Charlotte Team Report

GETTING INSIDE

If you can’t shoot, you can’t score. Both categories were sizable problems last season.

The Charlotte 49ers shot just 41 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from the 3-point arc, ranking 267th in the NCAA.

“Injuries played a huge part of our offensive struggles,” Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz said. “We lost our best penetrating point guard and our wing athletes for much of the season. Teams were able to stay on our shooters. We have much better offensive talent at all positions this upcoming season, including low-post players who can score.

“That will force help or double-teams which will open up shooters. The zone bothered us as well last season, but I feel our personnel now will help solve that as well.”

Lutz believes his team is far superior to last season’s in the shooting department. Shooting guard Ian Anderson (35.5 percent on 3s) and point guard DiJuan Harris (35.6 percent) are both back. Plus, newcomer guard Derrio Green is an excellent penetrator and shooter and combined with a fortified frontcourt should increase the 49ers scoring from 68.7 points last season, which ranked 152nd in the nation.

That type of offensive struggles led to the worst overall record, 11-20, Charlotte’s worst Atlantic-10 finish (12th) of the past five seasons.

Even so, the 49ers were the lone A-10 team to defeat both conference champion Xavier and runner-up Dayton. They’ve also registered a victory over a top 20 team in each of the last years, so Charlotte knows how to win.

With a little luck with health and improved offense, the 49ers are confident of a return to the postseason.

NOTES, QUOTES

• After losing three regulars for the season after the school year started in Mike Gerrity (transfer), Shamarr Bowden (injury) and Charles Dewhurst (injury after 11 games), Charlotte went 11-20. Add a fourth player, starter An’Juan Wilderness, who missed seven games and nearly two months of practice with a stress fracture, and all those losses accounted for nearly 90 missed games, severely depleting the team’s depth. Bowden, Dewhurst and Wilderness all return.

• PG DiJuan Harris, who was one of just two players to rank in the NCAA top six in both assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, has added more offense to his game and is regarded as one of the team’s hardest workers. Entering this season, his minutes are expected to go down. That’s a good thing. Harris set a school record with 1,146 minutes played, so the addition of combo guard Derrio Green should help Harris get a breather and become even more effective.

• C Phil Jones is expecting to put up the best numbers of his career in his senior season. The improving big man has dropped weight, improved his fitness and should benefit from the frontcourt addition of Boston College transfer Shamari Spears. Jones, who averaged 19.3 points a game last season, doubled his points per game to 7.3 and raised his field-goal percentage from 33 percent to 47 percent as a junior.

Last Year:   11-20 overall, 5-11 in the A-10.

Head Coach:   Bobby Lutz (career 380-237); 12th year at Charlotte (199-146).

Quote To Note:   “DiJuan is a luxury and pleasure to have as a coach. He’s one of our best recruiters because he truly loves our program and school. He works hard and is incredibly unselfish.”—Coach Bobby Lutz on senior point guard DiJuan Harris.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   Several newcomers could provide instant impact, starting in the frontcourt with Boston College transfer Shamari Spears, who averaged 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds at Boston College. Redshirt freshman guard Shamarr Bowden led the 49ers in scoring during its Canada tour last season. Coach Bobby Lutz said highly touted freshman forward Chris Braswell could be a starter from day one.

Key Early-season Games:   The 49ers could get an early test against in-state foe Duke in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-off if both teams advance. The preseason schedule also includes trips to Louisville (Dec. 5) and Tennessee (Jan. 6), the final primer before the 16-game A-10 season. Charlotte’s big home draw is a Jan. 2 game at Halton Arena against Georgia Tech.

Program Direction:   Hopes are with three returning starters and additional depth with Boston College transfer Shamari Spears, a 6-foot-6, 235-pounder, and big-time recruit, 6-foot-8 forward Chris Braswell. Injuries ravaged the club last season so with health and more scoring punch at every position, the 49ers like their chances or returning to postseason play and perhaps a first NCAA Tournament berth since 2004-05.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG DiJuan Harris, SG Ian Henderson, SF An’Juan Wilderness, PF Shamari Spears, C Phil Jones.

Roster Report:  

• PG DiJuan Harris injured his ankle prior to summer, which kept him out until August, but coach Bobby Lutz said Harris is ready to go.

• G Shamarr Bowden led the 49ers during its 2008 preseason trip through Canada and was poised for a big season before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

• F An’Juan Wilderness, a versatile wing, is coming off a season in which injuries limited him to 24 games. Fully healthy, the junior is expecting a breakout season.