He is the biggest unknown in college basketball’s most talented class.

Of the 50 Wooden Preseason All-America selections, 25 are juniors and many of them household names. Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton and Chris May are the talented junior trio from Chapel Hill, N.C. But one of the most talented juniors from the state of North Carolina goes under the radar.

Curtis Withers is a bruising 6-foot-8, 230-pound power forward from Charlotte who is a leading candidate for Conference USA Player of the Year honors, a Gold Medalist (USA basketball World Championships last summer), an NBA first-round hopeful for June 2005, a third team All-American (as a sophomore) and a father.

‘He is certainly one of the best I’ve coached,’ Charlotte head coach Bobby Lutz said. ‘In terms of athletic ability, a combination of athleticism, tenacity and skill, he’s right up there.’

Right up there means nearly a double-double average (16.3 points, 9.5 rebounds) last season as a sophomore. Those numbers were improved from a freshman season in which Withers averaged 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. Numbers, however, aren’t important to the Charlotte native.

‘I want as many wins as possible,’ Withers said. ‘To win the conference and not share it. We want to go undefeated at home.’

All are realistic goals for a team that returns four starters and has been picked by some experts to be a sleeper next March. Last year, in Withers’ only NCAA Tournament appearance, Charlotte lost to Texas Tech, 76-73, in the first round.

With Withers having the talent and skill NBA scouts pray for, it could be his last spring in a 49ers uniform.

‘It depends a great deal on what type of year we have as a team and what type of year he has as an individual,’ Lutz said. ‘I would imagine we recommend to him that he go to Chicago (for a pre-draft camp) and not sign with an agent.

‘After his junior year is a perfect time to test the waters. A lot of people in the NBA like him, but I don’t know if he has played himself into the first round yet.’

Another contributing factor in the decision to stay or go next May will be Withers’ son, Jae’lyn, who turns 4 later this month.

Withers took an increased responsibility when he became a father at just 16.

‘I didn’t have the finances at the time, so it was tough,’ Withers said. ‘It helped me with a lot of things. I didn’t get to enjoy the high-school life.’

Withers’ voice gets more excited when talking about his 3-year-old who, according to Withers, already loves basketball. Jae’lyn comes to all of his dad’s games, ‘unless he has daycare the next morning.’

‘He’s made my heart a lot bigger,’ Withers said. ‘He has given me an overall perspective of things.’

Lutz, who has two daughters, said Withers is a great example of his team’s philosophy.

‘We all say school and family is more important than basketball and we try to model that,’ Lutz said. ‘Curt has done a great job with his son.’

Withers has handled the family part as well as the school. The junior has nearly 100 credit hours through two and a half years, meaning he could graduate as early as next summer.

In the meantime, Lutz wants the standout to work on being more consistent, getting his field-goal percentage up and working on his free throws. Through four games this season, the big man has showed his touch, hitting 5 of 8 3-point attempts.

‘He’s only 20 years old,’ Lutz said. ‘We are obviously really proud of him. He is a good teammate, and it’s easier and easier to be worried about yourself. He cares about winning, and he’s not a selfish player by any means. Some players today are so anxious about going to the NBA, they don’t think about the team first. He does.’

Last week, Horace Jenkins became just the second player currently in the NBA to have played his college ball in Division III.

Jenkins joined the Los Angeles Lakers’ Devean George – who attended Augsburg (Minn.) – when Jenkins joined the Detroit Pistons’ active roster last Friday night. George was a first-round draft pick in 1999, but Jenkins’ path to the league was more difficult.

He was a three-time Division III All-America guard in three seasons at William Paterson (N.J.). He amassed 1,940 career points – a school record – in 82 collegiate games.

Jenkins was selected in the 2001 USBL draft by the Florida Sea Dragons. He then headed to Italy to play for Aironi Novara and Vurtis Roma before playing with AEK Athens in Greece last year.

Published on December 6, 2004 at 12:00 pm