Charlotte 49ers Basketball

Miracle Rutherford, 19, has been indicted on vehicular homicide charges in the death of former basketball player Galen Young.

Per Nick Papadimas of ABC24 Memphis, a grand jury returned the indictment Tuesday and said that Rutherford was driving recklessly and "created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury." Rutherford is currently free on a $30,000 bond, per the Shelby County (Tennessee) district attorney's office.

Autumn Scott of WREG-TV provided more information on the crash, which occurred June 5, 2021, in Memphis:

Investigators said the crash happened around 2:45 a.m. on June 5, 2021 as Miracle Rutherford was speeding southbound on Horn Lake Road towards Shelby Drive in southwest Memphis.

Rutherford's car crossed two northbound lanes, left the road, continued through a yard and went airborne, striking the corner of a frame house in the 4500 block of Horn Lake.

Per an affidavit cited by Papadimas, investigators believed Rutherford was driving over 60 mph in a 45 mph area.

No injuries were reported after police arrived on scene. A woman told authorities that she lived in the home with her adult son but that he was not there at the time.

Hours later, family members sifting through the debris found Young's body on the scene. Per Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, Young was in the living room on the computer at the time of the crash.

Young, 45, starred for Charlotte in the late 1990s. He was named to Conference USA's first team in 1999 and earned conference tournament MVP honors as well. The 49ers earned the No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament thanks in part to Young, who averaged a team-high 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Per Richard Dy of ESPN, Young went No. 48 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1999 NBA draft but did not make the team. He then embarked on a professional basketball career that lasted from 1999-to 2012 with stops in Japan, Venezuela, Spain, Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand and the United States.

Former teammate Jeffrey Cariaso offered some remembrances of Young, per Dy.

"My fondest memory of Galen was how quick he adapted to our culture. He was one of those guys who just gets it in regard to surviving and doing well in the PBA," said Cariaso.

"He had a great attitude in life. When it came to the court, he was a competitor. No question he showed up each and every day."

Young served as a coach following his playing days, with stops at Lane College (2016-2020) and Rockhurst University (2020-2021).

More rough days are certainly ahead for the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team. 

After having its six-game home winning streak snapped by Massachusetts Wednesday, the Niners must now regroup and do all they can to salvage something against their next opponent Duquesne, on Saturday in Pittsburgh. 

A victory against Duquesne won't be easy for Charlotte, considering the Dukes are 4-0 in Atlantic 10 play and 12-5 overall. 

Charlotte now owns the fourth worst record in the A-10 at 1-3 (9-9, overall). There have been some shining moments for Charlotte this season, but the recent loss of Phil Jones due to academic reasons has definitely hurt this team. 

First-year head coach Alan Major is going to have is hands full over the course of the next few weeks, considering Charlotte faces Temple after playing Duquesne. The Niners host struggling La Salle on Jan.29, a must-win for them and then face visiting Xavier on Feb. 2. 

Charlotte played well at the start of the game against UMass, but tired. After Shamari Spears quit the team earlier in the season and without Jones, the Niners seem to be lacking leadership on the floor. 

"We got some good movement and good drives and dishes, but we held on to that a little too much and got to shooting a few too many jumpers," said Major. 

Major must find away to get more production out of both Chris Braswell and Derrio Green.

Junior guard Jamar Briscoe had just six points against UMass after scoring 20 points in two of the previous games. 

Major must also find away to keep his players from relying solely on jumpers and three-point attempts. 

UNC Charlotte 49ers

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

Nickname: 49ers

Reason for Nickname: Unlike football’s San Francisco 49ers, the Charlotte 49ers earned their nickname not because of gold rushes, but because of 1949, when the University of North Carolina at Charlotte was saved from bankruptcy and transformed into the present-day university.

Colors: Green, Gold, and Black

Conference: A-10

Arena: Dale F. Halton Arena (built 1996, capacity 9,105)

Conference Championships

Conference USA: Tournament Champions (1999, 2001) Regular Season (2004)

Metro Conference: Regular Season (1995) Tournament (1992)

Sun Belt: Regular Season (1977, 1978, 1988) Tournament (1977, 1988)

NCAA Tournament: 1977, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005

NIT: 1976, 1989, 1994, 2000, 2006, 2008

Coaching Legacy

Charlotte’s basketball tradition can be seen in the great coaches who have led championship and postseason teams. For any 49ers fan, the legendary line would start with Lee Rose, who led the team to the 1976 NIT Final Four and the 1977 NCAA Final Four, which would garner him Sun Belt Coach of the Year in that same year.

