Observations from Charlotte 49ers’ ‘Basketball Madness’
Observations from the Charlotte 49ers’ men’s and women’s Basketball Madness on Thursday at Halton Arena (each team played a 15-minute scrimmage).
▪ There might not be a team in college basketball this season that will rely on a player like the 49ers will on senior point guard Jon Davis. The 49ers roster took hit after hit since coach Ron Sanchez was hired in March: guards Andrien White and Ryan Murphy transferred (not uncommon with a new coach); guard Luka Vasic is out for the season with a knee injury; and, most recently, forwards Najee Garvin and Bryant Thomas were kicked off the team for not meeting team expectations. Sanchez said he’ll go with 10 scholarship players on the roster.
▪ Starting alongside Davis might be junior Jaylan McGill, who hit a 3-pointer. McGill, who played at Olympic High, saw action in 28 games last season and made 35.6 percent of his 3-pointers.
▪ Guard Jordan Shepherd, a transfer from Oklahoma who backed up All-American guard Trae Young last season, got to the basket and shot the ball well. He has to sit out a season because of transfer rules, but he’s a reason for optimism for the future.
▪ Charlotte has some size among its freshmen in 6-9 Dravon Mangum and 6-7 Brandon Younger. They’ve got a ways to go and not much time before they can contribute to this young and thin team.
▪ Sanchez said he liked the defensive effort, but the team is still grasping the fundamentals on the “pack” defense he brought with him from Virginia. The defense relies on helping teammates and selflessness. “If your teammate gets beat, you help him,” Sanchez said. “You’re never by yourself out there.”
▪ Scary moment late in the men’s scrimmage came when freshman guard Cooper Robb and Mangum collided, their heads hitting each other. Both players appeared to be OK.
▪ Davis was named to Conference USA’s 10-player preseason all-conference team. The 49ers were picked to finish 13th in the 14-team league.
▪ The 49ers will play so-called “secret scrimmages” against High Point on Sunday and at Wofford on Oct. 28. The 49ers won’t play a preseason exhibition before their season opener Nov. 6 against Chattanooga at Halton Arena.
▪ The most intriguing player in the women’s scrimmage was junior Jade Phillips, a transfer from Syracuse. Phillips (5-11), who will play either shooting guard or small forward, showed some flash with the ball and will also be one of the 49ers’ better defenders. She’ll join a team that returns three starters, including senior point guard Laia Raventos, who was named to C-USA’s eight-player preseason all-conference team.
▪ The 49ers (14-16 last season) were picked to finish fifth in the league. They play a preseason exhibition Nov. 3 against Chowan at Halton Arena and open the season Nov. 8 at home against UNC Asheville.
This story was originally published October 18, 2018 at 9:30 PM.