Charlotte 49ers have added 2 ACC transfers, an Ohio State player and another star

The Charlotte 49ers have been busy in the NCAA transfer portal.

The 49ers, who were 9-16 last season, have brought three players from Power 5 conferences and an all-conference player from the Patriot League. Those four will pair with eight returning Charlotte players next season, including first-team all-conference guard Jahmir Young.

A quick look at the new talent hitting Halton Arena next season:

▪ Robert Braswell, Syracuse: Braswell is a 6-foot-7 forward who was part of an Orange team that reached the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 last season. He will have three years of eligibility. A 2-star all-state recruit coming out of high school in South Carolina, Braswell averaged 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds last season for Syracuse. In the NCAA tournament, Braswell averaged 7.4 points in 23.4 minutes per game, and he made 7-of-16 3-point shots.

He redshirted the 2019-20 season due to nagging shin pain, and he’s one of four Syracuse players to enter the transfer portal this spring.

“I chose Charlotte as my next destination because coach (Ron) Sanchez and the coaching staff have shown that they care about all of their players,” Braswell said. “I also chose Charlotte because it is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start at a great place closer to home.”

▪ Austin Butler, Holy Cross: Butler is a 6-5 shooting guard who scored more than 1,300 points in his career. He graduated from Holy Cross this spring with a degree in visual media and a minor in education. He will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Butler earned second-team All-Patriot League honors last season, when he averaged 16.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He shot 45.8 percent from 3-point range.

▪ Musa Jallow, Ohio State: Jallow, a 6-5, 210-pound shooting guard, was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school in Indiana. He is expected to have two seasons of eligibility at Charlotte.

Jallow missed the 2019-20 season with an ankle injury but started 28 of 94 career games in Ohio State. Jallow is a three-time member of the Big Ten All-Academic team.

▪ Clyde Trapp, Clemson: a 6-4 guard from Eastover, S.C., Trapp will play one season for Charlotte. At Clemson, he played in 77 games and helped the Tigers make two NCAA tournament appearances and one NIT appearance.

Tripp graduated from Clemson this spring with a degree in sports communications and a minor in athletic leadership. He averaged 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season.

“Clyde is a proven, experienced guard who has excelled in the ACC,” Sanchez said. “We love his versatility. He has the ability to score and get his teammates involved. He’s tough. He defends and rebounds well from his position. His experience will be invaluable in our program moving forward.”

Roster spots open

Charlotte had roster spots open after redshirt freshman Caleb Stone-Carrawell and freshman Caleb Byrd entered the transfer portal.

Stone-Carrawell, who played high school ball at Concord’s Cox Mill High, has verbally committed to Austin Peay. Byrd has verbally committed to Jacksonville State.

Four other 49ers will not return.

Jhery Matos and Milos Supica, both seniors on last year’s team, will try to play professionally overseas. Anzac Rissetto, a sophomore from New Zealand, is returning home. And former Oklahoma transfer Jordan Shepherd has entered the transfer portal.

Shepherd played two years at Oklahoma and transferred to Charlotte, where he sat out one season and played two. He will have one year of eligibility after the NCAA granted players an additional season due to COVID-19.

Other new faces

▪ Charlotte signed two class of 2021 freshmen: Panther Creek 6-4 guard Daylen Berry, a top 15 recruit in North Carolina; and 6-4 guard Isaiah Folkes, who was an all-state player for Middleburg Academy in Virginia. Folkes initially transferred to a school in Connecticut after Middleburg permanently closed due to COVID-19. His new school shut down basketball as well and Foulkes enrolled early at Charlotte. He played in eight games.

▪ One other player will join the team. Freshman Aly Khalifa, a 6-10, 255-pound center, redshirted during the 2020-21 season. He played in the NBA Global Academy in Australia before coming to Charlotte.