Google Scouting Presents: Charlotte 49ers

Logo courtesy of Chris Creamer's sports logos

Not only do the Charlotte 49ers play second fiddle to big brother UNC Chapel Hill (b.k.a. The No. 1 Tar Heels) but they're not even the best 49ers out there.

Ever heard of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young?

Yep.

Charlotte spanked SIU last season, 71-56, and did so without Rodney White. For those of you who don't remember Rodney White, allow me to refresh your memory later in the program.

Until then, here's what "Google Scouting" has done for me.

Mascot: 49ers. Another great "original" nickname here as it shares with San Francisco's pro football team. Yeah, they're not really that good.

Conference: The Atlantic 10. UNCC is the Salukis' third A-10 foe this year and is looking to stay perfect. Bring on Xavier!

Record: 1-6. Ouch. Lots of close losses for the visitors from the Carolina region.

Who to watch for: Leading scorer Lamont Mack averages 12.4 points per game and Charlie Coley III is a rebounding machine that is uber athletic. Someone's gonna have to body those guys.

Don't worry about... Rodney White, who is one of UNCC's greatest players ever. I remember him torturing DePaul fans when the 49ers were in Conference USA. He played one year there, garnering the national freshman of the year award before being drafted 9th overall by the Detroit Pistons.

As for his NBA career. Not so much.

The 'X' Factor: Another payback game for SIU, who Charlotted dominated in a 71-56 blowout. I remember a Tom Weber blog last season that depicted a difficult environment for the Dawgs as the merciless fans of UNCC pelted the Salukis with words that would get your mouth washed with soap.

Don't expect the Dawg Pound to take this one lightly.

Prediction: Payback's a bitch: SIU 67 SLU 59.