as the offensive leader of the team. Mack averaged 12.8 points and 5 rebounds per game, but excelled in conference play where he averaged 15.6 per contest. Mack can score both inside and out, and his well-rounded game is a nightmare matchup for opposing defenders.
Joining Mack in the starting lineup and frontcourt will be Charlie Coley. Coley is a high-riser who brings defensive intensity and is best in transition. He averaged 8.7 points per game last season and led the 49ers with 6.2 rebounds per outing. He’ll be relied upon this season to score a bit more and continue to crash the glass to maximize second-chance points for his team. One thing for certain; his defense and intensity will remain a constant.
Sophomore An’Juan Wilderness will also be counted on to help fill the scoring void created by the graduation of Goldwire. He carried an 8 point, 5 rebound per game average last season but - as freshman are prone to do - disappeared in some games. Now that he has a year in the bank, Wilderness should be more assertive offensively. He also looks to improve finishing in and around the bucket and, if he’s successful, Charlotte will reap the benefits as Wilderness earns plenty of chances. His 2.53 offensive rebounds per game last year placed him sixth in the conference and tied for the top spot among all freshmen. He’ll continue to remain tough on defense, where he can silence opposing wings with his blend of strength and agility.
Also up front for the Niners is Phil Jones. Simply put, Jones needs to produce this season. A physical specimen at 6-foot-10, 260 lbs., Jones averaged only three points and three rebounds per game last year, and was often over-matched at center. While he may never develop a mean streak, Jones can impact games if he becomes more assertive and finishes around the bucket. Shooting just 32% from the field - for a player his size - is mind-boggling. Gaby Ngoundjo showed flashes last year as well, but must become more consistent. Ngoundjo provides nice depth in the 49er frontcourt and is aggressive on the glass.
The wildcard for the big men is redshirt freshman Javarris Barnett. He has grown a few inches since arriving at school and has gotten much stronger and agile. The 49ers will count on him to contribute.
The backcourt features the A-10 assist leader in point guard Dijuan Harris. He is steady (the A-10 assist-turnover ratio leader), but rarely looked to create his own shot last year. Harris is a good on-the-ball defender, and will be counted on to bring the same tenacity and decision-making to the team he has in the past. He looked confident in the Charlotte Summer League, matching up against players such as former Clemson standout Terrell McIntyre, and looks to parlay the experience gained from his summer work into a successful junior season.
Ian Andersen will likely step back into the starting rotation this season, after starting some as a freshman. A long-range threat known for his hustle and accuracy, the 6-4 Andersen averaged 5.8 points per game and made 37% of his attempts from downtown. With the graduation of Leemire Goldwire, Andersen looks to improve his consistency. In the past, he’s been prone to streaky shooting and, but for two games, struggled down the stretch last year in conference play. With a larger role and increased minutes in 2008-09, however, Andersen won’t feel the pressure to immediately produce when entering the game, which should aid the junior in settling in and finding his stroke.
Rashad Coleman will also see time. A junior newcomer, Coleman will be counted upon to provide a scoring spark off the bench. He averaged 26 points and 6.2 rebounds per game at the Heat Academy last season.
Charlotte had also expected two additional faces to be present in their backcourt just a few months ago. But Mike Gerrity, a solid back-up point guard with a different, complementary game to that of Harris, left the Niner program. A good penetrator, Gerrity provided the offense another dimension in 2007-08. His curious decision notwithstanding, he would have helped in 2008-09.
For completely different reasons, namely a fractured right knee cap, Shamarr Bowden will miss his freshman season and be redshirted. Bowden is an excellent scorer that will be tabbed to eventually fill the shoes of Goldwire. He had shown great promise during the 49ers trip to Canada this summer, leading the team in that category.
As a result of the defection of Gerrity and injury to Bowden, sophomore Charles Dewhurst has begun seeing reps at the point guard spot for Bobby Lutz. Dewhurst showed promise during his freshman season where he played mostly on the wing, and at 6-5 has good vision. He may not register prolific numbers in any one area, but can contribute in a variety of columns and become an invaluable glue-guy. Like Wilderness, Dewhurst is capable of guarding both smaller and larger foes alike and should help the Niners improve their perimeter defense.
Newcomer Breakdown - According to Associate Head Coach Rob Moxley
Rashad Coleman - Is a great story. He went to Brewton Parker (an NAIA school) but then grew five inches and attended a junior college in Virginia. He’s a very talented wing who had offers from every major conference.
Shamarr Bowden (inj.) - 6-3 shooter who had huge games versus both Oak Hill and Hargrave, scoring over 30 in each. Shamarr was a Virginia Tech commit before deciding to re-open his recruitment. He attended the Miller School in Charlottesville, VA.
