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March 15 | AP Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte fired coach Bobby Lutz on Monday after his 12th year at his alma mater was marred by a late-season collapse and a costly blunder in a first-round loss in the Atlantic 10 tournament.

Chancellor Philip Dubois said in a statement that the move was in the “long-term interest of 49ers basketball and the university as a whole.” Lutz leaves as the school’s all-time winningest coach with a 218-158 mark and with four years left on his contract.

“This was an extremely difficult decision and not one that was made lightly or in haste,” athletic director Judy Rose said. “Bobby has been an important part of the 49ers family and represented our university in a most positive manner. Our expectations for our program are high and our goal is to strive to be in the upper echelon of the Atlantic 10 with an opportunity to compete in the NCAA tournament on a regular basis.”

Lutz was promoted to coach in 1998 after three years as an assistant and led the 49ers to the NCAA tournament in five of his first seven seasons. But the 49ers haven’t been back since 2005.

Lutz didn’t immediately return a message left on his cell phone, but released a statement through the school.

“It has been a privilege and pleasure to coach at UNC Charlotte, my alma mater,” Lutz said. “I have been truly blessed and will forever bleed green.”

The move would have seemed improbable barely a month ago, when the 49ers knocked off Temple and moved into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10. With a roster full of newcomers, Lutz had seemingly turned things around after Rose said over the summer that Lutz faced a “critical year” after going 11-20 in 2008-09.

But Charlotte soon went into a free-fall, losing seven of its last eight games to miss out on the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight year. The 49ers also failed to get a bid to the NIT on Sunday.

And Lutz’s last game will be memorable for an embarrassing gaffe.

Trailing Massachusetts by three with under a minute left in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament at home, the 49ers had the ball and called a timeout. But they came out of the huddle with six players and when play began they were called for a technical foul.

UMass, which entered 11-19 and the 11th seed, hit both free throws and went on to post the upset.

“You’d think a guy with three undergraduate degrees and two graduate degrees could count to five, but obviously I didn’t,” Lutz said after the game, which left Charlotte 19-12.

Lutz’s assistants were also fired on Monday, and the school said a search for a replacement would begin immediately.

“Our fans, especially the students who are dear to my heart, have been tremendous and a source of inspiration for me,” Lutz said. “They deserve the best and that is my hope for them.”

March 3, 2009 by Jordan Keyser | A10CollegeHoops

CHARLOTTE, NC — Richmond’s Kevin Anderson sliced down the lane and hit a contorting lay-up with 8 seconds to play to win the game for the Spiders, 64-62.

Lamont Mack had a career night for the 49ers, with a career high 32 points, as well as a career high 14 rebounds. Despite his stellar performance, Mack was obviously not satisfied with the outcome. Mack had a chance at a game winning three-pointer, but the shot rimmed out at the buzzer.

“I definitely had a good look. It just didn’t go in.” Mack said dejectedly. “It hurts. Me and Charlie wanted to go out on a win on senior night and we really wanted to get coach his 200th win (at Charlotte.)”

The game once again pitted two of the A-10’s best point guards against each other, with Richmond’s Anderson and Charlotte’s Dijuan Harris. In a reversal of Charlotte’s last game against Fordham, Harris was the one who was outplayed on both sides of the ball this time. Harris, who was 4th in the country in assists coming into this game, managed only 4 the entire game, as well as only 4 points. Anderson led the way for Richmond with 24 points and tacked on 6 rebounds.

According to 49er head coach Bobby Lutz, Anderson was the difference.

“We had no answer for Anderson tonight, that’s what it came down to. No matter what we did, no matter what adjustments we made, we couldn’t stop him. He was the difference tonight.”

Despite Anderson’s great guard play, it was a poor ball-handling night for both teams, with both squads having more turnovers than assists. In spite of the loss, Charlotte managed one of their best rebounding games of the season, with +14 ratio over Richmond, as well as a +10 ratio on the offensive boards.

With the loss, Charlotte falls to 11-18 overall and 5-10 in the conference. Their loss puts a trip to Atlantic City for the A-10 Conference Tournament in jeopardy. Their final game of the season is at St. Bonaventure on Saturday. Their postseason hopes, as well as St. Bonaventure’s, most likely will be determined by the outcome of the game.

