Despite shooting slump, freshman Jahmir Young continues to shine for Charlotte 49ers
The education of freshman guard Jahmir Young continued Thursday in the Charlotte 49ers’ 68-64 victory against Texas-El Paso at Halton Arena.
With his outside shot having all but abandoned him over the past three games, Young still managed to have a profound impact on Thursday’s outcome, scoring 14 points, pulling down eight rebounds and handing out five assists.
Young helped the 49ers (13-9, 7-4 Conference USA) rally from a 10-point, second-half deficit against the Miners (13-11, 4-7). He scored 10 points in the second half, including a layup with 5 minutes, 41 seconds left that gave the 49ers a 58-56 lead, one they wouldn’t relinquish.
Young was a 35.3 percent 3-point shooter entering the game, but he had missed 12 consecutive shots from long range in losses last week at Louisiana Tech and Southern Mississippi. He then missed all four of his 3-point attempts against UTEP.
None of that has apparently fazed Young, who has been named C-USA’s Freshman of the Week five times.
“I try not to think about it,” said Young, who’s now averaging 11.9 points and, at 6-foot-1, leads the 49ers in rebounding at 5.0 per game. “If things aren’t going well, I try to pick up my defense and keep my team in the game.”
49ers coach Ron Sanchez knows what he has in Young — a talented young player whose basketball IQ and maturity belie his inexperience on the college level.
“Jahmir has to grow and learn,” Sanchez said. “When he’s not putting ball in the basket, he can impact the game in a lot of different ways, especially on the defensive side of the ball. He’s a good passer, has good athleticism and he can make a play off the ball screen. He’s still learning how to manage that.”
With under 15 minutes left, the 49ers trailed 51-41 against the Miners when they began to fight back. Charlotte went on a 20-5 run — including a stretch during which UTEP didn’t score on six consecutive possessions.
After Young’s layup gave Charlotte its final lead, he followed that with another basket with four minutes left, increasing the 49ers’ lead to seven. He made the first of two free throws with 6.9 seconds left, keeping it a two-possession game and giving Charlotte its final four-point margin.
“I have confidence in (Young) as a player,” Sanchez said. “He knows I’m going to coach him hard, and he’s in a great position to continue to learn and blossom. He’s a kid who has such an open mind. He’s willing to learn. He doesn’t fight us on his development. That’s why you see him growing and going back and forth, continuing to evolve.”
Young was one four players in double figures for Charlotte — guard Drew Edwards had 13, forward Amidou Bamba had 11 and forward Milos Supica had 10 and six rebounds.
The 49ers shot 55.1 percent from the field and outrebounded UTEP 34-24, limiting the Miners to three offensive rebounds. And after the Miners, who got 24 points from guard Daryl Edwards, shot 6-of-13 from 3-point range in the first half, they cooled off significantly in the second half, going just 3-of-13.
“They’re doing what they’re being coached to do every day,” Sanchez said of his team’s defensive effort in the second half. “It wasn’t anything in particular. There were no special adjustments. I think the guys are just really locked into playing their roles, doing the non-obvious things really well. It’s a collective effort.”
Thursday’s victory, in front of a crowd of 2,828, was Charlotte’s eighth straight at home and improved their record to 11-1 at Halton. It allowed the 49ers to remain within two games of first place in Conference USA.
On Saturday, they face Texas-San Antonio (11-13, 5-6), which beat Old Dominion 85-81 in overtime Thursday. The Roadrunners will offer a whole different kind of defensive challenge: guard Jhivvan Jackson is the country’s second-leading scorer (27.1 points) and had 45 against the Monarchs.
UTSA at Charlotte
When: 4 p.m., Saturday
Where: Halton Arena, Charlotte
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: 730-AM
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 10:24 PM.