Good article about De’angelo and the rest of the team on Sporting News Site
[URL=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=139219]http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=139219
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[QUOTE]Alexander ready to take reigns of 49ers
[URL=http://www.sportingnews.com/cbasketball/articles/20061017/791122-p.html][B]Print this[/B][/URL] [B] | [URL=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=139219#]E-mail this[/URL][/B] | [URL=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=139219#comments]Comments on this article[/URL]: 0 
Posted: October 17, 2006
[B]Associated Press[/B]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- De'Angelo Alexander was Charlotte's leading scorer last season, but the 49ers were built around Curtis Withers and his rebounding prowess.
Withers is gone, taking his 16.1 points and 11.3 rebounds a game to a professional league in Turkey. Alexander believes it’s his turn to step up.
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“I think this is my team and as I lead them they’re going to follow me,” Alexander said. "This is my last year and I want to make the (NCAA) tournament. I want to leave on a positive."
The 49ers went 19-13 last season and had to settle for the National Invitation Tournament because of costly home losses. Alexander (17 points a game) and Leemire Goldwire (13.4) return, but coach Bobby Lutz has to figure out how to replace Withers, who was fourth in the nation in rebounding last season.
“One guy is not going to do it, especially the rebounding component,” Lutz said. "That’s the thing that Curtis was so great at and that was with people double-boxing him."
Six new players join the roster, plus E.J. Drayton is back after missing last season with a knee injury. He is penciled in to replace Withers at power forward.
“He’s different than Curtis. He’s not going to rebound like him, but he’s actually a better offensive player in terms of skill,” Lutz said. "The rebounding will have to come by committee."
Seniors Antwon Coleman and Courtney Williams and freshman Phil Jones, a late recruit, could all play center. Lutz also must replace point guard Mitchell Baldwin. Junior college transfer Carlos Williams is the likely choice, but Goldwire could also move over from his shooting guard spot.
“We’ve got choices,” Lutz said. "Carlos has 1-on-1 abilities that no one else on the team has, but he’s got to learn when to do that and when to run our team."
Lutz, beginning his ninth season, loves the 3-point shot and that’s where Alexander and Goldwire come in. They combined to shoot 467 3-pointers last season. Alexander shot 43 percent from behind the arc, but he spent the summer working on his mid-range game in Houston with former NBA player John Lucas.
“You’re going to see a more complete player out of me this year,” Alexander said.
Goldwire, who hit the game-winning 3 in a scrimmage this week before hitting 12 consecutive 3s in a shooting drill at the end of the practice, is looking to improve on his 35 percent shooting average from 3-point range.
“I want to make shots late in the game,” Goldwire said.
The 49ers will begin their second season in the Atlantic 10, where Lutz believes Xavier will be the favorite. Charlotte should be among the top five teams in the league along with George Washington, Massachusetts and Saint Louis, he said.
The 49ers, who are 26-12 on the road in the past three seasons, have nonconference games at Syracuse, Indiana and Mississippi State. But as the school prepares to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of its 1977 Final Four team, Charlotte will have to avoid the bad home losses. Last season they were just 9-6 at home.
“I think we have a chance to compete for the conference title and I think if we make the (NCAA) tournament we can make it to at least the Sweet 16 or the Elite 8,” Alexander said. “Everybody is confident. As long as we buy in (to) what coach Lutz preaches, we’re going to win games.”
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