Richmond closes their season out at home against 18th ranked Xavier on Saturday.

February 21, 2009 by Patrick Gill | A10CollegeHoops

RICHMOND, VA — The Richmond Spiders rode Kevin Anderson’s 15 second half points and stifling defense to a  victory over the Charlotte 49ERS on Saturday night at the Robins Center. Following a mediocre first half Richmond (6-6 A-10, 14-13) dominated Charlotte in the second half to continue their recent surge.

For the first twenty minutes of the contest it seemed Charlotte had solved their season long quandary of playing away from home. Despite their 2-10 mark away from the friendly confines of Halton Arena the 49ERS were clicking on all cylinders going into intermission. Their best player Lamont Mack seemed unstoppable, they were 6-11 from beyond the arc, and possessed a four point advantage.

However, in the second half the road demons that have possessed Charlotte all season returned. The Spiders active match-up zone flustered the 49ers from the outset of the period. Following a Charlie Coley dunk that gave Charlotte a 41-38 lead the 49ers would only score two points the next seven minutes.  “They have good size overall in their zone. They do good job of getting to shooters,” Charlotte head man Bobby Lutz said of the Spiders.

During the pivotal stretch the home team used two Anderson steals, a gravity defying block by Cedric Francis Martel and Ryan Butler’s lockdown defense to stake their claim to a 49-43 advantage with 8:14 remaining. Butler had 4 second half blocks but Richmond Head Coach Chris Mooney believed his diving steal with 12:57 remaining was the turning point in the contest. “The play of the game was when Ryan Butler dove on ground at half court and threw it ahead to Kevin Anderson.”

The Spiders would never trail again but needed several big plays by Anderson to repel the resilient 49ERs. With Richmond clinging to a two point lead with 3:34 remaining the sophomore point guard hit a three from the top of the key and then connected on four straight foul shots to put Charlotte out of their misery.

Richmond has responded from a midseason slump by winning 3 of their last 4 games with the only blemish being a close loss at Dayton. Ryan Butler believes the combination of a favorable schedule and a young team hitting their stride bode well for the Spiders as they approach the stretch run. “Hopefully we can win out and get a good seed in the A-10 tournament. We just want to continue to get chances to show teams we can play.”

Charlie Coley's electrifying dunks were not enough.

February 5, 2009 by Jordan Keyser | A10CollegeHoops

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With their postseason hopes possibly hanging in the balance, The Rhode Island Rams pulled together late and toppled the Charlotte 49ers, 71-64.

The Rams (16-7, 5-3 A-10) came into the game with an RPI ranking of 63: right on the cusp of being a bubble team. Despite trailing early and often, the Rams rallied behind star Jimmy Baron, who scored all of his 19 points in the second half. Despite controlling the tempo for most of the game, Charlotte (7-14, 1-6 A-10) simply could not stop Baron when it mattered the most.

Rhode Island head coach Jim Baron couldn’t agree more.

“Jimmy really did a great job in the 2^nd half of attacking the bucket. He kept moving off screens and really stepped up. I’m really proud.” Coach Baron said of his son’s performance.

49er’s head coach Bobby Lutz sang his praises as well.

“Baron really stepped it up in the 2^nd half. I thought we played him very well defensively, but he hit the big shots. The credit goes to him.”

The 49ers lead by as much as 11 late in the first half, but an 8-0 run by the Rams to close out the half stopped the bleeding.

“After (the 8-0 run) I thought we were in great shape,” said Coach Baron.

The Rams came out of the locker room firing early and silenced the crowd. A rim-rattling, 2-handed tomahawk dunk by Charlotte’s Charlie Coley quickly changed that. Despite adding several other jams that energized the home crowd throughout the second half, the biggest play Coley was involved in was a possible no-call on a dunk attempt with under a minute to go.

“I definitely felt like it was a foul; I definitely felt a push in the back, but that’s how it goes,” said Coley. “(The game) was really physical. A lot of trash talking and scrapping.”

One of Coley’s other electrifying dunks was an alley-oop from Harris that brought the Niners within 1-point, with only 2 minutes left to play. But like all big-time players do, Baron stepped up in crunch time and stole a lazy pass for an easy lay-up, which put the Rams up for good. He added a runner down the lane only seconds later, which proved to be the final dagger.

