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DAVIDSON, N.C. – The chance to reclaim the Battle for the Hornets' Nest Trophy and beat their cross-county rival is squarely on the minds of the 49ers as Charlotte Men's Basketball (4-3) makes the 30-minute trip north to Davidson (5-2) and John M. Belk Arena.
The Niners and the Wildcats tip off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10. This will be just the second road game of the season for Charlotte after the Niners played five consecutive games at home and opened the year with six of seven games at Halton Arena.
Niner Nation wishing to support the Green & White in hostile territory can purchase tickets, HERE.
Fans can follow the action on Tuesday via Sidearm Live Stats, HERE, or catch the game on ESPN+, HERE. As always, Niner Nation can also listen to the action on ESPN 730 The Game with the Voice of the Niners Matt Sweirad and Charlotte alum, Trevor Wilt, calling the game, HERE.
LAYUP LINES
- The annual Battle for the Hornets' Nest Trophy, presented by OrthoCarolina takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 10, in Davidson, N.C.
- This will be the 51st meeting between Charlotte and Davidson, making this rivalry the third-most-played game in Niners history (behind South Fla., 56 times & UAB, 54 times).
- After five straight home games, the 49ers will travel to Davidson on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Georgia State on Saturday, Dec. 14. The Niners also have an eight-day cross-country trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, to play in the Diamond Head Classic coming up.
- The Niners' 83-61 win over Livingstone on Dec. 4 snapped a two-game losing streak for Charlotte.
- Conference play is officially less than a month away, as the Niners host Tulane in the AAC opener on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
- The 2024-25 version of the Charlotte 49ers features eight returners from last season and seven newcomers.
- Returners Nik Graves and Robert Braswell IV have started all seven games this year.
- Nik Graves, entering his second season as the starting point guard, is averaging a team-high 16.0 points per game (ninth in the AAC).
- Braswell IV is currently averaging a career-high 12.4 points per game on 51.9% shooting from the field and 48.4% from three-point land.
- Giancarlo Rosado, averaging 12.5 points and team highs of 6.5 boards and 3.8 assists per game, has firmly entrenched himself as the starting center for Charlotte, after 118 appearances (and one start) at Florida Atlantic.
- Jaehshon Thomas, arriving from JuCo Florida Southwestern State, has started every game this season and is averaging 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
- Davidson is 6-2 with its only losses coming in November's Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.
- The Wildcats did pick up a marquee win in the Bahamas, defeating a Providence team 69-58, which was receiving votes in the AP Poll.
- On Friday, Dec. 6, the Wildcats outlasted Charleston Southern at home, 73-72, behind 25 points from Reed Bailey and 21 from Connor Kochera.
- Bailey and Kochera are Davidson's top two scorers, averaging 18.4 points on 50% from the field and 16.9 on 53%, respectively.
- Bailey, a 6-10 forward, is also leading the team in rebounding (7.3 per game) and assists (3.3).
- Bobby Durkin is the Wildcats' long-range specialist as the 6-7 forward has a team-high 22 three-pointers on 41.5% from deep.
- Matt McKillop is in his third season at the helm of his alma mater. Matt succeeded his father, Bob, who led Davidson for 33 years.
BATTLE FOR THE HORNETS' NEST
- Charlotte is 31-19 all-time against Davidson. In the Battle for the Hornets' Nest, which began in 1979-80, the Niners are 25-17 for the trophy. (Typically, when the two teams met twice in the same season, only the first game counted as 'The Battle.')
- The 49ers' 31 victories over the Wildcats represent the most all-time over one opponent in Charlotte history.
- Fireworks ignited the last time these two teams played at John M. Belk Arena. Jackson Threadgill etched his name in 49ers lore by hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Charlotte a 68-66 win on Nov. 29, 2022.
WHAT'S IN A RIVALRY
- "We've had some interesting contests since the staff has been here. You know they played us really well last year and obviously, the year before, we won on that crazy shot so who knows what happens in this next game. It just kind of seems to be that way." - Head Coach Aaron Fearne
- "I am really excited and looking forward to playing [Davidson], especially at their place because their fans are really heckling and it's real fun playing there." - Senior guard Isaiah Folkes
- "It's going to take a special effort next week [Tuesday], but one the guys will be up for and we're going to have to get after it." - Fearne.
- "You could feel the rivalry, you saw it on the face of their fans." - Folkes.
- "It means a lot to win a game like that, you have that history with each other. You win those bragging rights for the city when you beat Davidson. And those wins can be even harder since they know you so well." - Junior guard and Durham, N.C., native Nik Graves.
- "There are a lot of people who have been watching these two programs play for a long time. When you watch that, you become invested in it, especially with some of the wild games we've played against one another. For some guys, this will be their first time experiencing it, but the guys who have been through it know how important it is." - Fearne.
NINERS CONTROL GAME FOR 83-61 WIN OVER LIVINGSTONE
- With an 83-61 victory over visiting Livingstone College on Wednesday (Dec. 4) evening, Charlotte Men's Basketball snapped its two-game losing skid and improved to 4-3 overall.
