Phenom Hoops continues to preview the landscape of college basketball, as the season is coming fast and there is plenty to talk about. We have amped up our coverage for college ball, as talk about teams, players, and programs around the country. Check out our latest preview for the upcoming season and the topics we are focusing on.
Charlotte 49ers
Last Year’s Record: 19-12
Conference Record: 13-2
Coach: Aaron Fearne
Scoring: 68.7ppg
Scoring Defense: 65.6ppg
Needing Isaiah Folkes to step up/ Backcourt staying healthy
When you look at the backcourt of the 49ers, staying healthy is going to be key to the team’s success. Though they have talent, the depth for this team looks to be in the frontcourt and injuries could really hurt this team as they look to build on a 19-12 overall record last season. Nik Graves is back and should be a big piece once again, but they will need senior Isaiah Folkes to really step up. He has been around the program for some time now and helped rack up wins last year (14-5 in 19 starts last year). He will be one that can help offensively and defensively, but he will need to step it up more as a scoring option as well, averaging 4.3 points per game last year. Kylan Blackmon from Coastal Carolina will also help with depth at the guard position.
Charlotte will have size but still has to replace production
Losing players like Igor Milicic Jr. and Dishon Jackson will certainly hurt as they combined for nearly 25 points and 15 rebounds last year. That will be tough production to replace, but this is a team that will have eight players on its roster that are 6’7 or taller. Nika Metskhvarishvili played three seasons at ULM and averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last year. He could be one that really helps this team, but players like Robert Braswell IV, Jeremiah Oden, Dean Reiber, and others will bring tremendous value and depth to this team.
Young Players to Watch
Redshirt sophomore Aleks Szymczyk could be a player to watch, as the 6’10 prospect comes from Florida after missing last year with a foot injury. But before then, he made appearances in 14 games and really started to come on towards the end of the 2022-23 season in which he averaged 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds. Another player that I would be interested in watching and to see if he has developed is Redshirt sophomore Rich Rolf. I remember watching him in high school, as the 6’7 prospect was tough with his shot-making ability. He opened up the offense with his perimeter shooting and I’m eager to see if he can do the same for the 49ers down the road.