Charlotte 49ers get to play basketball again — and without needing coach to suit up
Injuries and COVID-related quarantines took such a toll on the Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball program last week that head coach Ron Sanchez had to take a drastic step.
“I had to jump into a few drills and work up a bit of a sweat,” Sanchez says.
And?
“I didn’t do all that bad,” was his evaluation. “I would’ve done better if I had the right shoes.”
The 49ers should have enough healthy players available Friday night so they won’t need their coach to play when they host Georgia State.
“Last week was challenging,” says Sanchez, who, for the record, was conference player of the year at a Division III school in New York. “We think we’re in a better spot now.”
Sanchez says three staff members, two scholarship players, and a walk-on were unavailable at practice for various reasons last weekend. He can’t guarantee everyone will be ready for Georgia State, but he expects something resembling a normal game.
COVID problems have taken a toll on the 49ers’ schedule through the first eight days of the season. Charlotte was to have faced 12th-ranked Tennessee and VCU at a two-day event last week in Knoxville, but coronavirus issues in the Tennessee program led to that event being canceled.
The 49ers then arranged their own three-team event in Charlotte, with East Carolina and Belmont Abbey. Charlotte lost 66-57 to East Carolina last Friday, but the rest of the event was scrubbed when Belmont Abbey reported COVID problems within its program.
Which means Sanchez still is learning about his team. He says he knows a little already.
“They enjoy playing together, and they play hard,” he says. “But our sample size is small. I am still trying to figure out the exact rotation.”
Georgia State (2-1) has a victory over Georgia Tech to its credit this season, and Sanchez says the Panthers “are a really talented team.”
“They have guards who can put the ball in the basket, and their big guys are very active,” he said.
The Panthers are averaging 97 points a game, and Sanchez says the 49ers will need to step up their defensive effort Friday night.
“That was an area of concern,” he said, referring to the East Carolina loss. “We need to be more consistent with our defense. We will get a test in this game.”
Tipoff is 6 p.m. Friday at Halton Arena, but fans are not admitted due to local and state health regulations.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
