DAVIDSON -- Observations from Charlotte's 73-69 victory against Davidson on Wednesday:
-- The 49ers were one of 20 remaining unbeaten teams in the country going into the game, but were labeled a "fraud" by one national columnist on Tuesday, mostly because of the less-than challenging schedule Charlotte had played.
But even more than last season's blowout victory by Charlotte over Davidson, Wednesday's game and the 8-0 record it produced are now real indications that what coach Alan Major is doing with the 49ers' program might be working.
The 49ers are winning with a hustling, energized group of young players, led by a rapidly emerging point guard in Pierria Henry and go-to center Chris Braswell. Charlotte's defense completely knocked Davidson off its offensive axis, hounding the Wildcats into several uncharacteristic turnovers.
-- The 49ers scored 22 points off 14 Davidson turnovers and got 18 second-chance points off 14 offensive rebounds. McKillop said that was the difference in the game.
-- It was also the first true road game for Charlotte and the first time in hostile territory in the careers of freshmen Darion Clark, Willie Clayton, Denzel Ingram and Ivan Benkovic.
Clayton had six rebounds, but kept the ball in play on several occasions, tipping and keeping alive loose rebounds.
Posts
14 comments:
GO NINERS!
This team is Legit!
Shame on the Observer for not finding space on the front page for the largest local school's undefeated basketball team. UNC sleepwalks through a cupcake and there are multiple headlines. Way to support the local community, CHARLOTTE Observer.
Go Niners. It would be radical if the Observer actually supported the school and the school's teams. But the staff are all UNC lapdogs and UNC sees UNCC as a threat, hince the treatment as invisible. Pitiful really. Go Charlotte 49ers, go UNCC. Phooey UNC and Roy's a tool.
I wouldnt call the LOL cat gym a "hostile" environment. The 9er fans took over and dominated the davidson crowd. Pretty much a Charlotte home game.
On whether or not this is a "fraud" due to a weak schedule...
Since we lost 20 games 2 years ago and 17 last year, no one should be surprised at how this schedule took shape. Why would any big-time teams be bothered? We got who we could get. We got the Great Alaska Shootout because that tournament has gone from being the most prestigeous holiday tournament to about the 15th-most prestigeous holiday tournament.
But however we achieved this year's schedule, we have beaten every team put before us. If you win every game you play, eventually you have to put aside the "it's because of the soft schedule" argument. I know we're not there yet. If we beat Miami, then we can have that talk.
I started the year hoping for 17 wins and an NIT bid. Now I think we can start realistic dreams of the NCAA. realtimerpi.com lists the A-10 as the 6th-best conference, our RPI as 45 and our projected record as 8-8, 20-10. If that's how we end up, and win at least 1 A-10 tourney game, and we're probably going to the big dance. Like I said the other day, we're going to win a bare minimum of 12 non-conference games and there are 5 truly horrible teams in the A-10 (Fordham, Rhode Island, GW, St. Bonaventure and Douquesne) that we have little chance of losing, plus a number of teams that are about the same level as us and we'll win some of those. At this point, it would take a collapse of Biblical proportions for us NOT to have at least 17 wins, and perhaps as many as 20 or 21. As long as we don't have that collapse, Alan Major is going to be here for a long time.
So all of you people that love to scream at the top of your lungs how much you hate the 49ers but spend extraordinarily long hours visiting pro-49er websites and blogs will have to find something else to complain about.
GO NINERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was not happy with Major until now and the reason is I think he is doing a great job recruiting. He has found some very talented players in Clayton, Clark and Ingram this season and last season in Henry and Williams (and maybe Thorne). This group of sophmores and freshmen could make some serious noise in a couple years...
I still dont understand why Braz isnt starting. Your only 4 year senior in his last "rivalry" game. How do you expect him to lead if you keep him on the bench?
^^^
Obvious troll. Major has explained this about 2 dozen times!
Charlotte beat ECU at home last year and blew the same Davidson team out at Halton last year. So to this point this teams wins are no better than last years. "Tissue soft schedules" will mask alot of weaknesses in coaches and players.
Obviously not the same Charlotte team from last year so your point is rendered moot.
GO NINERS!!!!!!!
Very proud of this team
@5:41
It is true the 49ers haven't won the games they haven't played!! Your implication that our players and coaches are weak will prove true or false over time. The lack of opportunity to prove themselves against good opponents can mask a lot of strengths as well, so your post, although true, is without meaning.
Having watched the 49ers play, as opposed to just looking at the scores and schedules, I can tell you that this years team is better and deeper than last year. We are by no means where we want to be, but we are going in the right direction perhaps a little faster than expected.
Try to see the glass half full, my friend.
Post a Comment