Next in line would be Jeff Mullins, who would lead the 49ers out of the doldrums and into a period of sustained success and five postseason appearances during his tenure. After Mullins left, he was replaced by former UNC Charlotte standout Melvin Watkins, who would take Charlotte to two NCAA appearances in each of his two seasons, reaching the second round on both occasions.

He would in turn be followed by Bobby Lutz, who would take the 49ers to five NCAA appearances and a Conference USA regular season championship in 2004. Lutz also led the 49ers to the Conference USA Tournament championship in both 1999 and 2001 and is now the winningest coach in Charlotte history.

Big Man On Campus

Cedric Maxwell is considered one of Charlotte’s greats in basketball. Maxwell played a key part in leading the 49ers to the 1977 Final Four and is currently sixth all-time in points scored. He would parlay his success into an 11-year career with the Boston Celtics, Clippers, and Rockets. Currently, he is working in radio with the Boston Celtics. Other players of note would include former Pistons guard Rodney White, Brendan Plavich, and 2005 Conference USA Player of the Year Eddie Basden.

Rivalries

Over the years, the 49ers have had its share of rivalries. During their time in Conference USA, Charlotte had rivalries with Cincinnati and Louisville, teams that normally contended, along with the 49ers, for the conference crown. Since the 49ers joined the Atlantic 10, it’s been hard to figure who will be their big rival in basketball because of geography. All signs would likely point to possibly George Washington or Xavier (Ohio) for consideration as rivals in the Atlantic 10.

Did You Know?

The main campus of UNC Charlotte is located on N.C. Highway 49, which may also explain the reason for the nickname of the athletic programs.

Charlotte 49ers Basketball by the Numbers

Seasons: 45

Wins (through 2009): 705

Postseason Appearances: 17

NCAA Appearances: 11

Final Fours: one

Conference Regular Season Championships: five

Conference Tournament Championships:five

As the old saying goes, “Beware the Ides of March.” Earlier this morning, UNC Charlotte fired its head basketball coach, Bobby Lutz, after the 49ers failed to make the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight season.

Lutz was Charlotte’s golden boy. He was a freshman guard on the school’s 1977 Final Four team, and turned down the Gardner-Webb head coaching job in 1995 to return to his alma mater as an assistant coach to Jeff Mullins. Lutz was rewarded in 1998, when he became the school’s head coach.

The 49ers thrived under Lutz as a member of Conference-USA, reaching the NCAA tournament in five of seven years before the team relocated to the Atlantic-10.

In spite of the fact that Charlotte essentially lost their NCAA tournament berth at the end of the season after dropping seven of their final eight, I still can’t fully understand this move. Coach Lutz was loved by the students whether the 49ers won or lost. In my four and a half years on campus, I never heard anyone say anything negative about our head coach.

In addition to coaching the men’s basketball team, Lutz taught a summer class for the American Studies department about the impact of sports in America. I was lucky enough to take his class once, and he was always friendly and you looked forward to seeing him at 9:30 in the morning, even if it was in June and you’d normally be sleeping in. There was just something about his personality that made you feel like an individual.

Not only was the move unexpected, it doesn’t exactly come at the best time to hire a new coach. I spoke to a graduating senior at UNCC and she said, “Bobby was a great coach. I don’t think any top-talent coach would be interested in coaching our team.”

The Atlantic-10 is growing in respect as a power conference (receiving three NCAA tournament bids the last three seasons), but it’s still seen largely as a stepping stone to bigger programs. The next UNCC head coach will more than likely use the program for this very purpose.

Coach Lutz at least had loyalty to the program. In 2005, he was one of the top candidates to become the next head coach at Tennessee, a major collegiate program, but turned down the opportunity because nothing mattered more to him than leading his alma mater and the support of the 49er fans.