DiJuan Harris played all 40 minutes and netted his second straight double-double for the 49ers, with 10 points and 10 assists. It was his third double-double of the season.

Coley finished with 13 points and 7 boards in the losing effort, while Lamont Mack contributed 17 points and 7 boards, nearly identically matching his averages for A-10 play (17.8 ppg 7.0 rpg).

Kahiem Seawright’s 14 points and 9 rebounds complimented Baron’s 19 second-half points for the Rams.

URI heads to Philadelphia on Sunday to face Temple and possible A-10 POY candidate Dionte Christmas. Charlotte faces Dayton and Chris “Top Flight” Wright on Sunday at home.

November 27, 2008 | AP Press

At times this season, James Harden has been a one-man offensive show for Arizona State. The Sun Devils will likely need a more balanced performance on Thursday night when they take on the Charlotte 49ers in the first round of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

With the rest of his teammates hitting only 26.5 percent of their shots, Harden went 12-of-19 from the field and had a career-high 33 points with 12 rebounds on Sunday in the 14th-ranked Sun Devils’ 61-40 win against Pepperdine.

Harden, whose previous high was 27 points in a 99-90 overtime victory versus California on Jan. 17, had as many points (33) as Pepperdine did when he exited the game in the second half.

“My teammates did a real good job of finding me,” said the 6-foot-4 guard, who scored the team’s first 17 points of the second half.

Harden is averaging 25.0 points and has accounted for 37.5 percent of the Sun Devils’ offense this season. The team’s four other starters shot a combined 2-of-16 against the Waves as Arizona State (3-0) made a season-low 39.6 percent of its attempts from the field.

“Obviously, James was the difference for us with his offensive production,” coach Herb Sendek said.

Harden is hitting 61.0 percent (25-of-41) of his shots and Arizona State is shooting 50.4 percent this season. The Sun Devils, though, will be facing a Charlotte team that’s held its opponents to 40.6 percent shooting.

Defensively, Arizona State has improved each game. Against Pepperdine, the Sun Devils had a season-best 13 steals, forced 20 turnovers for the second time this season, and held the Waves to 26.7 percent shooting.

Arizona State has held opponents to 35.3 percent shooting through three games.

While the Sun Devils go for their first 4-0 start in three seasons, Charlotte looks to avoid its first four-game losing streak since it dropped its final four of the 2004-05 season.

Since their season-opening 77-59 win against UNC Greensboro, the 49ers (1-3) have dropped three in a row by a combined five points.

In Saturday’s 71-70 loss to Clemson, Charlotte forced 17 turnovers and held the Tigers to a season-low 41.8 percent shooting, but missed 12 of its 19 free-throw attempts.

“It was an exciting game,” Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz told the school’s official Web site. “This is the best team we’ve played so far and I think this is the best we’ve played. The foul line was the difference. Seven-of-19 from the foul line in a game that’s this close – that’s a huge difference.”

Charlotte had made 83.6 percent (61-of-73) of its free throws in the first three games.

Junior guard Ian Andersen scored a career-high 21 points on seven 3-pointers Saturday, while Charlie Coley – the 49ers’ leading rebounder at 6.3 per game – posted a season-high 11 boards with nine points.

In the teams’ only previous meeting on Dec. 30, 2000, Arizona State defeated the 49ers 91-78 in the consolation game of the ASU Holiday Classic.

The winner of this game faces either Providence or Baylor on Friday night in the semifinals.

Sunday, November 2, 2008 by WH | A10collegehoops Contributor

I am not an expert on the coaching of basketball and make no such claims. But here is one layman’s assessment of the 14 league coaches and generally the order in which I would hire them – with one change. (If I were hiring a coach, I would put Mooney and Everhart ahead of Baron.)

Sean Miller, Xavier Musketeers

Miller has improved dramatically after some shaky moments in his first two seasons. He is not the A-10’s best game-day coach, but he’s not far off. And now he’s recruiting at a higher level than anyone else. Is No. 1 too high? It’s hard to argue with Xavier’s success under Miller (70.5% winning percentage).

Phil Martelli, St. Joseph’s

Martelli does more with less than any of his A-10 counterparts. His teams are mentally tough and fundamentally sound and seem to peak every year come A-10 tournament time. The challenge for Martelli is to do more with more – the Hawks are often short of quality depth. Perhaps a renovated FieldHouse will allow Martelli to recruit more good players.