- The 49ers used a 10-0 run to reverse a first-half deficit and then carried that momentum into the second half, where they outscored the Blue Bears 44-29.
- Leading 57-51 with less than 10 minutes to play, Charlotte went on an 8-0 run to create some distance from the Blue Bears as the 65-51 advantage eventually morphed into the 22-point win.
- Four Niners finished in double figures. Folkes had a career-high 13 points on five-of-eight shooting. He was joined by Graves, who also had a team-high 13 points. Dean Reiber (4-7 FG) tallied 11 points and Robert Braswell had 10.
- Charlotte shot 6-of-15 (40 percent) from deep in the second half, after going 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) in the first. After Livingstone whittled the lead from 57-45 to 57-51, the 49ers used back-to-back three-pointers again to extend their lead.
- Nika Metskhvarishvili and Reiber made their first starts of the season, alongside Graves, Braswell, and Jaehshon Thomas. Metskhvarishvili finished with six points, seven boards (four offensive), and two assists. He was two-of-five from deep. Thomas managed to impact the game beyond scoring (five points) by matching the team-high with seven rebounds and five assists.
WHAT'S IN A WIN, WHAT'S IN A LOSS
- At 4-3, the Niners have won their four games by an average of 13.5 points and lost their games by an average of 17.3 points. Inside the wins and losses, a few things stand out: some positive, and some areas marked for improvement.
- Offensively, Charlotte has been fairly consistent but defensively, the Niners are allowing 25 more points in their losses. The perimeter defense is a major factor as Charlotte has held opponents to 27.3 percent shooting from three in wins, but that percentage skyrockets to 35.4 percent in losses.
- The biggest difference though? Turnovers and ball movement. In the three losses, the 49ers dished out 38 assists but committed 34 turnovers with a turnover margin of minus-nine. However, in the three wins, Charlotte has 70 assists to just 26 turnovers and a plus-13 turnover margin. That is an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.1 in losses and 2.7 in wins.
- Giancarlo Rosado's impact could not have been more pronounced than when he missed most of the second half in the loss to ETSU. A second half in which Charlotte was outscored 44-19.
- The 6-foot-8 center leads the team with 3.8 assists per game. His assist-to-turnover ratio in the three wins is 18:4 and in losses are 5:7. That is six assists a game in wins and 1.67 assists in losses. That's a pretty drastic difference.
YEAR THREE: CONSISTENCY
- Now in his third season with the 49ers and second as the starting point guard, Nik Graves continues to elevate his game.
- The Durham, N.C., native went from averaging 1.6 points as a freshman in 2022-23 to finishing as the team's fourth-leading scorer (10.4 points per game) after starting 30 games.
- Graves has taken another leap from his sophomore to junior campaigns. His scoring average has improved to 15.6 points per game and he is the only 49er to score in double figures in all six games this year.
- Graves' scoring has come largely from his uncanny ability to get to the free throw line. The 6-foot-3 guard leads the team with 50 free throw attempts.
- His scoring has seen an uptick while his turnovers have decreased. This year, he has 25 assists to nine turnovers for an assist/turnover ratio of 2.78, an improvement from last season's 2.57 assist/turnover ratio.
A LOOK AT THE FIRST FIVE
- Compare the Niners' first five games this season to last year's and there is no doubt that the Charlotte offense is markedly improved. The 49ers are averaging 72.6 points per game this year, an improvement from 63 points/game through the first five games in 2023.
- Charlotte only scored more than 70 points once through the first five games and the Niners have already topped that number three times in 2024.
- The 2024 Niners have attempted 104 three-pointers through five games, which is 25 more attempts than at this point last season. That means that Charlotte is taking five more attempts per game, on average.
- The 49ers are also getting to the line much more often this season. Charlotte has made more free throws this season (104) than it attempted at the same point last year (77).
The first five game-by-game free throw MADE total in 2024: 15, 16, 24, 12, 37.
The first five game-by-game free throw ATTEMPT total in 2023: 21, 5, 15, 20, 16.
- In the 2024 season opener, the 49ers dropped 88 points and made 11 three-pointers, while shooting 50% from deep. At this point last year, Charlotte had not made more than six triples in a game. The Niners never scored 88 against a D-I opponent last season and they did not shoot 50% from three in a game until the regular season finale on March 9.
EARLY NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
- Head Coach Aaron Fearne began building on his 2025-26 roster by signing two high school products— Jaylen Cross and Jairne Elouna Eyenga on Early National Signing Day on November 15.
- Cross, ranked No. 159 in the country and No. 8 in North Carolina by 247Sports' Composite Rankings, is the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Charlotte since 2009.
- Cross is a six-foot-four guard out of Greensboro, N.C. The Caldwell Academy product is rated as a three-star recruit by On3, 247 Sports, and ESPN, and a four-star recruit by Rivals.
- Elouna Eyenga is a Belgian national currently attending JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The six-foot-nine forward was a member of the Under-18 Belgian National Team, who participated in Division A of FIBA EuroBasket this summer.
