Charlotte 49ers basketball: New conference is a ‘big step’ for men’s and women’s teams

Monday marked the first day of practice for the Charlotte 49ers’ men’s and women’s basketball teams and their first season in the American Athletic Conference.

While women’s coach Cara Consuegra is returning for her 13th year, men’s interim head coach Aaron Fearne is stepping into his first collegiate head coaching role with the 49ers.

Following former head coach Ron Sanchez’s unexpected departure in early June — he reclaimed his old job as associate head coach with the Virginia Cavaliers under Tony Bennett — Charlotte’s athletic director Mike Hill gave Fearne a prove-it opportunity in the 49ers’ first year in a new conference.

“Aaron has the tools required to lead this program, and our basketball team believes in him,” Hill said. “He has considerable experience as a head coach, and his leadership ability has been on full display during a very challenging time. We look forward to an exciting new brand of Charlotte basketball.”

Men’s team has familiar faces and big additions

After closing the 2022-23 campaign as one of three programs in the nation to win its final tournament game, earning a College Basketball Invitational championship in Daytona, the 49ers lost their leading scorers and rebounders Brice Williams (Nebraska) and Aly Khalifa (BYU) through the transfer portal.

Despite losing two key players, Charlotte retained multiple core pieces in guards Jackson Threadgill, Lu’Cye Patterson and Isaiah Folkes and added forward Dean Reiber (Rutgers), and Dishon Jackson (Washington State), a 6-11, 260-pound center who decommitted following Sanchez’s exit and recommitted with Fearne’s promotion.

Hill knew that if Fearne wasn’t promoted, Charlotte would be challenged in the transfer portal.

“If we would’ve hired from the outside, I think we would have lost 50 to 75 percent of our roster,” Hill said on the Highway 49 Podcast. “That would’ve been a real challenge to put together a team to compete in our first year in the American.”

It was the relationships, as well as the hopeful springboard to success following the CBI championship, that kept Charlotte’s roster mostly intact.

“Every single player was recruited by multiple schools,” Fearne said on the Highway 49 Podcast. “I think, obviously, when you get into sports it’s about relationships, and we all felt that the relationships were strong enough that we wanted to continue down this journey together. They felt that I could lead them, and I was really inspired by that and thankful for that.”

Fearne’s group has just over four weeks until the team’s first scrimmage, which will be private.

Charlotte’s non-conference schedule starts on Nov. 11 against Maine at Halton Arena, with the most notable non-conference clash coming Dec. 9 at Cameron Indoor against the Duke Blue Devils.

With the season nearing, Fearne knows it’s a huge opportunity for himself and his team. He’s focused on the day-to-day work to develop his roster.

“We’ve got to continue to grow and slowly add to our package. Develop skills and start preparing to play for real,” Fearne told The Observer. “We’re four weeks away from our first scrimmage. That will give us an idea of where we are and where we’re not. It’s good to get out there and start playing some games so that we can start answering some questions that we want to know the answers to.”

Much like Consuegra’s women’s team, Fearne will rely on a mix of new and old faces to build on the men’s program’s first 20-win season since 2012-13.

Women’s star guard starts season with Team USA

After returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 13 years in 2022, Cousuegra’s group is looking to bounce back from a down year last season.

“We’re joining one of the best women’s basketball leagues in the country. When you look at the American, they’ve been ranked right behind the Power Five every year in existence,” Consuegra said.

“It’s certainly a big step up for us, but we’ve done this before. Certainly, we have to be better and have to continue to improve.”

Returning is redshirt junior guard Dazia Lawrence, the team’s leader in points (16.9), steals (2.1) and 3-point percentage (36%) from a season ago. She has also earned a spot on Team USA’s 3x3 FIBA World Cup roster, becoming the first Charlotte women’s hoops player to achieve such a feat, according to Consuegra. Team USA will play Sept. 27 through Oct. 1 in Poland.

“Last year Dazia worked hard to become one of the best players in our conference and we firmly believe that she is one of the best players in the country,” Consuegra said. “She now has the opportunity to showcase her abilities against the best athletes in the world. We are so proud of her and can’t wait to see her represent Charlotte and our country on the world stage.”

Consuegra will also rely on veteran players Keanna Rembert, Tamia Davis and Jacee Busick, as well as a group of newcomers that must replace three of the 49ers top five scorers from a season ago. Consuegra noted guards Olivia Porter (Michigan State), Jewel Watkins (Coppin State) and Imani Smith (Florida Gulf Coast) as newcomers standing out.

“Olivia Porter is going to be a huge one; she’s taking over the point guard duties from Jada McMillian, who’s been incredible for us for five years. I’ve been excited about Jewel Watkins,” Consuergra said. “She’s a two-way player and has a chance to be maybe our best defender, which says a lot because Dazia is darn good.”

The 49ers will open the season on Nov. 7 at North Carolina State, then have their home opener on Nov. 10 against Tennessee State.