Fran Dunphy Temple Owls

Perhaps no other coach in the league except Martelli could have turned Temple around as fast as Dunphy. The Owls are much more efficient offensively compared to the late Chaney years and now the defense is coming around. Dunphy has a great eye for talent and excels at developing players.

Rick Majerus, St. Louis Billikens

Majerus gets a high ranking based on past performance, not on results of his first season in the A-10. The Billikens were competitive despite a thin roster, but it remains to be seen whether Majerus still has the coaching magic. A very good sign is the incoming recruiting class, one of the best in the league on paper.

Karl Hobbs, George Washington Colonials

Hobbs gets high marks for three straight NCAA appearances before last season’s meltdown. Clearly the bad publicity about GW’s admissions policy a few years ago constrained Hobbs’ recruiting – the loss of Jeremy Wise still stings – and the talent level has dropped off.

Yet Hobbs still does a good job of getting long, lean kids and molding them into A-10 caliber players. GW rebounded down the stretch last season and was playing very good ball in the last month (just ask Xavier and UMass) using a 5-8 walk-on as point guard. That’s coaching. Hobbs also kicked three talented players off the team, including Mo Rice, for being disruptive. That’s showing the players he’s still the boss and won’t let things get out of hand.

Brian Gregory, Dayton Flyers

The Flyers would have earned their second NCAA under Gregory if Chris Wright did not get hurt. Gregory has steadily upgraded the talent level and his teams are fundamentally sound. The Flyers play solid defense and crash the boards. The offense has not been especially creative, but higher talent should alleviate that problem. Gregory has had particular difficulty recruiting good point guards.

Bobby Lutz. Charlotte 49ers

Lutz turned the program around last season by reintroducing defense and effort to the players’ vocabulary. Charlotte had been shaky fundamentally since joining the A-10 and the offense was undisciplined. Big improvements occurred in almost every phase last year. Lutz, a good recruiter, also upgraded the talent base. When he’s motivated, Lutz can match wits with any coach in the league.

John Giannini, LaSalle Explorers

Giannini has already shown he can win in the A-10 with just a handful of good players. Now he’s showing he can recruit lots of quality players to LaSalle. Last year, he admitted to a big mistake – no easy thing for a coach – by scrapping a patterned offense after it failed early in the season. LaSalle began to play well once the coach revved up the offense. Knock on wood, but it looks like the Explorers might make a breakthrough in the next few years.

Jim Baron, Rhode Island Rams

Baron gets this ranking based on past achievement, but last year’s late-season collapse has opened him up to deserved criticism – not for the first time, either. Reaching 20 wins was a big accomplishment, but ceding an all-but-guaranteed NCAA bid was a big disaster.

Like Giannini, Baron changed his offense a few years ago when his old ways weren’t working. He gets credit for that. Problem is, the new-look Rams have been mediocre defensively, an area in which Baron’s teams once excelled, and shot selection has been iffy. Add a few demerits. Baron has had a good career at some difficult places to win, but not too many people in Kingston are in his corner these days.

Chris Mooney, Richmond Spiders

If Richmond builds on last year’s success even without the services of injured center Dan Geriot, Mooney would move up the list. He’s quickly restored Richmond to competitiveness with excellent recruiting and coaching. Like Fran Dunphy, he seems to have a great eye for not-so-obvious talent and his players get better under his coaching. There’s no reason to believe the Spiders won’t continue to improve.

Ron Everhart, Duquesne Dukes

Master rebuilder delivered a winning season at Duquesne for the first time since 1994, but his second season wasn’t entirely successful. Everhart substituted players too liberally and he mishandled the point position. It was a good year that could have been better. Now the Dukes are starting over again with almost an entirely new roster. Fortunately Everhart seems to be a demon of a recruiter. The team is very young, but there’s a lot of talent.

Dereck Whittenburg, Fordham Rams

Whit did a good job of stabilizing a shaky program and making it respectable, but he failed in the ultimate task of producing a winner. Last year’s senior-laden team was a huge disappointment. Much of the problem stems from the coach’s inability to recruit a good point guard as well as quality depth – problems exacerbated by the school’s poor facilities. Whit didn’t help matters with a pouty performance on the bench. Body language does matter, Dereck.

