49ers-Memphis: What to watch for

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- What to watch for in tonight's New Year's Eve game between the 49ers and Memphis at FedEx Forum:

-- Big news here is that Tigers point guard Joe Jackson, the team's second leading scorer (11.8) who averages 3.1 assists, won't play. There are reports that Jackson isn't happy at Memphis and might transfer.

-- Charlotte's biggest cover problem will be 6-6 Memphis guard Will Barton, who averages 20.5 points and 9.2 rebounds. That's right, 9.2 rebounds. Might see 49ers small forward DeMario Mayfield on Barton, or 6-3 point guard Pierria Henry.

-- This is a renewal, briefly, of the Charlotte-Memphis rivalry in the 49ers' Conference USA days. The 49ers have a 6-7 record against Memphis. They last played in the 2005 C-USA tournament, with Memphis winning 83-69.

-- There's one common opponent for the 49ers and Tigers this season: Miami. Memphis beat the Hurricanes in Coral Gables 71-54; Miami beat Charlotte at Halton 76-61.

-- This is a big sports weekend in Memphis, much of centered at the FedEx Forum, which is right off the Beale Street entertainment district. The NBA's Grizzlies were in town Friday against Houston, the Liberty Bowl (Vandy vs. Cincy) is this afternoon, and the 49ers and Tigers play tonight. Memphis rings in the New Year with an electric guitar drop on Beale Street.

Observations from Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Observations from Charlotte's 80-67 loss Wednesday to Arkansas:

-- There's a troubling trend developing in center Chris Braswell's game: He's falling in love with his jump shot. Braswell is a skilled inside player -- although not overly physical -- but he's taken to going outside in recent games against teams like Arkansas and Miami who have bruisers inside.

Braswell, who didn't practice this week because he was attending to a family medical emergency, was a non-factor against the Hogs, scoring seven points on three-of-11 shooting (including one of two from 3-point range). He had at least two of his shots blocked when he tried to go inside. He was three-of-15 against Miami.

"We need Chris to be around the rim a little more," said coach Alan Major.

Wonder if Major will be offer that sentiment to Braswell between now and Saturday's game at Memphis.

-- The Razorbacks eventually wore down the 49ers. "What they do is really not that complicated," said Major. Said Arkansas coach Mike Anderson: "I thought they were fatigued. You could see it. We were making Charlotte not want to come into the paint."

-- Like it or not, the 49ers have a reputation as a perimeter-oriented team. "They're a 3-point shooting team," said Anderson. The 49ers only made five of 24 3s against Arkansas, though. Those 24 long-range shots accounted for more than a third of Charlotte's 63 field-goal attempts.

-- E. Victor Nickerson had a tough night, missing all six of his shots and making just five-of-10 free throws. These are the kinds of games freshmen learn from.

Q&A with Melvin Watkins

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Here’s a quick Q&A with Arkansas associate head coach Melvin Watkins, a former 49ers head coach and point guard. He had a 42-20 in two seasons with the 49ers in 1997-98 and helped Charlotte to the 1977 Final Four. He left for Charlotte for Texas A&M, where he was head coach from 1999-2004. This is his first season at Arkansas after six seasons as an assistant coach at Missouri.


Q. Is this the first time one of your teams has played Charlotte?

“Yes, and I hope it’s the last time!”

Q. What kinds of emotions will you have tonight?

“Not as much as you’d think, since it’s not at Charlotte. If it was (at Halton Arena), I could be all over the place. But the fact is, it’s here and I’ve been removed for some years. They’re not kids I recruited, so that makes it different. Still, they’re the 49ers and they’ll always have a special place in my heart.”

Q. Do you have much connection with the 49ers basketball program?

“Purposely, I stay away a bit. You’ve got to allow the coaching staff there to do their job. So I’m not running any kind of interference. When Bobby Lutz was there, I might have, but he was my assistant when I was there. I still get some calls from people, but I don’t want to interfere.”

Q. Do you ever get back to Charlotte?

“I did go back this summer. I took my kids and my grandkids to the arena, and they’ve got my jersey up in there. So that was pretty special.”

Q. How are things at Arkansas?

“What I like is the passion for sports they have here. Basketball has been off some, and that’s why we’re here, to get it going again. This is the only show in town, in the state, really. They don’t have pro sports here. So we want to get this building rocking and rolling again, to get back to that.”

