GAME NOTES: Charlotte Travels to Southern Miss
Feb. 19, 2004
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Charlotte Travels To Southern Miss (Sat., Feb. 21 - 5:00 p.m.) Radio: WFNZ, SportsRadio 610am (Matt Swierad) The Charlotte 49ers (16-6; 8-3; #31 RPI (Feb. 19) travel to Southern Miss (12-10; 5-6; #96 RPI), Saturday. Charlotte is in a three-way tie for third-place in C-USA, one-game back of league co-leaders Memphis & UAB (9-2). Cincinnati and DePaul are tied with the 49ers with 8-3 league records. The 49ers are in the middle of a crucial stretch that sees them playing on the road in five of seven games. Charlotte is 4-1 so far (W: @ #8/#7 Cincinnati, @ East Carolina, vs. Louisville, vs. South Florida; L: @ Saint Louis) but completes the stretch with two road games (@ USM; @ TCU). Charlotte defeated South Florida Wednesday night, 84-72, behind Demon Brown's 22-point effort (6-12 3FG). Southern Miss, which owns an 8-2 record at home, scored a 70-48 rout of Houston. Charlotte finishes with three of five on the road.
Charlotte v. Southern Miss: Charlotte leads the series with Southern Miss, 24-4. In fact, the 49ers have won the last 10 meetings. Head coach Bobby Lutz is 6-0 vs. USM (H: 3-0; A: 1-0; N: 2-0). Charlotte is 10-1 in Hattiesburg, but a Lutz-coached team has only visited USM once (Feb. 9, 2000: W, 66-52). Charlotte has won in its last seven trips to Hattiesburg. The 49ers last loss at USM was in 1983. Since the formation of C-USA, Charlotte is 7-0 vs. the golden Eagles in regular-season contests. Charlotte won last year's meeting, 77-68 in Halton Arena.
A Balanced Diet: Known for a dangerous perimeter game, Charlotte has been successful, this year, thanks to a balanced attack that conjures memories of NCAA teams past. Of the 49ers 71 double-figure outings, 26 (or 37%) have been from the frontcourt (Withers 19; Clemmons 3; Iti 3; Pigford); 41 (or 40%) have been from the backcourt (Plavich 12; Brown 11; Baldwin 6) and 16 (23%) have been from the wings (Basden 13; Johnson 3). Four players are averaging double figures. The last two times that happened: 1988 (NCAA); 2002 (NCAA). See chart (page 2) for recent 49er NCAA teams and the corresponding inside-out stars.
Quick Synopsis: At 8-3 in league play, Charlotte is tied for third, 1.0 games back of Memphis & UAB (9-2). Cincinnati and DePaul are also 8-3. The 49ers are #31 in the Feb. 19 RPI and own a school record three Top 10 victories and four wins over RPI Top 35. The 49ers are 16-6, overall; 3-0 vs. Top 10 teams; 2-0 vs. 2003 NCAA Final Four participants. The 49ers sport Top 10 road wins at #7/#7 Syracuse and at #8/#7 Cincinnati and a home win over #9/#9 Louisville. Key wins include the road wins at defending national champ Syracuse (1st time in NCAA that a defending champ lost its home opener); at Southern Illinois (snapped the Salukis 31-game home win streak), at DePaul (to open C-USA play), at Top 10 Cincinnati (Bearcats were 62-5 in C-USA home games) and vs. #9/#9 Louisville, Marquette and Saint Louis at home. All five losses are to Top 100 RPI teams with three coming to Top 30 teams (@ Alabama (24); @ Memphis (27) and UAB (30). Charlotte has been led by C-US APlayer of the Year candidate Curtis Withers (16.3 ppg; 9.6 rpg), who leads C-USA with 13 double-doubles. Three other 49ers average in double-figures: Demon Brown (12.6 ppg; 4.3 apg), Brendan Plavich (11.3 ppg; 65 3FGM), Eddie Basden (10.6; 52 steals). All four have had a 25+ scoring night and Withers (twice), Brown and Plavich have each been named C-USA Player of the Week.
C-USA Player of the Year Candidate: Curtis Withers leads C-USA in double-doubles (13), is fourth in scoring, second in rebounding and first in offensive rebounding. Withers is averaging 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in C-USA play and has posted six double-doubles in league play. Last year, the 49ers had three as a team (all by Withers). Withers has scored in double figures in all but two games played this year with at least 7 boards in all but one. He's also shooting .498 from the floor, best in C-USA among players with 10 attempts per game.
"Curtis Withers is the best power forward in our league"
-- UC head coach Bob Huggins
"Here's another guy I'm right about: Curtis Withers, a sophomore forward from Charlotte. He might end up being Conference USA's Player of the Year."
- Grant Wahl, CNN/SI
"He's a fantastic basketball player."
-- UofL head coach Rick Pitino
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