Lutz leaves Charlotte with a school-record 218 wins.

In a year when a few of the major conferences (I’m looking at you, ACC and Pac-10) are falling apart at the seams, the Atlantic-10 is making the jump from mid-major to household name. Bracketologists everywhere are calling for four or five teams from the A-10 to make the tournament.

And for once, they’re right.

For those unfamiliar with the Atlantic-10, the conference has been on the rise for the last few years. Last year, for example, the A-10 had three tournament bids—the same as the SEC and one more than the Mountain West. The year before was the same case, with the A-10 receiving three invites to the Big Dance.

And it’s not just fluke bids either. Xavier reached the Sweet 16 each year. In 2004, St Joseph’s missed a trip to the Final Four by two points in a four-bid season for the Atlantic-10.

Starting to recognize a pattern? This is a conference that doesn’t get a lot of media attention during the regular season, but consistently puts up multiple bids and make some noise in the NCAA Tournament.

This year should be no different. The following are my picks to be named as one of the lucky 65.

In spite of dropping three out of four to begin the calendar year, Charlotte has rebounded with five straight wins, and is living up to their potential as the class of the conference. They dominated at Louisville in December, and just last week smacked Temple around at the friendly confines of Halton Arena.

With sophomore guard Derrio Green hitting his stride (10 straight games in double-digit scoring and his ability to hit clutch shots at long-range) and big men Shamari Spears and Chris Braswell establishing themselves as forces in the post, one thing is certain—the 49ers are for real. Don’t be shocked if the 49ers advance to the second round for the first time since 2001.

The Temple Owls are traditionally a strong program, having been coached for years by the legendary John Chaney from 1982-2006. Having shocked their way into the last two NCAA Tournaments by winning the Atlantic-10 conference tournament, the Owls look this year to get into the Big Dance because of a great regular season instead of a fluke victory.

The Owls have lost only four games this season, and to be fair, two of them were against collegiate powerhouses Kansas (84-52) and Georgetown (a one-point heartbreaker, 46-45). After dropping last Wednesday’s game in Charlotte, Temple seems to be back on track, defeating a struggling LaSalle team by 12.

Temple doesn’t have to play Xavier or Charlotte again this regular season, and as a result, should be able to coast the rest of the way into the postseason. If the Owls don’t win a first-round game, chalk this season up as a disappointment.

Xavier may have struggled out of conference, but they’re at the top of the Atlantic-10 conference, posting a 7-1 record so far. However, without a signature non-conference win and several non-conference losses (most notably Butler, the most overrated team in the nation, and Wake Forest in overtime), it’s hard to say the Musketeers are as good as advertised.

Yes, they beat Charlotte and Rhode Island by double digits, but I’m just not sold on Xavier this year. I’ve picked against them time and time again this year, and they always seem to prove me wrong. Still, in the first year of a new era after former coach Sean Miller left for Arizona, this team just doesn’t feel like it has the same swagger.

Xavier will certainly make the tourney at this pace, but don’t expect them to go anywhere.

Two out of Rhode Island’s three losses have come to Xavier and Temple. The other came to a very decent VCU team.  The rest of their schedule contains some tough games, including a tough trip to Philadelphia to face Temple and hosting both Charlotte and Richmond. The second half of the conference schedule will make or break Rhode Island, but in the end, I think they become the fourth Atlantic-10 team in the field of 65.

Having defeated Missouri, Old Dominion, and Florida (all probable NCAA tournament or NIT teams) certainly gives Richmond the upper hand in the conference as far as non-conference schedules go. But will they put up a strong enough conference resume to sneak into the tournament?

The Spiders already dropped one game to Charlotte (at home and by double digits), and they end their season in the Queen City as well, which could kill any momentum Richmond has built up. They also have road games at Xavier and Rhode Island coming up, and a home game against Temple.

I really think Richmond needs to win three out of those four key matchups if they want to bypass the NIT for the more prestigious postseason tournament. If that doesn’t happen, there’s always winning the Atlantic-10 tournament. I’m just not sure they have it in them at this point. Richmond may be one of the first four out on Selection Sunday.