Go-to-Guy: Lamont Mack should be the clear go-to-guy when the 49ers need a basket this year. The versatile forward has the size to score in the pivot and the touch to connect from the outside (36% from beyond the arc). Mack will convert his share of big shots, but he’ll also see more attention this year. If he can improve his passing, he’ll create opportunities for teammates in key situations when he draws multiple defenders and distributes.
Impact Newcomer: By default, Rashad Coleman gets the nod. With the injury to Shamarr Bowden, and redshirt freshman Javarris Barnett playing in a loaded frontcourt, Coleman has the best chance to immediately earn minutes. He has the ability to play multiple positions on the floor and is a quality outside shooter. He’ll need some time to adjust to the physicality at this level, but should round into form by the time conference season begins.
Marquee Non-Conference Match-up: On November 22, 2008, Charlotte hosts the Clemson Tigers. Last year, Charlotte traveled to Littlejohn Coliseum and took down the 18th ranked Tigers 82-72, marking their most impressive win to that point in the season. The Tigers, who should be competitive again this year, will surely have revenge on the mind when they travel to Halton Arena. Charlotte also plays another ACC foe, Maryland, but will not renew the annual rivalry with Davidson this season.
Notable Positive Statistic (2007-08): The 49ers frequently live and die by the three-point shot. Last year was no exception. The Niners pulled the trigger from long range 786 times last season - second only to UMass - converting at a 35% rate. The three can be a huge asset, but it also limits offensive rebounds, a real strength for the Niners… and when the touch goes cold the 49ers sometimes struggled to go to anything else.
Notable Negative Statistic (2007-08): While 35% from three-point range is good, 40% from the field is not. That is the number the 49ers registered last season, and that must improve for this team to be considerably better. Charlotte also shot just 67% from the line in 2007-08.
The ‘Niners will succeed if… Mack is ready to carry the scoring load. The senior averaged 15.6 points, shot 80% from the stripe and knocked down 2.44 three-pointers per game during Atlantic 10 play last go-around, and must consistenly answer the bell in the scoring department this year. That said, its tough to bet against him. Charlotte must also improve shot selection and run their offense from the inside-out, taking advantage of an excellent front line. Guard play remains crucial for this team and, with the loss of Bowden, Coleman needs to step-up early. The quicker Dewhurst becomes reliable as a back-up to Harris, the better this team will fair.
Outlook: Had Mike Gerrity not left the program and Bowden not gone down with a knee injury; Charlotte draws a higher rank. Losing two expected contributors in the backcourt, however, could spell a lower finish rather than challenging for a spot in the top three. With the tremendous amount of parity atop the league this year, the 49ers are certainly in the hunt, but have a few more questions to answer.
Nevertheless, Charlotte is poised for a successful season and a likely postseason birth. Another year under their belts translates into Mack, Wilderness and Coley being an even more formidable frontcourt; one of the top trios in the conference. Last year, the three forwards combined to average 29 points and 16 boards a game; a number that ranks with the best returning frontcourts in the league. In fact, even more impressive is that the trio arrived at those numbers in a year where Mack and Coley were adjusting from the junior college game, Mack was not fully healthy, and Wilderness was just a freshman. On nights when the backcourt struggles, the big three will be asked to carry the load in a variety of different ways.
For the year to truly be memorable, players like Phil Jones and Ian Andersen need to play with consistency. Although the ‘Niners are not counting on Jones to be a cornerstone of their frontcourt, any solid contribution could turn a very good set of bigs into a superb one. Jones will need to finish better at the rim (32% from the field) and at the line (58% from the line). Anderson simply needs to knock down threes and handle the ball sufficiently on the wing. Anderson shot 39% from three last year, and should see some good looks this year when teams choose to double in the post.
Jones, Dewhurst and Barnett looked good on the team trip to Canada over the summer, and should also provide support. Dewhurst, specifically, can boost the fortunes of this team if he can spell DiJuan Harris and simply avoid errors.
With the 49ers’ question marks centered upon a lack of depth in the backcourt, it will be paramount for the bigs to batter opponents on the glass. Last year, the 49ers finished fifth in the league in offensive boards, and should be in that top half group again this year.
Charlotte returns a stingy defense (third lowest field goal percentage, third in steals) fueled by great team athleticism and length at numerous positions. The talent is present to compete for the league title, provided the guards elevate their game as a unit. If the ‘Niners stay healthy - particularly Harris - and the backcourt cast rises to the occasion from the opening curtain, Charlotte will be in the mix come March.
Topics: General |