Whittenburg is never going to outcoach anyone, so he better get better players and get the Rams back to playing hard every game.

Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure Bonnies

Schmidt’s coaching ability looks somewhat better after his old school, Robert Morris, surged to 26 wins. It says Schmidt recruited talented players and did some good coaching. On the other hand, one wonders if a veteran RMU team would have won as many games if Schmidt were coach. Whatever the case, the Bonnies actually overachieved in Schmidt’s first year even though the roster was one of the least talented in A-10 history. And now Schmidt appears to have done a fantastic job of upgrading the talent base in just one year. Only time will tell if the players are any good, though. If they are, then we’ll get a better idea of Schmidt’s coaching ability.

Derek Kellogg, Massachusetts Minutemen

Incomplete. Rookie Minutemen boss is viewed as a great recruiter and he’s learned under one of the best college coaches in the nation. He was given a good roster to start. Let’s see what he makes of it.

Location: Charlotte, N.C.

Enrollment: 22,254

Founded: 1946

Chancellor: Dr. Philip Dubois

Athletic Director: Judy Rose

Athletic Websites: http://charlotte49ers.cstv.com,  http://ninernation.net,  http://gmine.blogspot.com,  http://charlotte.rivals.com

Nickname: 49ers

Colors: Green and White

Arena: Halton Arena (Opened 1996)

Capacity: 9,105

Average Attendance: 7,309

Head Coach: Bobby Lutz 11th Year (20th Overall)

Overall Record: 369-217 (63% winning percentage)

Record at Charlotte: 188-25

2007-2008 Record: 20-14 (9-7) NIT First Round

Associate Head Coach: Rob Moxley

Assistants: Bobby Kummer, Chris Cheeks

ROSTERS

00 Javarris Barnett R-FR WG 6-6- 230 Charlotte, NC
*2 Charlie Coley SR F 6-7 217 Lake Worth, FL/Dodge City CC (KS)
*3 Dijuan Harris JR G 5-9 175 Charlotte, NC/Hillsborough JC (FL)
5 Gaby Ngoundjo SO PF 6-7 240 Little Rock, AR
11 Ian Andersen JR WG 6-4 200 Portland, OR
*15 Lamont Mack SR F 6-7 230 Chicago/Angelina College (TX)
*21 An’Juan Wilderness SO PF 6-6 215 Dunwoody, GA
22 RaShad Coleman JR G/F 6-5 190 Atlanta/Heat Academy(VA)/Brewton-Parker CC
30 Phil Jones R-SO C 6-10 260 Brooklyn, NY/Laurinburg (NC) Prep
31 Charles Dewhurst R-SO G/F 6-5 190 Charlotte, NC

*Returning starters

OVERVIEW

Charlotte rebounded nicely under coach Bobby Lutz after only his second losing season in 10 years. The team won 20 games, returned to the postseason and scored big wins over Wake Forest, Clemson and eventual Elite 8 participant Davidson.

The turnaround earned Lutz, who had been on the hotseat, a cool five-year extension. Yet the school isn’t exactly overjoyed with two NIT invitations in three years since Charlotte joined the A-10. Fans and administrators want to return to the NCAA tournament, where Charlotte danced in five of Lutz’s first seven years, all as a member of the old Conference USA.

It was starting to look very much like this could be the year – until the loss of two key reserves. The shocking transfer of Mike Gerrity and a season-ending knee injury to freshman sharpshooter Shamarr Bowden leaves the Niners perilously thin in the backcourt. The team has just two legitimate guards left on the roster, only one of whom is a true point guard, and Charlotte is down to 10 scholarship players.

Charlotte can compensate with one of the best frontcourts in the league, including a fleet of versatile small forwards ready to help out in the backcourt. The team also returns an experienced roster with eight lettermen and four returning starters and it welcomes two talented newcomers. Lutz has more size and athleticism than at any time since the program’s glory days of C-USA.

The biggest challenge is to replace the shooting of top gun Leemire Goldwire. He took more than one-quarter of all the team’s shots and accounted for a whopping 47% of Charlotte’s 3-pointers, many in clutch situations and under intense defensive pressure.