Halton Arena, located roughly in the middle of campus at UNC Charlotte, has housed basketball games (as well as other sports and activities) since 1996. Named for a former Pepsi president and CEO, the arena has a capacity of 9,105.

Before getting into the specifics about what makes Halton Arena so special, it’s important to know about the old Belk Gym—aka the “Mine Shaft.”

Before the opening of the Belk Gym in 1970, Charlotte was a member of the NAIA and played home games in high school gyms spread throughout Mecklenburg County. From 1970-76, this was the home of the 49ers.

How effective was it? Charlotte went undefeated at home from 1974-76. Enough said.

The building remains open and active, housing the Kinesiology department and holding classes in subjects ranging from Foreign Language to First Aid. The lobby contains a large trophy case, holding conference championship plaques, trophies, and most prized of all, Charlotte’s 1977 Final Four net and trophy.

Having spent 20 years playing home games off campus at the old Charlotte Coliseum (known to some as Cricket Arena and, most recently, Bojangles Coliseum), the 49ers moved back on campus with the opening of Halton Arena in 1996.

Halton Arena is located inside the Student Activity Center, known by students as the SAC. The SAC houses athletic offices, the campus gym (as in weight room, aerobics, etc.), a full-size arcade with pool tables, and until the opening of the new Student Union last semester, several places to eat.

Food available during the game is pretty much standard. Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas are usually available, as are standards such as hot dogs, chicken fingers, hamburgers, popcorn, etc. Prices are slightly inflated, but then again, what sporting events don’t overcharge for food?

According to UNCC graduate student Ben Bowers, before home games, alumni get their pre-game drinks and food at Picasso’s Sports Bar, located about a block from campus on WT Harris Blvd. Students, having generally less money to spend, frequent Bojangles before games, which is only a few feet down the road from Picasso’s.

As with nearly all schools, students often camp out overnight to get the best seats as they become available. However, this tradition may be outdating itself, as students can reserve their tickets online as well as print them from their dorm computers.

Halton Arena itself is state of the art. A new high-definition scoreboard was donated by RBC Centura in 2006, and two years later, the school bought LCD screens used at the 2008 Final Four and installed them for arena use.

Alongside the NCAA Tournament banners in the rafters is a banner for each fellow member of the Atlantic-10 conference. Retired jerseys are also mounted high on the northwest wall of the arena.

During the games, it’s tradition for the alumni and student sections to chant back and forth “forty” and “niners” to each other. Since the officiating is historically and notoriously bad (referees frequently miss traveling calls and players stepping out of bounds underneath the basket with possession), boos and insults come raining down from the student section.

I myself am guilty of being tough on referees. When the crowd is that into the game, it’s hard not to make some noise and get rowdy. Typically, you’ll hear everything from “get those zebras off the court” to “go back to your job at Foot Locker.” Sometimes you’ll hear more intense language, but none of that is printable here.

Towards the end of the game, if Charlotte is so far in the lead that the opponents’ fans are leaving the arena, Niner Nation breaks out the old standard “Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye” and adds “you suck” after the “hey” in “Rock and Roll Part 2.”

After the game, fans pile around the barriers to congratulate the 49ers teams on their performance as well as traditional handshakes and high fives. In addition, many people go back to Picasso’s (and other local bars such as Bad Dog’s, Boardwalk Billy’s, Stool Pigeons, and Flying Saucer) to have a few drinks and socialize with other fans.

There’s plenty of entertainment in addition to the game itself. During timeouts, cheerleaders and mascot Norm the Niner often launch t-shirts and beer koozies into the stands, and the school dance team, known as the Gold Dusters, has won several awards and frequently appears at national competitions.

Halftime entertainment is a lot of fun. I’ve seen everything from local peewee basketball championships to mascot races. You don’t want to leave your seat or you’ll miss something fun and original.

Most importantly, games are extremely affordable. Tickets are free for students (with proof of student ID), and Charlotte49ers.com always offers some kind of deal to make UNCC Basketball games an affordable family activity. The best seats in the house for Feb. 3’s game against George Washington are only $25.

Season tickets range as low as $49. That isn’t a typo. For just under 50 dollars, you can get season tickets in the second tier of seating for every home game in a season. Even the most expensive package (season tickets on the courtside level) is just under $300, making Charlotte basketball a great affordable option for fans of Naismith’s game.

