Suddenly, Charlotte (49ers) starting to look like good spot to Charlotte basketball recruits

I've covered high school basketball in Charlotte for 25 years and seen nearly all of the state's best players who have come through here. And many of them, when they thought about college, never gave the Charlotte 49ers much consideration.

Sometimes they would tell me it was the conference the 49ers were playing in. Charlotte, which is home to more than 26,000 students, wasn't on television enough. They would say the 49ers didn't have enough big rivals.

Some just plain didn't want to stay at home for college.

Whatever it was, it always seemed that the best talents were often trying to go elsewhere.

All of sudden, that seems to be changing.

Thursday afternoon, Northside Christian's Keyshawn Woods committed to Charlotte, choosing the 49ers among 36 Division I offers he had. Woods is ranked No. 9 among N.C. seniors. He ranks among the nation's top 80 players overall.

Already, the 49ers have two home-grown kids on the roster: former Charlotte Christian guard Mitch Warner, a sophomore guard, and former West Mecklenburg standout Terrence Williams, a junior guard.

Another local talent, Shawn Lester of Mooresville, sat out last year due to academics, but hopes to rejoin that team.

Lester and Williams were former All-Observer basketball players in high school, the kind of kids that would often eschew Charlotte in the past. The 49ers have still had some top talent, like former Independence High star Jobey Thomas or former North Meck star DeMarco Johnson. But I always thought that Charlotte should get more.

Charlotte is a great school on a beautiful campus. It offers 92 bachelor degrees, 59 master's and 20 doctoral programs. It has the guts to be special athletically, too.

And now, I sense something different coming, at least in basketball.

Former United Faith star Braxton Ogbueze, a two-time Observer first team talent, was a top 40 national player who went to Florida. His senior year he was considered one of the five best point guards in the country. He's transferred to Charlotte. He has to sit out this season, but will play in 2014-15.

Ditto Bernard Sullivan, a three-time All-Observer pick, who started his career at Clemson. He'll sit out this season and play next.

Former Myers Park guard Ben Cherry has transferred in. He started some games at Tulane previously.

Charlotte's new football team is attracting lots of local talent. Twenty-one players on the 49ers first team are from Mecklenburg County. Another 23 are from neighboring counties in the Charlotte area.

Now, I'm seeing the same local push in basketball.

This is some of the area's top players either choosing to go to Charlotte or coming back, no matter the reason.

Over the next few years, the Charlotte area is going to see an infusion of talent like I've never seen in my time here. The kids in middle school and some in elementary school that I've seen are simply amazing. I think more than a few will be major, major college talents.

This "new" Charlotte will be in position to grab a few, and once the "stars" start going, the 49ers become a destination.