Bowden might have supplied some of the firepower. The onetime Virginia Tech commitment hit 8 of 15 three-pointers in the first two games of Charlotte’s August trip to Canada. Without his services, Lutz may have to turn to junior Ian Anderson, a good shooter who’s also a defensive liability.

Then there’s the little matter of backup point guard. Dijuan Harris, a 5-9 junior, is one of the better floor generals in the A-10, but he can’t handle the ball 40 minutes a game.

DEPARTED PLAYERS

Leemire Goldwire (18.6 ppg, 126 treys). Third Team A-10 selection was a classic shoot-you-in or shoot-you-out type of player, but Charlotte mostly lived by Goldwire’s gunnery instead of dying by it. Goldwire finished 3rd in the league in scoring – and first in level of difficulty. No player took, or made, more contested 3-point shots. Goldwire topped the 30-point mark six times and carried the Niners for long stretches. He was also a pesky defender, notching a league-leading 70 steals, many of which he converted into quick baskets.

Mike Gerrity (4.9 ppg, 91 assists, 38 turnovers). Junior point guard mysteriously quit after the team’s trip to Canada. In his only season at Charlotte, the Pepperdine transfer displayed good ball-handling and passing. He did not shoot well (39% FG, 5-17 3PG), however, or finish off drives against bigger defenders. When the pace slowed down late in a game, Gerrity was a liability because of mediocre defense and a reluctance to take open jumpers. Despite those limitations, his departure robs Lutz of valuable experience and depth at point guard. He and Harris composed the best one-two punch in the A-10.

Sean Phaler – Little-used juco was recruited as a shooter, but he hit just one trey all year.

RETURNING PLAYERS

Lamont Mack – The 6-8 juco emerged as a major weapon in his first season. He finished second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg overall, 15.6 ppg in A-10 games) and second in rebounding (5.1 rpg), while shooting 36.4% on 3-pointers (41.1% in conference play).

Though not an explosive athlete, Mack handles the ball well enough to take defenders off the dribble, and he’s strong enough to play with his back to the basket. He’s almost impossible to contain, though, when he gets his jumper going. Mack gets good separation from defenders with a terrific jab step, has a high release point and deep range. In Charlotte’s comeback vs. UMass in the A-10 Tournament, Mack hit 5 treys, including a pair of late 25-foot daggers. He flourished in league play, topping the 20-point mark three times in the last 11 games.

Like most good scorers, Mack at time forces his offense (83 turnovers), but his biggest problems come at the defensive end. He has poor habits – he reaches too much and doesn’t always move his feet – and fouled out of five games. In 13 other games, he ended with four fouls and sat for extended periods. The Niners need him on the court for more than 27 minutes a game as a senior.

Charles Coley (8.7 ppg, 50.2% FG). Another juco transfer, Coley is far more athletic than Mack but not as polished offensively. He’s most effective in transition and likes to work the baseline, using his quickness and leaping ability to outmaneuver opponents. He’s also a good rebounder (6.2 rpg) and topnotch defender (46 blocks, 43 steals). Coley has shown hints of a decent faceup jumper and he could be a double-digit scorer in his final season, but Charlotte probably won’t run many sets for him. His points are likely to come by his high-energy play.

An’juan Wilderness (8.1 ppg, 48% FG, 4.8 rpg). Rugged 6-6 small forward added a measure of toughness and aggression that had been missing from the Niners for several years. Wilderness is a nifty interior passer and versatile scorer who does his best work in a fast-paced game. He likes to score in transition, attack the basket after a few quick dribbles or muscle between opponents for in-close scores. Though not a superior athlete, he anticipates well and beats opponents with hustle. As his game matures, the sophomore needs to refine his ball-handling (78 TOs), extend his range and become a better shooter (27% 3PG, 58% FT). He’s not big enough to become a mainstay in the paint and Lutz needs more outside firepower with Goldwire gone.

Ian Andersen (5.8 ppg, 37% 3PG). Junior guard gives great effort but only excels at one thing: 3-point shooting. All but 19 of his 146 attempts were 3-pointers and he dished out a mere 16 assists. He shoots in a hurry and can knock ’em down in flurries (17 points vs. Tulsa; 15 points vs. George Washington). The farther 3-point line won’t bother Andersen, either. He’s used to taking shots well behind the arc.

