Counting down the days to tipoff previewing the incoming freshmen of the Atlantic 10. Next up is the Charlotte 49ers.
It’s the Atlantic 10 swan song for Alan Major and his Charlotte 49ers. After this season the 49ers return to Conference-USA. Charlotte’s 2011-12 season ended with an 80-64 loss to St. Joseph’s in the first round of the Atlantic 10. Major and his 49ers will look to improve on last season’s 5-11 record in the A-10 (13-17 overall). They welcome to campus four freshmen: Ivan Benkovic, Darion Clark, Willie Clayton, Denzel Ingram and Mark Warner
Ivan Benkovic 6’5” 200lbs. G Zagreb, Croatia/ Mack Academy
Benkovic has been in United States for two seasons, attending United Faith Christian Academy in Matthews, N.C. in 2010-11 and Mack Academy in Charlotte in 2011-12.
“He’s a high-character kid. A competitor,” said 49ers head coach Alan Major. “He believes in what we’re building here and our vision. We’re excited Ivan wants to be a part of that.”
As a junior at nationally-ranked United Faith, the three-point specialist helped the Falcons to the NC Independent School’s Athletic Association 1A State Championship game. Benkovic scored 14 points in the 57-49 championship game loss to Trinity Christian as United Faith, which split games with Oak Hill Academy during the regular season, completed a 28-8 season as state runner-up.
As a senior at Mack Academy, Benkovic averaged 15.0 points for head coach Will Sperow.
“We’re excited about his ability to shoot the ball,” Major added. “He brings a uniqueness to our team and adds to our backcourt.”
Darion Clark 6’6” 233lbs. F Conyers, Ga./ Oak Hill Academy
A 6-8, 230 lb, power forward, clark starred at Oak Hill Academy and helped that team to an unbeaten 44-0 record and the nation’s #1 final ranking. The 44 wins are the most in the storied history of the program, which had won seven previous national titles. Clark played AAU ball with the Atlanta Celtics.
“We’re excited to have Darion join our family here at Charlotte,” 49ers head coach Alan Major said. “He’s going to bring a winning tradition with him. He’s an outstanding rebounder who plays with great energy. He’s a high-character guy and a great fit for what we are trying to build.”
“Clark is like a bookend (to fellow signee Willie Clayton),” ESPN National Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi added. “This is what I love about Alan’s classes. He is addressing needs. Rebounding was a need and they’ve addressed it in a wonderful fashion.
Charlotte’s 2011-12 recruiting class, Major’s first full class, was rated among the top 10 non-BCS classes. That versatile class was highlighted by three guards and two centers. For 2012-13, Major has made a power forward splash, signing Clayton and Clark to accompany shooting guard Shawn Lester.
“(Clark and Clayton) will help us continue to build our front line for the future,” Major added. “They both play with a lot of energy and are really outstanding rebounders who both fit well with our program.”
“What Alan and his staff have done has brought in very good athletes,” Biancardi added. “The Atlantic 10 is an extremely athletic league and you need a level of athleticism to thrive. They have that athleticism and they’ve added terrific size at those positions. They all have a presence about them that they want to get better and want to be good. They are going to add to the outstanding foundation that Alan has started.”
What they’re saying about Darion Clark – Fred Bryant/Hoop Scoop: “Before he went to Oak Hill he had been playing a four or five. He is a very good defender, tough inside. He has a real good motor. He’s very coachable. He is a good rebounder.”
Willie Clayton 6’7” 236lbs. F Thomasville, Ga./ Thomasville
A 6-7; 205 lb. power forward who competed with the 22u USA Elite National Team at the 2010 World Championship in Tourcoing, France and with the USA 17u Elite National team at the 2010 Argentina World Tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Clayton scored a game-high 25 points in the US win over Canada at the 22u World Championship.
A GHSA Player of the Year, Clayton was rated as the 47th best power forward by ESPN.com. He averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds as a junior at Thomasville High School.
“We’re very excited to have Willie join the 49ers,” head coach Alan Major said. “He’s a terrific young man who plays the game with a lot of energy. He’s a power forward that has a growing skillset. He’s a great competitor who showed a great chemistry with our guys. He’s another kid who believed in what we are trying to do and wants to be a part of something special.”
“Clayton is an outstanding rebounder who understands his role as an inside scorer and rebounder,” said Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s National Recruiting Director. “This is what I love about Alan’s classes. He is addressing needs. Rebounding was a need and they’ve addressed it in a wonderful fashion.”
Charlotte’s 2011-12 recruiting class, Major’s first full class, was rated among the top 10 non-BCS classes. That versatile class was highlighted by three guards and two centers. For 2012-13, Major made a power forward splash, signing Clayton and Darion Clark and adding Virginia Tech transfer JT Thompson in the summer.