Q. Do you know Alan Major?

“I do not, other than to be in the profession, just to sit down say hello once or twice. I knew him when he was at Ohio State a little, so it’s been from afar. Just looking at what I’ve seen this year, they need to give him time to get it going. I mean, they played at a very high level against Davidson, so it appears the potential is there.”

Q. Do you have your Charlotte football season tickets yet”

“I told Judy (Rose) I should get some free ones. She didn’t agree with me!”

49ers-Arkansas: What to watch for

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- A few things to watch for in tonight's 49ers-Arkansas game at Bud Walton Arena. Woooo-eee Pig Sooo-eeey. I'm going to be hearing a lot of that.

-- The Razorbacks (8-3) have won three straight and are 8-1 at home. There only losses this season are at Connecticut (75-62) and Oklahoma (78-63).

-- Arkansas likes to press, so ball security will be important for the 49ers. They've been cutting down on their turnovers recently, and their nine against Miami last week were a season low. Not having Luka Voncina (out for personal reasons) will limit the number of ball handlers at coach Alan Major's disposal. It will be a test for freshman point guard Pierria Henry -- as well as the 49ers' ability to finish when/if they break the press. Maybe this will be a breakout game for Derrio Green, who likes to force the action when pressured.

-- Arkansas is young, with one freshman and two sophomores in the starting lineup. Three other freshmen are in the rotation. That might explain why the Hogs have had trouble finishing games the way coach Mike Anderson would like.

-- The 49ers will be going against Arkansas associate head coach Melvin Watkins, a former Charlotte player and head coach (he was 42-20 with two NCAA appearances in 1996-97. Watkins was a guard on the 49ers' 1977 Final Four team.

Gentile, Rodriguez earn national honors

The Charlotte 49ers' soccer team picked up some national honors today from Soccer America magazine.

Forward Giuseppe Gentile was named the magazine's freshman of the year and senior defender Charles Rodriguez made its first  'MVP' team.

Gentile, who played at Charlotte's Ardrey Kell High, led the 49ers with 10 goals this season and was also the Atlantic 10's rookie of the year. Rodriguez, who had already made named first-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is one of three senior starters the 49ers will lose for next season.

North Carolina's Ben Speas, who scored the winning goal in the Tar Heels' 1-0 national championship victory against Charlotte, was named the magazine's player of the year.

Observations from Miami

Observations from the 49ers' 76-61 loss against Miami:

-- Center Chris Braswell is not a physical player. So when he's matched up against a burly guy like the Hurricanes' 6-10, 280-pound Reggie Johnson, he's going to struggle -- especially if his jumper isn't falling. Braswell was 3 of 15 from the field, and took six 3-pointers (making two). Coach Alan Major said Braswell might have "drifted a little bit," going against Johnson and was also worn down from having to guard him. And Johnson (11 points, 7 rebounds) is a load.

-- The 49ers continue to cut down on their turnovers. They had another season-low in that department (eight) against Miami.

-- And although the 49ers shot just 32.2 percent, they had 10 assists on their 19 baskets, a good ratio.

-- Luka Voncina will travel to his home in Slovenia on Friday to tend to family issues. The 49ers coaching staff hopes he's back for the Jan. 4 Atlantic 10 opener against Richmond.

-- Miami could be a decent ACC team. The Hurricanes haven't played with a full squad all season, with Johnson missing the first nine games with a knee injury and forward DeQuan Jones being reinstated for the 49ers game after a being suspended in the NCAA's Nevin Shapiro/booster investigation. Miami was without all-ACC guard Malcon Grant against the 49ers. Grant missed the game to be with his family after his brother died unexpectedly.
 

49ers-Miami: What to watch for

-- It has been exactly one month since the 49ers last lost, when East Tennessee State beat them at the buzzer Nov. 22. Charlotte is taking better care of the ball during a five-game winning streak, with its nine turnovers Monday against Coppin State a season low.

-- Charlotte guard Luka Voncina won’t play because of personal reasons.

-- The Hurricanes have center Reggie Johnson back. Johnson, who missed the season’s first nine games with a knee injury, scored 15 points in his return last week against Florida Atlantic.

-- Miami guard DeQuan Jones, who had been sitting out in connection to the school’s NCAA investigation into former booster Nevin Shapiro, has been reinstated and could play.