If he showed better judgment, however, Andersen could be one of the most efficient shooters in the A-10. A bigger concern is his defense. Andersen is not especially quick and has trouble guarding athletic opponents. Despite his defensive shortcomings, Andersen will get a chance to start with the loss of Gerrity and Bowden.

Dijuan Harris – The Niners would not have won 20 games if the quick 5-9 point guard had not signed on with the local team last summer. A skilled ball-handler, Harris ran the offense (108 assists) very efficiently, limited turnovers (28) and played good on-the-ball defense (37 steals). He often played late in the game when Charlotte needed defensive stops or a point guard who could hit an open jumper.

The juco transfer didn’t score much (3.5 ppg), but when he did, it was usually because of good shot selection. Harris hit 46% of his treys, though he only made 28 attempts. Nor does he look to penetrate much.

The performance of Harris is critical with the depleted backcourt. He’s the only true point on the roster and has to play well for Charlotte to return to the postseason. With just a little more creativity, Harris could even become one of the best point guards in the league.

Charles Dewhurt – The 6-5 redshirt sophomore is a very athletic swingman who does a bit of everything. He plays hard, usually makes smart decisions and is a good defender (14 blocks, 21 steals). What he lacks is a defined role on offense (4.4 ppg, 35% FG). Dewhurt was a reluctant shooter, especially behind the arc (2-5) He did most of his scoring close to the basket, none of which was by design. He thinks too much when he has the ball and doesn’t react instinctively.

That could be a bigger problem in his second year because Dewhurst is practicing to back up Harris at point guard. Dewhurt’s hustle and attention to detail is welcome, but he also needs to be more instinctive and aggressive, even if he’s playing out of position.

Phil Jones (3.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 22 blocks). Redshirt sophomore, seen as perhaps the team’s top recruit two years ago, did little to excite in his first season. The 6-10 Jones played soft inside and preferred to take midrange jumpers. Although he has good-looking form and a developing half-hook, Jones only hit 33% of his shots, far too low for a player his size.

The Niners need a bigger presence down low, but it’s unclear if Jones is the answer. He’s not especially aggressive, and Lutz told him he had to get in better shape before the upcoming season . He seemed to tire easily and lacked explosiveness as a freshman.

Based on his performance during the team’s tour in Canada, it seems Jones has gotten the message. He played very well and excited the hopes of the coaching staff. The size and talent is there for him to become a dominant center in the A-10. Now he needs the attitude and effort to match.

Gabe Ngoundjo – If Lutz could combine the energy and tenacity of the second-year Cameroon native with the skills of the Brooklyn-born Jones, Charlotte might have itself an All American. Ngoundjo is raw offensively (1.2 ppg, 44% FG) and hesitant to shoot, but he has All-Conference potential as an interior defender and shotblocker (15 blocks). He’s quick and athletic, with very long arms and good anticipation. Ngoundjo still need plenty of work, though. He fouls frequently, bites easily on upfakes, bricks his free throws and committed too many turnovers. A redshirt season would have helped, but it doesn’t look likely.

NEWCOMERS

RaShad Coleman - Athletic 6-5 guard from Atlanta is a high scorer who attracted late attention from the SEC and Big 12. He put up big numbers at a specialized school that played many of the nation’s top prep teams, but he’s older at 21 than most of those against whom he competed. The A-10 is a big step up in competition. Coleman will get a chance to make an impact immediately. He’s supposed to be a good shooter who can score off the bounce.

Javaris Barnett – Local 6-6 swingman sat out as a freshman to work on his game and bulk up, adding 25 pounds during a redshirt year. Barnett is a good shooter with the size and athleticism to play both wing spots. He could even be used as an outside-shooting power forward. A late bloomer in high school, Barnett got lots of attention in his senior year before signing with the home team. Lutz is very high on him.

SCOUTING REPORT

The Niners have a talented group of forwards in Wilderness, Mack and Coley, who also plays center when Lutz goes small.

Wilderness is a rugged slasher with an improving shot. Coley is a superb athlete and one of the best defenders in the league. Mack is an explosive inside-out scorer.

The trio needs more help from underachieving 6-10 center Phil Jones, especially on the boards. Although the Niners were one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the A-10, Charlotte actually finished with a negative rebounding margin.

