Many schools have nicknames that make no sense, but "49ers" for UNC-Charlotte, Utah's opponent today, seems like a very strange one.
Everyone knows the San Francisco 49ers were named for the gold miners who flocked to California in 1849. The UNCC mascot is a grizzled old miner holding a pick with a corncob pope in his mouth, but what could the school possibly have to do with the California gold rush? The nickname has nothing to do with the fact that Highway 49 runs near the campus or the rumor that the campus sits on an abandoned gold mine.It seems that the university was originally an extension center for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill back in 1946. It became Charlotte College in 1949, offering a night curriculum and eventually became a four-year college in 1963 and part of the UNC system two years later.
Because of the pioneer spirit of the founders and because it first became a college in 1949, the 49ers nickname was adopted, according to the UNCC media guide.
NO ROOM AT THE U.: UNCC's Versile Shaw, a 6-7 junior forward, got his third start of the season Friday and responded with a career-best 19 points.
Shaw has a Utah connection because he spent last year in the Beehive State, playing for the College of Eastern Utah. At CEU, he led the Scenic West Athletic Conference in shooting at 65.8 percent and was second in scoring (22.3 ppg) and rebounding (11.0). He had gone to Western Carolina out of New Orleans but things didn't work out and he landed in Utah.
Utah coach Rick Majerus said he wasn't unaware of Shaw, but didn't pursue him.
"It definitely wasn't about his ability," said Majerus. "We just had no room on the team for him."
CARDINAL RMs: Stanford, which is playing Wake Forest in the other game at the McKale Center this afternoon, has relied on a couple of LDS returned missionaries for its success this year.
Richard Jackson, a 6-6 senior from Provo, has been a part-time starter this year and played the final 16 minutes of Friday's 80-67 first-round win over Oklahoma. The former Timpview High standout is a co-captain who started 19 games this year and averaged 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds.
Mark Madsen is a 6-8 freshman from Danville, Calif., who has averaged 5.8 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Cardinal and has already been touted as "one of the great Stanford players in the years ahead."
Hmm, do you wonder if BYU could have used Jackson or Madsen this year?
NEW HOME FOR RICK: After seeing the fancy locker rooms at the University of Arizona, a couple of the Ute underclassmen asked U. athletic director Chris Hill if they could have something like that at Utah.
Majerus said he would rather spend money on other things like tutors on the road and laptop computers, "Our locker room is very spartan and basic, very third-world," said Majerus. "We have no carpeting, lousy lockers, nothing on the walls. This locker room has leather, a TV, nice carpeting . . . I've never had a house as nice as this locker room. If I ever got a job like this, I'd just live in the locker room."
NCAA NOTES: With the Utah and WAC career scoring records firmly in his grasp, Keith Van Horn can look for another milestone. He needs 25 points to hit the 2,500 mark . . . UNCC's 7-2 center Alexander Kuehl has a lot in common with George Washington's Alexander Kohl, who is 7-1. They are nearly the same size, their names are pronounced the same (cool) and both wear No. 45 . . . UNCC coach Melvin Watkins played on the 1977 Final Four team and after a year of pro ball, was an assistant at the school for 18 years before getting the head job last year . . . Asked if his team had played anyone like Van Horn or Michael Doleac this year, Watkins replied, "The ones I would talk about are in the NBA."