Charlotte 49ers men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team represents UNC Charlotte in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
:
-coached Cincinnati Bearcats
of Conference USA
. Throughout a ten-year period from 1995-96 to 2004-05, Charlotte managed to upset Cincinnati teams ranked #3, #8, #18, #20 in the country. In what became known as the Cincinnati Incident, a brawl broke out between Cincinnati and the Charlotte student section, when a Cincinnati player threw the basketball into the stands. This led to the creation of a 'buffer zone' being implemented behind the visiting team's bench. ESPN
commentator Andy Katz
provided this explanation on why Charlotte-Cincinnati was one of the juiciest rivalries in the country: "The games are hotly contested usually and the fans in Charlotte don't like Cincinnati. They get up for this game more than any other."
Charlotte's 29-year rivalry with the Davidson Wildcats
sees Mecklenburg County
's only two Division I schools go head-to-head for the Hornet's Nest Trophy. Charlotte leads the series 26-10. With some exceptions, the two schools play annually.
Since Charlotte's move to the Atlantic 10, a clear-cut main conference rival has yet to emerge. Commentators have pointed to the Xavier Musketeers and George Washington Colonials as potential rivals.
Coaches
| Coach | Tenure | Wins | Losses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey Murphy Harvey Murphy Dr. Harvey Murphy was a physical education teacher at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After being appointed the head of the new university's physical education program by acting chancellor Bonnie Cone, Murphy served as the school's first-ever basketball coach from 1965 until 1970... |
1965–70 | 44 | 81 | |||||||
| Bill Foster Bill Foster (basketball coach) - External links :**... |
1970–75 | 88 | 38 | |||||||
| Lee Rose | 1975–78 | 72 | 18 | |||||||
| Mike Pratt Mike Pratt (basketball) Michael P. Pratt is an American retired basketball player and coach. He was a 6'4" , 195 lb guard.... |
1978–82 | 56 | 52 | |||||||
| Hal Wissel Hal Wissel Dr. Hal Wissel is an American basketball coach who has worked at the professional and collegiate level in his career.Wissel was an assistant coach for player development with the Golden State Warriors , an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies , an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets ,... |
1982–85 | 22 | 62 | |||||||
| Jeff Mullins | 1985–96 | 182 | 142 | |||||||
| Melvin Watkins Melvin Watkins Melvin Lenzo Watkins is an American college basketball coach and former player. He is an assistant coach under Mike Anderson at the University of Arkansas. He has also been the associate head coach at the University of Missouri... |
1996–98 | 42 | 20 | |||||||
| Bobby Lutz Bobby Lutz Bobby Lutz is an American men's college basketball coach. He is currently an assistant coach at North Carolina State University under head coach Mark Gottfried. Lutz was head coach of the Charlotte 49ers basketball team from 1998 to 2010.... |
1998–2010 | 218 | 158 | |||||||
| Alan Major Alan Major Alan Major is the head coach of the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team. Before being named coach of the 49ers, Major spent nine years working with Thad Matta at Ohio State and Xavier universities. He is a 1992 graduate of Purdue.Major served as a student manager under Gene Keady during his... |
2010– | 10 | 20 | |||||||
| Totals | 732 | 577 | ||||||||
Coaching staff
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Alan Major Alan Major Alan Major is the head coach of the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team. Before being named coach of the 49ers, Major spent nine years working with Thad Matta at Ohio State and Xavier universities. He is a 1992 graduate of Purdue.Major served as a student manager under Gene Keady during his... |
Head Coach |
| Ryan Odom | Assistant Coach |
| Desmond Oliver | Assistant Coach |
| Orlando Vandross | Assistant Coach |
| Rob Perron | Director of Basketball Operations |
Professional Players
The following Charlotte basketball players appeared in at least one game in the NBANational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
:
- Cedric BallCedric BallCedric Glenn Ball is a retired American professional basketball player. He had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 1990–91 NBA season...
(1990) - Eddie BasdenEddie BasdenEdward Richard Basden is an American professional basketball player who formerly played in the National Basketball Association ....
