49ers’ coach Mark Price: Improved ball movement has led to team’s improved shooting

In its final seven nonconference games, the 3-point shooting that defined the Charlotte 49ers’ men’s basketball team’s early offensive success seemed fleeting.

The 49ers shot 48.4 percent from behind the arc in their first four games. In the ensuing seven, however, they shot 27.7 percent on 3-pointers as they dropped games against Davidson, Wake Forest, Florida and Maryland.

But since conference play started Dec. 31, Charlotte has rediscovered its shooting touch.

The 49ers have shot 45.6 percent from behind the arc through their first six Conference USA games. That mark leads the conference during league play by nearly 5 percent.

“When we’re really good is when we’re making the pass that leads to the next pass with the way our offense runs,” said coach Mark Price about his team’s improved 3-point shooting. “When we do that, we get really good shots and we get shots in rhythm instead of always trying to do one-on-one and take the difficult shots.”

The refined ball movement Charlotte (8-9, 2-4 C-USA) has shown in conference play is evident in its assist numbers. The 49ers rank second in C-USA with 14.17 .

When Charlotte’s 3-pointers weren’t falling during its final seven nonconference games, it was averaging 9.43 assists and had seven or less in three of those contests.

Davis looking to pass more

Sophomore guard Jon Davis’ has played a large part in this reversal.

Ranked fifth in C-USA with 18.6 points per game, Davis often draws the attention of opposing defenses. Over the past four games, however, he has been more of a distributor, matching his season-high of seven assists three times.

“For other teams, he’s a big part of their game plan now because he’s had such a good year,” Price said. “When that’s happening, two guys are on you and there’s somebody open, he’s seeing that and that if he hits these then eventually it’s going to open back up for him.”

Ogbueze embracing new role

After starting in each of the 49ers’ first 15 games, redshirt senior Braxton Ogbueze has come off the bench over the past two.

The move has paid dividends, as he’s averaged 18.5 points, thanks largely to scoring 26 points Thursday against Louisiana Tech.

“He was struggling with his shot early, and we basically just kind of made a change to shake things up a little bit and take a little pressure off him,” Price said. “Coming off the bench, he can just be loose.”

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 5:36 PM with the headline "49ers’ coach Mark Price: Improved ball movement has led to team’s improved shooting."