- On July 28, 2024, Elouna Eyenga dropped eye-popping totals of 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists against Turkey in the U18 Eurobasket, followed by a 10-point, seven-rebound, two-assist performance on the very next day against Germany.
THE BOYS ARE BACK AGAIN
- Junior Nik Graves headlines the list of eight returners for the 2024-25 campaign. The point guard averaged 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game last season. He led the team with 85 assists, was second with 30 steals, and was the fourth-leading scorer on the squad.
- Isaiah Folkes is back after making 19 starts in 2023-24 for the 49ers. The 49ers were 14-5 with the Gainesville, Va., native as a starter. This will be his fifth season with the program after joining the team in the middle of the 2020-21 campaign.
- Robert Braswell IV is back for his seventh season of college. Over his six-year career, which started at Syracuse, the Jacksonville, Fla., native has made 110 appearances. In his three years in the Queen City, Braswell IV has averaged seven points per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from deep.
- Dean Reiber transferred to Charlotte last year after three seasons at Rutgers. He was a mainstay on the court for the 49ers as one of three players to appear in all 31 games last season.
- Nick Richart and Rich Rolf are also back for another season in the Queen City. This is their second and third seasons with the program, respectively. Richart did not play his freshman year after redshirting and Rolf appeared in three games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2023-24.
NEW TO THE QUEEN CITY
- Charlotte retooled its roster with seven new additions, including six transfers. Giancarlo Rosado, Ben Bradford, Kylan Blackmon, Aleks Szymczyk, Jaehshon Thomas, Jeremiah Oden, and Nika Metskhvarishvili are new to Charlotte and will be relied on heavily if the Niners wish to improve upon their success last season.
- Rosado is very familiar with the Queen City, but this time he's on the other side of the court as a presumed Charlotte starter after four seasons at Florida Atlantic. The six-foot-eight forward appeared in 118 games with the Owls and he was instrumental in the 2023 run to the Final Four.
- The American is a tough league for freshmen to come in and play, but for guard Ben Bradford, maybe he will be an exception. He certainly has the skill after averaging 27 points per game at Gaithersburg High School. Coach Fearne and this Charlotte staff have a track record of playing freshmen. Graves appeared in 22 games in his first season and former players Brice Williams and Jahmir Young also saw a lot of action as freshmen.
- Blackmon is a silky smooth shooter who shot nearly 36 percent from deep on more than five attempts per game last year for Coastal Carolina. He arrives to the Queen City after two seasons with the Chanticleers. He was the team's third-leading scorer with 11.4 points a game in 2023-24.
- Szymczyk gives the Niners another solid option in the frontcourt. The Frankfurt, Germany native and Florida transfer missed all of the 2023-24 season, but he did appear in 14 games as a true freshman.
- In Thomas, Charlotte has a player with three-level scoring abilities and a combo guard archetype. At Florida Southwestern State, the Aurora, Ill., native led his JuCo with 16 points per game en route to all-conference and all-state honors.
- Oden played at DePaul last season after spending three years at Wyoming. The most experienced player of all the newcomers, the six-foot-nine wing has made 86 starts in his career with averages of 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. In 2022, he started 32 games for Wyoming and helped the Cowboys to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven seasons.
- Nika Metskhvarishvili is a native of Tbilisi, Georgia and he transfers to Charlotte after three seasons with UL-Monroe. In 2023-24, the six-foot-eight forward was a third-team All-Sun Belt selection after leading the team in points (12.3) and rebounds (5.8) per game.
2023-24 SEASON RECAP
- Last year, the Niners went 19-12 overall with a 13-5 mark in their first season in The American. The 49ers recorded their first top-three league finish since 2006.
- The 49ers' 13 conference wins and 13 wins at Halton Arena tied program records. Charlotte also recorded its first-ever eight-game conference winning streak, as well as the first win over a ranked opponent at home since 2013.
- The 49ers were led by Lu'Cye Patterson, who was a second-team All-AAC and second-team all-district selection in 2023-24. He had a team-high 14.6 points per game.
- Igor Milicic Jr., last year's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, was a third-team All-AAC pick.
- The duo helped the 49ers outdo the expectations that picked them to finish 13th of 14 in the AAC.
NINER NUGGETS
- A total of 10 games will be featured on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU, while another 20 games will be on ESPN+.
- Halton Arena will be home to three nationally televised games this season.
- On Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, Charlotte will host Memphis on either ESPN2 or ESPNU at 2 p.m.
- On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the 49ers welcome Wichita State for a 7 p.m. matchup that will either be on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
- The Niners' home contest against East Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 15, is set for ESPNU. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m.
- For Christmas 2024, Charlotte will travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, to play in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
- Charlotte will play Hawai'i in the opening round of the eight-team tournament on December 22 at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
- With five fifth-year players, a sixth-year, and a seventh-year player on its roster, Charlotte trails only Oklahoma State (eight) for most players in their fifth year or longer of college.
UP NEXT
The 49ers will play consecutive road games for the first time this season when they travel to Atlanta, Ga. to play Georgia State on Saturday, Dec. 14. Tip off is slated for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
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