Getting to Know Charlotte (Q&A)

For every matchup, we like to give opposing blogger's a chance to tell us about their team and find out their input on that upcoming game.

Today, we had the opportunity to Jim of the well known Charlotte blog The Gold Mine a few questions about his 49ers thus far in the season.

The Owl's Nest: Through 19 games, the Charlotte 49ers have done a complete 180 degree turnaround from where they were last year. What has allowed the 49ers to generally be more successful this year?

The Gold Mine: Two things: New talent and healthy players. The 49ers were hammered by injuries last season - freshman shooting guard Shamarr Bowden was out with knee injury before season started; point guard Mike Gerrity quit the team before the season started; sophomore forward Charles Dewhurst lost midway through the season to knee injury; and forward An'Juan Wilderness didn't practice most of the second half of the season with nagging hamstring injury.

This season the 49ers added Boston College transfer Shamari Spears, who sat out last season because of the transfer, and freshman forward Chris Braswell, a highly touted recruit from Hargrave Military Academy. Spears was expected to be good, while Braswell's transition to Division I basketball has been very fast. Also sophomore transfer Derrio Green turned out to be far more than a backup PG for DiJuan Harris - he is an exceptional shooter and slasher.

TON: You guys are one of several Atlantic 10 teams that went out during the non-conference portion of the season and were tested. What have playing against talented teams like Duke, Louisville, and Tennessee done for the 49ers?

TGM: While some of the games - Duke and Tennessee - turned into hard losses for Charlotte, facing that level of competition early in the season greatly tested the 49ers' new players as well as the team's chemistry. So far this season Charlotte has bounced back from a loss with a win all but once. Getting solid wins on the road was also a key confidence booster, particularly at Hofstra and Louisville.

TON: Charlotte lost it's only double-digit scorer in Lamont Mack to graduation and somewhat recently saw Shamarr Bowden seek a transfer; however, a number of player have stepped up their game and become key contributors. Who would you consider fills the leadership role, and what players have become the playmakers for this program?

TGM: I would say senior point guard DiJuan Harris is clearly the leader of this team and while fellow senior Ian Andersen's role has greatly diminished with the addition of new players, he is also a big "cheerleader" in pointing out mistakes and offering encouragement to the younger players. The way Shamari Spears handles himself on the court - a kind of 'never-back-down' attitude - seems to have spread throughout the team.

TON: As a whole, what would you say this team's strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the ball are?

TGM: Charlotte has several offensive weapons, which I think makes them very dangerous. To illustrate, in the 49ers' win at La Salle, Charlotte had three players score 20 or more points while a fourth, An'Juan WIlderness, scored 13, including the last seven in the game for Charlotte. As is common with Bobby Lutz coached teams, the 49ers try to change defenses as the situation warrants, and are very efficient in transition. On the downside, while Charlotte definitely has the inside players for a potent inside attack, the 49ers sometimes struggle in a half court, particularly if their shooters aren't hitting to help draw double teams away from Spears and Braswell. One thing about this Charlotte team, it continues to get better as the season goes on.

TON: How do you feel Charlotte matches up against a Temple team with a lot of diversity on the offensive side, as well as an unified and dangerous defense?

TGM: Temple's tough half-court man-to-man defense will likely present a problem for Charlotte. Talent-wide I feel the programs are similar, with the 49ers having an edge in guys who can score the ball. As has become the cause in games such as this, if Charlotte can hit the outside shot consistently, it has a chance to win.

TON: Any thoughts or predictions for Saturday?

TGM: With a packed house (or close to it) and Charlotte playing its best basketball of the season, I'm going with a 68-64 Charlotte win.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, Jim. Please be sure to check out his blog, The Gold Mine for all Charlotte 49er news.