“(Clayton and Clark) will help us continue to build our front line for the future,” Major added. “They both play with a lot of energy and are really outstanding rebounders who both fit well with our program.”
“What Alan and his staff have done has brought in very good athletes,” Biancardi added. “The Atlantic 10 is an extremely athletic league and you need a level of athleticism to thrive. They have that athleticism and they’ve added terrific size at those positions. They all have a presence about them that they want to get better and want to be good. They are going to add to the outstanding foundation that Alan has started.”
In the spring of 2012, Clayton shined once again at the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) North-South All-Star Game.
Clayton scored a game-high 26 points to lead the South squad to a 126-96 victory, in the state’s Senior Boys All-Star game, Mar. 24 at Armstrong Atlantic State University. Clayton, who was named the South squad’s MVP for the second straight year, scored 20 of his points in the second half, including 12 of the South’s first 14 points of the frame. He added 18 rebounds in the contest.
“I was just having fun out there, that’s what this game is all about,” Clayton said, afterwards. “I’m looking forward to playing against a lot of these guys in college.”
Others competing in the game included Georgia Tech signee Marcus Hunt and Clemson signee Jarron Blossomgame. Hunt (12 points) joined Clayton on the victorious South squad. Blossomgame (21 points) was the MVP for the North squad.
In 2011, in the GACA North-South Junior All-Star Game, Clayton also won MVP honors after leading the South to a 112-98 victory. Clayton scored 33 points with 22 rebounds, in that game. McDonald’s all-America William Goodwin scored 20 points and fellow 49ers signee Darion Clark added 12 for the North squad, with Goodwin earning North MVP honors.
Denzel Ingram 5’11” 173lbs. G Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill
Ingram, the NCBCA 3A Basketball Player of the Year, averaged 23.9 points, 7.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 steals as a senior at Chapel Hill High School. A first-team all-state selection and an AP all-classifications all-state choice, Ingram was also named the 3A Basketball Player of the Year by NCPreps.com. The Carolina 6 Conference champion Tigers went 26-2, including a perfect 25-0 record during the regular season.
A high-scoring guard, Ingram completed his career ranked second all-time for the Tigers with 1570 points. The Tigers, likewise, had a 63-15 record during Ingram’s career for a winning pct. of .808. Ingram played AAU ball with Garner Roads AAU.
“We’re very excited to have Denzel join the 49ers family,” head coach Alan Major said. “One thing about him that you see in both his AAU and high school careers, is he’s a proven winner. He has the ability to score but one of his biggest assets is his ability to make his teammates around him better.”
Ingram is a two-time Carolina 6 Player of the Year and a three-time all-conference player. He was also named District Player of the Year. This season, he scored 43 points in the Tigers 75-71 overtime victory over Broughton in the championship game of the highschoolOT.com Holiday Invitational. Named the tournament MVP, Ingram boasted the fifth-most points scored in a game in the 40-year history of the event.
Following the season, Ingram played in the Carolina All-Star Basketball Classic and the Jordan Brand Regional All-Star Game at Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena. He also played in July’s East-West All-Star Game in Greensboro, N.C.
What they’re saying about Denzel Ingram–Patrick Reynell/ former head coach-Goldsboro High/current head coach-Fairless High: “We played Chapel Hill this past season. He went for 37 and we lost by 5. Chapel Hill went 22-2 with absolutely nobody other than Denzel (his junior year they went to Eastern Finals in second biggest classification). During that year, Denzel was a defensive ball-hound and played the consummate PG role. Had another guard who could score and some height down low he’d feed. He also had over 40 in the High School OT.com tournament in Raleigh, one of the most prestigious in the country. If he was 6’2″-6’3″, he would have been heavily recruited by every DI school in country. Drew interest from Cincinnati. He is super-quick; beat us to the basket relentlessly. Good finisher around the basket even around height. Ability to use all angles of the backboard no matter where he lands in the lane. We backed off, and he must have hit at least 4-5 mid-range jumpers from about 15 feet, some in transition. Hit a few threes. Though his numbers show him as a scorer this past season, he spends most of the first quarter getting teammates involved, keeping the defense honest. By that time he has figured out what holes are there and he penetrates. Before you know it, he’s had a 15-point quarter and a 12-point quarter by himself. Deadly.”
Eric Vaughn Coach/Founder of Blessed IJN AAU Basketball and publisher of the Geeker Report: “He’s very quick and very solid. Bing, bing, bing, he gets to where he needs to. He’s very efficient. He put 37 on Goldsborough. The quietest 37 I have seen in a long time. He shoots the mid-range really well. He has a solid handle.”
Mitch Warner 6’1″ 193lbs. G Charlotte, N.C. Charlotte Christian
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