(2005–2006) - Sean ColsonSean ColsonSean Tyree Colson is an American professional basketball player. A 6'0" point guard, he attended the University of Rhode Island, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Hagerstown Junior College...
(2000–2001) - Byron DinkinsByron DinkinsByron Stewart Dinkins is a retired American professional basketball player who played two seasons in the NBA, from 1989 to 1991.- NBA :...
(1990–1991) - DeMarco JohnsonDeMarco JohnsonDeMarco Antonio Johnson is an American professional basketball player.At 6'9", 245 lb forward, Johnson attended and played collegiately for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was selected by the New York Knicks with the 9th pick of the 2nd round of the 1998 NBA Draft...
(1999–2000) - Chad KinchChad KinchChadwick Oliver Kinch was an American professional basketball player. He was a 6'4" 190 lb shooting guard and played collegiately at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte after starring at Perth Amboy High School in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, his place of birth.He was selected with...
(1980–1981) - Cedric MaxwellCedric MaxwellCedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
(1977–1988) - Rodney WhiteRodney WhiteRodney Charles White is an American professional basketball player currently playing in South Korea for the Anyang KGC Pro Basketball Club...
(2001–2005)
Uniforms
Currently, Charlotte's primary uniforms feature a white jersey with green lettering and trim for home games, and a green jersey with white lettering and trim for away games. The team wore black road jerseys from 2001 to 2003, and wore black jerseys for a game against Tennessee in 2010.Home Venues
- Local high school gymnasiums (1965–1970)
- Belk GymnasiumBelk GymnasiumBelk Gymnasium, known informally as The Mine Shaft, is a gymnasium on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina...
(1970–1976) - Bojangles Coliseum (1976–1988, 1993–1996)
- Charlotte ColiseumCharlotte ColiseumThe Charlotte Coliseum was a multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was operated by the Charlotte Coliseum Authority, which also oversees the operation of Bojangles' Coliseum, the Charlotte Convention Center, and Ovens Auditorium...
(1988–1993) - Dale F. Halton ArenaDale F. Halton ArenaDale F. Halton Arena at the James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center is an indoor sports venue located on the main campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina...
(1996–present)- Time Warner Cable Arena (occasional, 2007–present)
Rivalries
Charlotte has had its fair share of intense rivalries. One of the most heated and intense rivalries was with the Bob HugginsBob Huggins
Bob Huggins, nicknamed "Huggy Bear", is the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team. Huggins previously held the head coaching positions at the University of Cincinnati and Kansas State University...
-coached Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball
The Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. They currently compete in the Big East Conference and are coached by Mick Cronin. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in...
of Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
. Throughout a ten-year period from 1995-96 to 2004-05, Charlotte managed to upset Cincinnati teams ranked #3, #8, #18, #20 in the country. In what became known as the Cincinnati Incident, a brawl broke out between Cincinnati and the Charlotte student section, when a Cincinnati player threw the basketball into the stands. This led to the creation of a 'buffer zone' being implemented behind the visiting team's bench. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
commentator Andy Katz
Andy Katz
Andy Katz is a senior college basketball journalist for ESPN.com. He is a regular sports analyst on College GameNight on ESPN. Katz earned a B.A. at the University of Wisconsin–Madison , and has worked for ESPN since January 5, 2000....
provided this explanation on why Charlotte-Cincinnati was one of the juiciest rivalries in the country: "The games are hotly contested usually and the fans in Charlotte don't like Cincinnati. They get up for this game more than any other."
Charlotte's 29-year rivalry with the Davidson Wildcats
Davidson Wildcats men's basketball
The Davidson Wildcats basketball team is the basketball team that represents Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, in the NCAA Division I. The school's team currently competes in the Southern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008. The...
sees Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County is the name of two counties in the United States:* Mecklenburg County, North Carolina* Mecklenburg County, Virginia...
's only two Division I schools go head-to-head for the Hornet's Nest Trophy. Charlotte leads the series 26-10. With some exceptions, the two schools play annually.
Since Charlotte's move to the Atlantic 10, a clear-cut main conference rival has yet to emerge. Commentators have pointed to the Xavier Musketeers and George Washington Colonials as potential rivals.