Junior Curtis Withers has averaged 24.9 points over the last eight games for the 49ers. |
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GAME NOTES: #7 Seed Charlotte Faces #10 Seed N.C. State in NCAA First Round
March 15, 2005
Worcester, Mass. -
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The News:
The #7 seed Charlotte 49ers (21-7; C-USA: 12-4) travel to the Worcester (Mass.) Centrum to take on #10 seed N.C. State (19-13; 7-9 ACC) in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament, Friday at 12:15 p.m. (TV: CBS: Gus Johnson; Len Elmore; Radio: WFNZ: Matt Swierad; Gary Williams). The winner will advance to the second round to face the winner of #2 seed Connecticut vs. #15 seed Central Florida. Charlotte is participating in its 11th NCAA Tournment -- and its seventh NCAA Tournament in the last nine years. Head coach Bobby Lutz is enjoying his fifth NCAA Tournament trip, more than any other coach in 49ers history. Charlotte entersthe tournament on a three-game losing streak but the 49ers have enjoyed win streaks of nine and seven games. Charlotte was runner-up in C-USA on the stength of its second straight 12-4 season in league play. The 49ers have also posted their second straight 20-win season.
Power Forwards:
In senior Eddie Basden and junior Curtis Withers the 49ers have one of the most potent frontcourts in the country. Basden was named the Conference USA Player of the Year while he and Withers were both named first team all-Conference USA. Basden also garnered C-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors. Basden was named third team all-America by Sports Illustrated while Withers was an honorable mention all-America choice.
Basden was the only player in the league to rank in C-USA's Top 10 in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and field goal pct. He's scored in double figures 24 times, with six double-doubles. In league play, he averaged 16.2 points, 8.4 rebounds while shooting .497 from the field. He led C-USA with a school-record 91 steals, and broke both the league and school marks with 262 career thefts. He has had at least three steals in 21 games. ESPN College Basketball analyst Jay Bilas called Basden his National Defensive Player of the Year.
Withers, who led the league with a 19.1 scoring average in league games, has averaged 24.9 points over the last eight games, scoring at least 18 in each. Withers leads the 49ers in scoring at 18.1 ppg (4th C-USA) and he pulls 8.3 rebounds (7th C-USA). He tops the Niners with nine double-doubles and ten 20-point games, including seven in league play. He had 32 in the C-USA Tourney game at Memphis and a season-high 39 at Saint Louis, the most by a 49er in 23 years.
National Recognition:
Sports Illustrated 3rd team all-America:
Eddie Basden
Sports Illustrated Hon. Mention all-America:
Curtis Withers
Jim Phelan National Coach of Year Finalist (10)
Bobby Lutz
ESPN.com National Player of the Week:
Curtis Withers, Feb. 14
(avg. 30.0 pts; 9.0 rebs in 2 wins)
National Def. Player of the Year*: Eddie Basden
* - ESPN's Jay Bilas
Dick Vitale's All-AT&T (Long Distance) team:
Brendan Plavich (109 threes), 2nd str. seas.
Notes:
The 49ers are 1-2 in NCAA first round games as a #7 seed ... the 49ers were a #7 seed in their last trip to Worcester, falling to #10 Iowa State in 1992 ... Brendan Plavich is 1st in the nation in 3FG/gm (3.9/gm) and Eddie Basden is T 4th in the NCAA in steals per game (3.3) ... Charlotte has posted its 2nd straight 20-win regular season and their second straight season with 12 wins in C-USA play ... over the last two years, Charlotte and Cincinnati have the best overall C-USA record: 24-8.
The Power of Three:
The 49ers triumvirate of Curtis Withers (18.1; 19.1), Eddie Basden (15.3; 16.2) and Brendan Plavich (13.7; 14.6) each average double figures, and increased those scoring numbers in league play. Withers has scored 20 or more points 10 times, Plavich eight times and Basden five. Withers has scored over 20 points in five of the last six games and leads C-USA at 19.1 ppg in league games. He was named ESPN.com's National Player of the Week, Feb. 14 after averaging 30.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in a pair of wins, including a C-USA season-high 39 points at Saint Louis. Basden won three C-USA Player of the Week honors, in February and is called the nation's top defender by ESPN's Jay Bilas. Plavich has scored 20+ in two of the last three games, has hit at least five threes in 12 games and ranks 1st in the nation (3.9 3fg/gm)
To view the entire release, please click on PDF file at the top of the page
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