CLT BASKETBALL
3 KEY TAKEAWAYS
If there is one thing that we can say about this team after watching them against Wake is that they fight till the end. It can be easy to fold after being down by double digits at halftime, but the 49ers wouldn’t do that, and they fought all the way back to tie the game on the backs of Jahmir Young and Clyde Trapp in the second half. And then, you probably know how the rest of the story unfolds.
Nonetheless, here are three takeaways from Charlotte’s gut-wrenching loss to Wake Forest.
1. When Jamir Young is on the floor, never count Charlotte out
Jahmir Young eclipsed 1,000 career points in the loss to Wake, but in doing so he also helped put his team in a position to win the game by scoring 27, most of which coming in the second half, and also adding in some assists and rebounds.
His contributions to the team are really unexplainable. He means so much to the 49ers and their success and If he can continue to play at a high level, he just might be the front-runner for C-USA player of the year.
2. When Charlotte’s defense is in synch, they can compete with anyone
It is bold to say anyone, but this is also how Jahmir Young and Ron Sanchez feel about how their team can perform when all coming together as one unit.
“I feel like when we do what we do, we can compete with anybody in the country,” Young said. “Coach has the ultimate confidence in us and we have the ultimate confidence in ourselves.”
Young brings up an excellent point here in that when the team plays confident, they can do special things, like coming back by down over 15 at one point to tie an 11-1 team in the closing seconds of a game.
3. Clyde Trapp is the ultimate key for Charlotte
Without being too critical of Trapp, to say the least, leading up to the Wake Forest game, he had not put on his best performances. Regardless of whether it was a slump or something else, he was not playing to the level that he was capable, but against Wake in the second half, he found his stride.
His success moving forward will be essential if the 49ers hope to compete for a C-USA crown come March and be dancing in the big dance.
Looking ahead
Charlotte was able to bounce back vs. Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday night, even though they suffered through multiple scoring droughts before pulling away and winning handily. Tomorrow night the 49ers have their final non-conference contest of the season vs. Western Carolina. A win in Halton tomorrow will give the Niners a 7-5 record heading into conference play, and hopefully a full & healthy roster now that Musa Jallow is active.