So what do the fans think?

To quote recent UNCC graduate Lauren Rickert, “I love the feeling of being in the arena when the team is on a roll and the fans are going crazy as the opposing team calls a timeout to try to stop our run.” Rickert has also noticed a large increase in attendance in the last two years.

Home-court advantage is nearly unbeatable. If you don’t believe me, look at what the 49ers did Wednesday night to the 15th-ranked Temple Owls. It’s safe to say at 15-5 and 5-1 in conference, Charlotte has finally adjusted to the challenges of the A-10 conference and will thrive just as they did in Conference USA.

Even with the school adding a football team (set to begin in 2013), the heart of Charlotte athletics will always be college basketball.

After winning their first conference game against St. Bonaventure, the Charlotte 49ers will try to set the pace for the rest of their season as they take on Xavier.

If the Atlantic-10 has a basketball juggernaut, it’s the Xavier Musketeers. Not only have they qualified for the NCAA tournament eight out of the last nine years, three of those seasons (including the last two) have included trips to the Sweet Sixteen.

And there’s good reason for that—Xavier brings in top-notch recruits. According to ESPN , Xavier has already signed three recruits (a power forward, a small forward, and a shooting guard) with grades of over 90 on a scale of 100.

Both teams enter tonight’s game with several quality wins under their belt. Xavier has knocked off Seton Hall, Creighton, conference foe George Washington, and cross-town rival Cincinnati. Charlotte holds victories over Yale, Winthrop, Hofstra, and former C-USA rival Louisville.

Charlotte barely scraped by against St. Bonaventure in their most recent game. Shooting only 33.3 percent from three-point range didn’t help, and as a result, Chris Braswell and Shamari Spears, the most prominent 49er big men, were forced to step up.

To have any remote chance at victory tonight, Charlotte has to lead a balanced attack. There isn’t an excuse to ignore the paint when you’re shooting well from downtown and vice versa. Utilizing both aspects of the game keeps the opponent off guard, and if you get predictable, you get beat.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, Xavier dominates at home. They haven’t lost at the Cintas Center yet this year, posting seven home wins.

Ultimately, the shocking recent choice of redshirt freshman Shamarr Bowden to transfer will hurt Charlotte more severely than the numbers indicate. Bowden contributed from long-range all season and had played in all 15 games for the 49ers.

However, it doesn’t completely derail Charlotte’s chances for victory.

Derrio Green is the best three-point shooter for the 49ers, and combined with strong interior efforts from Spears and Braswell, the 49ers have a formidable offense.

In addition to a balanced offensive attack, Charlotte needs to play better defense in transition. They need to hustle more and not allow easy layups or dunks, which get the home crowd more involved and can easily sway the momentum of the game.

In the end, I think Charlotte will play well, but until they prove they can balance their offense and play better defense, I don’t think they’re good enough to beat Xavier. It should be close until the end, but expect the Musketeers to limp away with the victory.

After a close home loss to Georgia Tech, the Charlotte 49ers will try to pull off one more strong non-conference upset (having already knocked off former C-USA rival Louisville) prior to the beginning of conference play. They’ll travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on the Volunteers tomorrow night, Jan. 6.

The 49ers did a number of things wrong against the Ramblin’ Wreck and correcting any of them could have produced a different result. Charlotte needs to focus on making the following adjustments if they plan on knocking off No. 15 Tennessee.

First of all, free throws played a major role in the game. The Yellow Jackets shot an above-average 90.6 percent compared to Charlotte’s 70.4 percent, which sparked momentum for Georgia Tech and left Charlotte just out of reach for most of the game.

The biggest offender was An’Juan Wilderness, who only hit four out of eight attempts from the charity stripe.

Wilderness, however, led the 49ers in offensive rebounding, which was also an issue. Previously, Charlotte had been pulling down nearly equal numbers of offensive and defensive rebounds, while Saturday night, they only managed seven on offense as opposed to 30 on defense.

Second-chance points are crucial to a team’s confidence and momentum, as well as putting more points on the scoreboard. When Charlotte can’t control the offensive glass, they get themselves into trouble.

