Speed, depth and shooting: 5 questions Charlotte 49ers basketball must answer in 2024-25

In a plug-and-play age of college basketball, Charlotte 49ers head coach Aaron Fearne is tasked with replacing four of the team’s five starters from a season ago with an array of new and returning faces inside Halton Arena.

Following two seasons with an upward trajectory, winning the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in 2022 and nabbing a top-three finish in their first season in American Athletic Conference play last season, Fearne has a new crop of talent with seven transfers.

The 49ers’ season tips off at Halton on Nov. 4 against Presbyterian.

Here are five burning questions and four players to watch in Fearne’s first full season as full-time head coach:

What did Charlotte lose in the transfer portal?

Charlotte lost multiple key pieces to the transfer portal for the second year in a row. After the departure of leading scorers Brice Williams and Aly Khalifa in 2022, Charlotte lost its top three scorers this time around, with Lu’Cye Patterson (14.6 ppg) landing back home at Minnesota, Igor Milicic (12.8 ppg) transferring to Tennessee, and Dishon Jackson (11.4 ppg) moving to the Big 12 at Iowa State.

And with season-opening starter Jackson Threadgill landing at Appalachian State, Fearne is tasked with replacing 64.6% of last season’s scoring and 62.4% of the rebounding. It’s an extremely tall task.

But with lead guard Nik Graves and defensive specialist Isaiah Folkes back another season, two familiar faces are leading the charge.

Who’s in the backcourt?

With completely different skill sets, Graves and Folkes will slot Charlotte’s point guard and shooting guard positions, respectively. Graves flashed the ability to lead the team a season ago, scoring 10.4 points per game while leading the team with 2.8 assists. Fearne knows Graves is at his best when he’s attacking, and he needs the junior to take command.

“Nik had a great year last year, and his role this year will greatly improve,” Fearne told The Observer. “Night in and night out he’s going to have to be one of those guys leading and helping move our program forward.”

While Folkes’ opportunities as a primary ball handler will increase, so will his role as a lockdown defender — and Fearne is glad he’s back.

“Zay (Folkes) has been here longer than anybody, and I take my hat off to him. He could’ve easily entered the portal and left, but he’s one of the few that will play his career at one school — and I don’t think that gets talked about enough,” said Fearne. “He’s been working (on his three-pointer). We all know it’s not a major strength, but his competitive spirit, athleticism, defense, and quickness up the floor — that’s what he brings every night.”

With four years in Ron Sanchez’s and then Fearne’s system, Folkes knows his role, and it’s not being a knockdown outside shooter. Charlotte has other options for that, according to Fearne.

Who are the best shooters?

Charlotte has a smorgasbord of new faces, but who’s stepping behind the arc and spacing the floor?

“I think we have a number of guys who can really shoot the ball. Nika (Metskhvarishvili), Jerimiah Oden, Robert Braswell, and big Aleks (Szymczyk) really shoots it well,” said Fearne. “Nik Graves shot the ball well and has to continue to shoot it. Shooting comes down to how well we play rhythm-wise, and I think we have enough shooting for sure.”

With Robert Braswell IV and Graves as the only consistent returning 3-point shooters, Fearne will toy with the rotations during the non-conference to find the best recipe.

How fast will Charlotte play?

Despite Fearne’s preseason comments of picking up Charlotte’s pace following Sanchez’s departure, the 49ers averaged just 1.6 more possessions per game at 65, good for sixth slowest in the nation.

Charlotte is going to hunt for the best possible shot, utilizing pin-down screens, curls and flares to get its myriad shooters open looks on the perimeter while also operating out of the post as a hub, as it’s done in years prior with Khalifa and then Jackson.

With a low possession game, the 49ers’ margin for error is slim, but if a sizable lead is built, overcoming it is an extremely tall task.

Where to watch the 49ers

Charlotte’s season features 10 games on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, with an additional 20 games on ESPN+.

With major conference matchups at Halton against Memphis, Wichita State and East Carolina, Charlotte’s slate is loaded with quality opponents on national television.

Players to watch

Nik Graves

With Patterson exiting, Graves has the keys this season.

Following 19 games in double figures and two 20-point performances a season ago, Graves’ production must increase for Charlotte to return to the top of the AAC — and he’ll have the opportunities in his third year at Charlotte.

Robert Braswell IV

With a thumb injury setting Braswell back at the front end of last season, the member of the 50/40/90 shooting club will have a bigger role in his final year of collegiate basketball.

Braswell played just 16.8 minutes per game a season ago, notching seven games in double figures, including a season high of 21 points against Greensboro in the non-conference. His ability to stretch the floor and block shots makes the 6-foot-7 wing valuable in Fearne’s rotation.

Newcomers to Watch

Giancarlo Rosado

Transferring in after Dusty May’s exit from Florida Atlantic, Rosado has made an instant impact for the 49ers. Flashing in the second half of the exhibition against Georgia, the 6-foot-8 forward is among Charlotte’s best big men and will step into the biggest role of his career.

Although his minutes and production dwindled with the Owls over the last three seasons, Rosado was a key piece in Florida Atlantic’s 2023 Final Four run, making 15 of his 19 field goal attempts in the five-game NCAA Tournament stretch, playing a perfect game (15 points on 6/6) against Memphis in the first round.

Nika Metskhvarishvili

You don’t see many players rocking No. 77, outside of Luka Doncic, but Louisiana-Monroe transfer Metskhvarishvili is sporting it this season with the 49ers. Metskhvarishvili made 33 starts with the Warhawks from 2021 to 2024, averaging 11 points and 5.2 rebounds in his career in the Sun Belt.

The 6-foot-8 forward can both stretch the floor and operate out of the post, and Fearne’s excited about the addition.

“Nika is a great basketball player as well as a person, and we are thrilled to add him to our program,” said Fearne. “He plays with a high level of physicality, toughness and competitive spirit. His ability to stretch the floor as well as play in the post will bring an added dimension to us offensively.”