GREENVILLE, S.C. — Bobby Lutz and the Charlotte 49ers met in the men’s locker room at Halton Arena last Sunday to watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, escaping the view of television cameras that catch all reactions good and bad.
“I felt good about our chances, but at the same time wasn’t sure,” Charlotte senior Jobey Thomas said. “Then I think we were somewhat surprised to be a No. 9 seed.”
The 49ers, who have grown accustomed to winning the Conference USA tournament title under Lutz’s leadership, endured some anxious moments on Sunday night while awaiting an at-large bid.
Charlotte got its berth, even though it came up short in its conference tournament.
This week’s NCAA Tournament just gives Lutz another chance to show his March magic.
The 49ers take on eighth-seeded Notre Dame tonight at 7:40 p.m. in the first round of the South Regional at the Bi-Lo Center, marking the first time in Lutz’s four years at Charlotte that it has gotten an at-large bid.
The 49ers normally haven’t needed one, considering Lutz’s teams have posted a 10-2 record in the C-USA tourney.
“In practices, it’s just making sure we know what can happen in any situation,” Charlotte’s Cam Stephens said of Lutz’s tournament coaching. “I think he does best with our preparation.He gets us ready mentally and physically.”
Lutz, the former Pfeiffer head coach, has joined the likes of Les Robinson for having his named attached to his conference tournament, but for better reasons.
In Lutz’s first season as Charlotte’s head coach, the 49ers won the C-USA tournament and earned a No. 5 seed in the
NCAAs.
Last season, Charlotte captured the title again and earned a No. 9 seed in the tournament.
The 49ers (18-11) were considered a bubble team heading into this postseason, but the tournament committee slightly surprised even Lutz by giving his team a No. 9 seed.
“If you look at our RPI, 37 was the last one, that’s about a nine or a 10,”Lutz said. “We thought we’d be 10 or 11.”
The 49ers undoubtedly impressed the committee with their track record not just in the conference tournament, but in the
NCAAs. Charlotte has won its last two first-round games under Lutz, and the school has won in the first round in its last four NCAA appearances.
Lutz has become a master at preparing his teams in tournament situations, whether he has a week or a day.
“Sometimes at tournament time, teams tend to tense up and play it close to the vest,”Lutz said. “I’m just the opposite. I encourage us offensively to be very open.”
Lutz knows what strings to pull with his own team, but he has gained acclaim for how he scouts his opponents.
Lutz said he will have seen 15 hours of game film on Notre Dame by the time the 49ers and Fighting Irish face off today. Add that to the 15 hours his assistants will watch, and there’s little room for surprise.
Lutz and his staff condense what they’ve seen into about 15 to 30 minutes of footage for their players to soak in.
“I grew up in athletics, so I’ve always had a coach’s mentality,” Lutz said. “I’ve always dissected what other people do.
“I have a good memory, and I see things before they happen. On tape I can kind of read what they’re going to do. I just try to share that with our players, and it gives us a little bit of an edge.”
Lutz stays plenty busy watching film, but an entry into the NCAA tourney also means extra interviews and public practices.
Lutz thrives in what can be an overwhelming atmosphere.
“For me and the coaching staff, it’s probably the busiest time of the year,” he said.“But it’s a good problem to have.”
It’s one the 49ers have had a lot recently. They are one of only 15 teams with at least four trips to the NCAA second round in the last five years.
This trip differs from the last two considering Charlotte is coming off a loss, but Lutz said a setback to Cincinnati in the C-USA semifinals is nothing to hang your head over.
“You don’t have quite the confidence coming off a tournament loss that you do coming off of a tournament victory,”Lutz said. “It’s not quite the same, and I think that’s something we’ve really tried to address as a coaching staff to make sure our guys believe in themselves.”
That shouldn’t be a problem for Lutz, especially at tourney time.
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Contact Bret Strelow at 704-797-4258 or bstrelow@salisburypost.com
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