The (9-2) Charlotte 49ers will pay a visit to the (9-2) UAB Blazers on Thursday for a Conference USA matchup from Bartow Arena. The Niners are 2-1 in road games and have won five straight. The Blazers are 7-0 at home and have won consecutive games since falling to West Virginia. This will be the first conference game for both teams.
Tip-off from Charlotte, NC, will be at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Blazers are 12-point favorites, and the game total is 139 points.
Charlotte starts conference play on the road after wrapping up its non-conference schedule with nine wins and two losses. Their two defeats were to UMASS in the Myrtle Beach Invitational and in the following game on the road at Detroit Mercy. Now, it's time for the Niners to prove they're the real deal in a crowded Conference USA field of competitors.
In their latest victory, the 49ers shot 31-for-53 from the floor (58.5%) and 44.4 percent from distance. They led Monmouth 38-18 at halftime and finished off the Hawks with a 42-point second-half performance. Guard Jackson Threadgill paced the team with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, forward Josh Aldrich added 10 points and five rebounds, and guard Brice Williams scored 10.
The non-con breakdown.
?? 9-2 overall record.
?? Two wins by 30+.
?? Four wins by 20+.
?? +10.7 p oint differential.
?? Runner-Up finish in Myrtle.
?? Wins over App and Davidson.
?? 5-0 in front of the best fans in America.Only the beginning. ??#GoldStandard? pic.twitter.com/PwVO7JUSAA
— Charlotte Men's Basketball (@CharlotteMBB) December 18, 2022
This season, Charlotte is scoring 68.8 points, shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from long range. Sophomore forward Igor Milicic Jr. leads the Niners in scoring, averaging 10.5 points on 53.8 percent shooting, and fellow sophomore forward Aly Khalifa contributes 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Charlotte's offensive efficiency rating, adjusted for schedule, is ranked 125th, per KenPom.
The 49ers' defense is surrendering 58.1 points per game, and their opponents are shooting 39.9 percent from the floor, including 36.8 percent from distance. Their adjusted defensive efficiency rating is ranked 102nd. The Niners' assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.48, the 17th-best ratio in the nation.