Charlotte, NC – The 49ers (14-7, 8-1 AAC) are taking their program-record eight game win streak on the road Tuesday night to Tampa,FL. Charlotte’s highly anticipated contest against South Florida (15-5, 8-1 AAC) is slated for a 9pm start at the Yeungling Center and will air nationally on ESPN2. The Bulls are favored to win at home according to ESPN analytics and have not suffered a home loss since a November 22, 2023 defeat to Maine. Following that defeat, Bulls Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim apologized to the University for his team’s lack of overall competitiveness. See that post game presser here.
In his first year at the helm following a successful stint at Kennesaw State, Abdur-Rahim (brother of former NBA All-Star Shareef Abdur-Rahimn) has far exceeded expectations for a program that finished 14-18 a year ago. The Bulls have won 13 of its last 14 games including a gutsy comeback win over then #10 ranked Memphis on the road.
HOW GOOD IS SOUTH FLORIDA?
The Bulls have excelled in its ability to run the high pick and roll on offense. They relish the opportunity to get opposing big men out in space to take advantage of the mismatches it creates.
As a unit, the Bulls are amongst the best 3 point shooting teams in the AAC, ranking 4th in the conference in 3-point FG percentage . However, defending the three point line has not been an issue for Coach Fearne’s crew this season. The only three teams in the conference that have shot the ball better than South Florida (Florida Atlantic, Tulane and North Texas), have all been defeated by Charlotte. The ability of the Niners to play off the high screen and rotate defensively have helped Charlotte become the 3rd best defense in the AAC. In theory, Charlotte has the necessary tools to slow down what South Florida does best.
SOUTH FLORIDA’S BIG THREE
The Bulls are led by newcomer Chris Youngblood who is averaging 14.6 ppg on the year. The senior led Kennesaw State to an ASUN tournament title last season which helped the Owls punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
Sharpshooting guard Selton Miguel is also averaging over 14 ppg for Coach Abdur-Rahim and is having a career year from the three point line. Selton has the sixth highest 3 point field goal percentage in the conference at nearly 43 percent.
High energy forward Kasean Pryor has proven that he can explode for 20+ on a given night and has been looked at by some scouts as a potential NBA draft pick. The 6’10 high-flying forward can cause mayhem with his ability to step out and defend the perimeter and get down the floor in transition.
While South Florida may pose a new set of challenges, Charlotte clearly has the confidence it needs to compete against any opponent. “We always believe we can win”, said Charlotte forward Igor Millic at last Friday’s press conference. “The belief in us never dies. Like I said a few weeks ago, we’re not scare of anybody and we’re going to fight in every game that we play in.”