The Niners are set at starting point guard, but they cannot afford an injury to Harris. He is the only true point on the roster and no one else comes close. Whoever back him up – Dewhurst has been pegged – better be ready. Opponents will ratchet up the pressure the instant Harris heads to the bench.

Finding a replacement for Goldwire is the biggest hurdle to an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Lutz likes to keep a few great shooters in stock, but Goldwire will be impossible to replace. “Even though we’ve got lot of the guys back, Lee was such a huge part,” Lutz told Associated Press.

Mack and Ian Anderson are two veterans who can pick up some slack and newcomers Coleman and Barnett might also chip in.

In any case, Lutz still has to tinker with the offense to generate more scoring and improve the team’s shooting percentage – Charlotte finished dead last in the A-10 at a paltry 40.1%. Expect an athletic Niners squad to press frequently and try to generate more points in transition.

When the pace slows, the Niners are likely to feed the bigmen down low more than in the past. Jones, Coley, Mack and Wilderness can all score inside. An improved post game – largely missing since Charlotte joined the A-10 – would ease the burden on the team’s wing shooters and give them better looks.

More often than not, though, Mack will be the focal point of the offense and teammates will work off him. What’s needed is for another player, perhaps Wildness, to emerges as a go-to scorer and second major peg in the offense.

PREDICTION

Charlotte’s return to winning ways was fueled by aggressive defense, good ball-handling (+2.53 turnover margin led the A-10) and timely 3-point shooting. Of those three pillars, only one is certain. The Niners will be tough again on defense.

The backcourt has become a source of unease and that’s never a good thing in a league in which the best teams usually have the best guards. Good ball-handling, perimeter defense and outside shooting are usually the hallmarks of a winning team.

If the Niners can keep Harris healthy and develop several consistent 3-point threats, they could go a long way. The A-10 lacks a truly great team and any one of eight or nine schools could legitimately compete for the league championship. Charlotte is one of them.

“We shouldn’t be picked to win it,” Lutz told the AP. “But I certainly think we have the talent — if we don’t have any more injuries — to have a chance to play with anybody.”

WH’s

NONCON PREDICTION: 9-5

W – UNC GREENSBORO
W – OLD DOMINION
W – At Appalachian State
L – CLEMSON
L – Arizona State (Anaheim, CA)
L – Providence/Baylor (Anaheim, CA)
W – TBA (Anaheim, CA)
W- At Southern Illinois
L – At Mississippi State
W – YOUNGSTOWN STATE
W – LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY
L – At Maryland
W – TULSA
W – WINTHROP

Charlotte might have the toughest noncon slate in the A-10. Greensboro should be an easy win after heavy graduation losses. ODU is a tougher team, but it lost two of its starting guards. I think the Niners pull it out. App State on the road could also be tough. The Mounties lose Donte Minter but have some talented guards. Call this win an, um, “sleeper.” (-:

I go with three wins to start the season because I see three straight losses after that. The Tigers will be pretty good. Their backcourt is one of the best in the ACC. I figure they’re looking to return the favor after the Niners beat them in Clemson last year. Arizona State is young but loaded with talent and plays the kind of disciplined game that gives Lutz’s teams trouble. Providence is very experienced and deep and Baylor should win 20 games for the second year in a row. Any of these games are winnable, but I think guard play is the deciding factor.

SIU doesn’t have one of its strongest teams after two straight years of heavy graduation losses. Faulker is gone and the team is very young. Miss State is also very young, but I see home cooking fueling a win. This is one that the Niners should win and can win, particularly to have hopes of an NCAA bid. I am going to go conservative here.

After wins over mediocre Youngstown and LIU teams, Charlotte loses at Maryland. The Terps are also young and untested upfront, but the backcourt is very good. Again, Charlotte can and should win, but I play it safe with my actual prediction.

One reason I call Maryland a loss is because I call Tulsa a win. The Golden Hurricane smacked the Niners at home last year and return most of its top players. I think Tulsa actually has a better team – 7-foot center Jerome Jordan is an NBA prospect – but this time Charlotte benefits from home cooking. Last but not least, a win over a rebuilding Winthrop team.

While I officially predict a 9-5 noncon record, Charlott really should do no worse than 10-4.