Charlotte's Sherrill remains patient

Charlotte's K.J. Sherrill, center, battles for position. Photo by Bret Strelow, Salisbury Post.

K.J. Sherrill (2) watches from the bench as coach Bobby Lutz barks out orders to guard Dijuan Harris. Photo by Bret Strelow, Salisbury Post.

Shamari Spears (43) and K.J. Sherrill (2) celebrate the last-minute win against George Washington. Photo by Bret Strelow, Salisbury Post.

By Bret Strelow

bstrelow@salisburypost.com

Charlotte freshman K.J. Sherrill looks more capable of handling the rigors of high-end Division I basketball.

The next step is proving it with his play.

Sherrill, a former West Rowan star, is a 6-foot-7, 225-pound reserve who has appeared in all 22 of the 49ers' games.

Minutes have been scarce, but Sherrill has bulked up a bit in an attempt to contribute as a rebounder.

"I can tell body-wise I'm getting in shape, getting fit, and I'm getting bigger," Sherrill said with a grin. "I look good in my uniform now that I've got a little bit of muscles on me."

Sherrill is maintaining a positive approach even though his minutes have dropped in the last two weeks. He's averaging 8.0 per game for the season.

Charlotte (17-5, 7-1 Atlantic 10) earned a 72-68 home win against George Washington on Wednesday night, and Sherrill checked in for the first time with 1:17 remaining to take Shamari Spears' spot on the defensive end. Spears returned after a short stint on the bench.

"We're winning, so I'm happy for us," Sherrill said. "I'm not discouraged. I know my time will come, so I'm just waiting it out now.

"Coming to games last year, I saw why the record was what it was. Now we have some new players like Chris Braswell, Derrio Green, Shamari Spears. They've come and are giving it all they've got."

The 49ers went 11-20 last season, when Sherrill averaged 19.1 points and 12.5 rebounds as a West Rowan senior.

Spears and Braswell average a combined 26.2 points and 14.4 rebounds as Charlotte's starting forwards. Charles Dewhurst grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench against GW, and 6-10 Phil Jones had 10 points.

Sherrill, who enjoyed highs of 10 points against Gardner-Webb and six rebounds against Winston-Salem State, has played less than 10 minutes in 11 of the last 13 games. For the season, he's averaging a rebound every 4.1 minutes of action.

Sherrill said preseason workouts, specifically hang cleans that enhance lower body strength, helped him become a more physical player.

"I practice hard every day, and my role is rebounding," Sherrill said. "That's my main thing, so that's what I look forward to every game, getting as many rebounds as I can."