This prompts the final big mistake the 49ers made: Not being a presence in the paint. Charlotte shot well from the three-point range, including strong performances by Dijuan Harris (who hit three out of four) and Derrio Green (7-15).

The problem is Charlotte hit one more three-pointer than other field goals. Translation: The 49ers live and die by the deep ball, and when you’ve got an abundance of natural ability from forwards Chris Braswell and Shamari Spears, there really isn’t an excuse to not dominate inside.

The X-Factor to this game, however, doesn’t relate to performance on the court.

Tennessee’s Tyler Smith, Brian Williams, Cameron Tatum, and Melvin Goins, having been arrested for gun and drug charges, will not play in tomorrow night’s game against the 49ers. This is a big blow for the Volunteers, as Smith and Tatum are second and fourth on the team in scoring, respectively.

Smith also averages nearly 27 minutes per game as well as sporting a .573 field goal percentage and a 2.8:1 assist to turnover ratio. He is currently third on the team in total rebounds and the team leader in assists.

Tatum doesn’t exactly slack either. While averaging about 20 minutes per game, he shoots 40 percent from three-point territory and has only committed nine turnovers in 12 games.

While the loss of these four players not only weakens Tennessee’s starting lineup and decreases the amount of bench players available, keep in mind this is a premier program and Volunteer backups would start on most mid-major squads. Charlotte can’t take their opponent lightly, and I guarantee coach Lutz won’t allow them to.

To win the game, the 49ers need to establish themselves from long range early as a way to open up the inside game. Phil Jones, Shamari Spears, and Chris Braswell need to attack the boards with all they’ve got and increase second-chance opportunities.

Points in the paint will determine who wins this game. Put controversy aside because once these teams take the court, the only thing that matters is the score.

Nine games into the 2009-10 college basketball season, the Charlotte 49ers are 8-1, off to their best start in recent memory. There are several factors that contribute to the success of the 49ers.

The depth of their bench is a good place to start.

The 49ers have 10 players that average 10 or more minutes per game. Having so many capable players enables Charlotte to keep fatigue from setting in, which has been a problem for the last few years. By having more quality players to rotate in and out of the lineup, the starters remain fresh and it feels more like a team effort.

Junior transfer Shamari Spears, a native of Salisbury, NC, has become the impact player for the 49ers. Having left Boston College and sat out a year (due to NCAA rules), Spears is averaging 18.5 points and 5 rebounds per game, as well as having led the team in scoring for six out of the first nine games.

While on the subject of scoring, Charlotte averages 82.7 points per game, while limiting opponents to just under 70 per game. That number is misleading, however, as the 49ers have only scored less than 80 twice—a 101-59 loss to Duke, and a 75-61 victory over Elon.

It’s also important to note that seven of Charlotte’s eight wins have come by double digits. The other win was by eight points over Hofstra.

Offensive rebounding has also improved. Junior Phil Jones and freshman sensation Chris Braswell, who dropped 21 points during an 87-65 thrashing of former Conference-USA rival Louisville December 5, lead the team in offensive rebounds with 24 and 25, respectively, leading to more second-chance opportunities that have not gone to waste.

Charlotte only has five games left before conference play begins. Sunday, the 49ers hit the road to face Winthrop and Old Dominion before returning to Halton Arena on December 29 to play Mercer. The final two non-conference games, however, will be the real test of this surprising team’s ability.

On January 2, the 49ers host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Halton Arena. While the Yellow Jackets are currently ranked No. 15, Charlotte has already proved rankings mean nothing this year, having dispatched of No. 18 Louisville. The Ramblin’ Wreck is currently 7-1, with their only loss coming to fellow Atlantic-10 member Dayton.

Don’t be surprised if lightning strikes twice.

Four days later, Charlotte travels to Knoxville, TN to take on the No. 8 Volunteers. This game could easily go downhill in a hurry, but provided the 49ers establish dominance from 3-point range early and often, it may be a closer game than most expect. The fans could be rewarded by an entertaining long-range shootout.

As long as the 49ers keep up this level of momentum, it should be a no-brainer—the 49ers will roll through the Atlantic-10 on their way to an NCAA tournament bid.