The eligibility of two former four-star, Rivals 100 recruits, head coach Alan Major's health and the lack of frontcourt depth are just three of the many storylines surrounding the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team going into the 2014-2015 season. Niner Report will take a look at what to watch for this season while also including our predictions.

ALAN MAJOR: Charlotte began practicing on Oct. 8 after an excruciatingly long summer, not only for the fans and players, but also for Major. Over the summer, he had two separate eye operations for the glaucoma in both of his eyes, as well as a third for an irregular heartbeat. He returned from his leave of absence in Sept. after five months away from the program.

For a team with deficiencies on both sides of the ball and untested chemistry, being without a head coach for an extended period of time can derail both each player's individual trajectory, as well as the team as a whole. According to The Charlotte Observer's David Scott on Oct. 8, Major said that the team's assistant coaches picked up the slack in his absence and that "a sub-par staff couldn't have handled a situation like this."

Sub-par is an interesting word choice and depending on who you talk to could also be used to describe Major's tenure up to this point. Entering his fifth season, he has a 61-63 overall record, a pair of preseason tournament titles (2012 Great Alaska Shootout and 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off), as well as two postseason NIT appearances. Major's teams have started off strong the past two seasons -- 9-1 in the first 10 games of 2012 and 7-3 in 2013 -- but they have underachieved as the seasons wore on.

Half the battle for Major has been hanging onto the prospects on his roster. Since the end of the 2012-2013 season, he has seen five players leave the program, intensifying pressure and leaving a stain on a once vibrantly proud basketball culture and fan base.

TRANSFERS: Charlotte lost four key members of the lineup from last season. Ben Cherry graduated, while both Marcus Bryan and Denzel Ingram transferred to UNC Wilmington. Shawn Lester, the 49ers leading scorer in 2013-2014, decided to take his talents to the professional level. The athletics office didn't announce Lester's decision until the day of Basketball Madness on Oct. 23.

Ironically, this season the 49ers will feature two highly touted Rivals 100 alums that made their way to Charlotte by transferring. Via the University of Florida, Braxton Ogbueze is a dynamic combo guard who has the ability to create his own shot while also having the ability to make difficult passes. He can play either the point or shooting guard positions and he transitions between the two seamlessly. Since guard Pierria Henry is in his final year at Charlotte, it's important Ogbueze gets plenty of reps at the one spot. Ogbueze netted 26 points on 10 of 12 shooting in Charlotte's exhibition against Newberry College on Tuesday.

Forward Bernard Sullivan made his way to the 49ers by way of Clemson University. Listed at 6 foot 8 and 230 lbs., Sullivan's athleticism and motor is what sets him apart from other frontcourt players on the 49ers roster. Currently, his health is in question as he recovers from suffering his second concussion of the offseason. It's important for Charlotte to get him back as soon as possible since the frontcourt rotation is only made up of Reid Aube, Cameron Blakley, Terrence Williams, Mike Thorne Jr. and Willie Clayton - who himself is battling a previously suffered abdominal strain.

Both Ogbueze and Sullivan are from the area. Ogbueze is from Charlotte and attended United Faith Christian Academy, while Sullivan is from Gastonia and attended Davidson Day. The two will surely want to play hard in front of their families on home games, giving a much needed shot in the arm to the Halton Arena crowd in the process.

BACKCOURT DEPTH: Lester and Ingram's departures are likely due to the influx of backcourt players the 49ers brought in for 2014-2015. Freshman Torin Dorn from Charlotte's Vance High School averaged 21.6 points, 5.6 assists and a jaw dropping 5 rebounds as a point guard for the Cougars last season. His track and field background and leaping ability translates well to the hardwood as shown by two highlight reel dunks against Newberry, electrifying Halton Arena in the process. Dorn is capable of knocking down three-point shots, but is inconsistent for a traditional shooting guard. He is more of a slasher on the offensive end, but he has potential to be an elite wing defender, something that the 49ers have lacked in recent seasons.

"I think it's really important that myself along with all the new guys bring energy and defense," Dorn said in response to the Lester departure news. "I feel like if we all bring that energy day in and day out we'll be successful."

Freshman guard Keyshawn Woods became the second ever North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year to sign with the 49ers. The hype surrounding Woods is centered around his ability as a traditional shooting guard, scoring in multiple ways. The prospect from nearby Northside Christian Academy averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals his senior year during which he played high minutes at the point guard position. Woods gives Major another interchangeable backcourt player who can play on or off the ball.

"I just know that I have to pick up my game now and add extra and do more in my conditioning and everything else because of what happened," Woods said. "As a freshman, you just got to come in, be ready, prepared to do whatever you got to do to win."

Don't forget about preseason all-Conference USA selection, senior guard Pierria Henry. As the team's most experienced player, Henry's responsibilities this season will include facilitating more for his teammates. The 49ers have loads of depth in the backcourt, but it's on Henry and the coaching staff to build a rapport that is interchangeable between Ogbueze, Dorn and Woods.

Also, guard Ivan Benkovic is fully healthy after redshirting last season due to injury. Benkovic showed his nearly limitless range in the exhibition against Newberry, going 5 of 6 from behind the arc.

Major has his work cut out for him in finding an effective rotation that utilizes the strengths of each of his players.

LACK OF FRONTCOURT DEPTH: On the opposite end of the depth spectrum falls Charlotte's frontcourt. Terrence Williams, Mike Thorne Jr. and Willie Clayton are returning starters, but with the loss of Marcus Bryan, the 49ers have no one on their bench with much game experience. Sophomore Cameron Blakely, a stretch-four who can knock down the 3-point shot, is likely to see an uptick in his minutes at least until both Clayton and Sullivan are healthy.

Blakely has height at 6 foot 9, but lacks size and strength, putting him at a disadvantage in the post. His inefficiencies epitomize the questions on Charlotte's frontcourt as a whole -- rebounding, rim protection and free throw shooting.

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE: Charlotte attempted to bolster this aspect of their NCAA résumé, but the jury's still out over whether or not it's an upgrade from the 2013-2014 schedule. The 49ers will take on tradition-rich Georgetown at the "neutral" Verizon Center in D.C. on Dec. 20, on-the-rise Miami in their home opener on Nov. 25 and visit ACC bottom feeders Georgia Tech in the two teams' second meeting in consecutive seasons.

Charlotte also faces highly touted mid-major George Washington on Dec. 7. The Colonials went 24-9 last season and 11-5 in the loaded Atlantic-10 until falling to Memphis in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. National media has George Washington on watch to make another run in the stacked Atlantic 10.

The 49ers will face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Nov. 20 in the first round of the Charleston Classic and are guaranteed a second round match up against either South Carolina or Cornell. The Charleston Classic doesn't boast the heavy hitters that Charlotte faced in the Alaska Shootout or Puerto-Rico Tip Off, but away games will give the 49ers valuable experience they'll take on the road in Conference USA play.

C-USA has been a one-bid league since 2011 and since the automatic bid is on the line during the conference tournament, one could argue that performance during conference-play is more important that nonconference scheduling. Still, the 49ers will want to optimize every chance they get to bolster their NCAA Tournament résumé and that comes from beating any of their opponents, no matter what their conference affiliation.

CONFERENCE-USA: In the preseason coaches' poll, Charlotte was projected to finish third behind Louisiana Tech and UT-El Paso. With the departure of Middle Tennessee State's upperclassmen and former Southern Miss head coach Donnie Tyndall, the 49ers are in a position to make a run in the conference, but can't take their opponents lightly as they did oftentimes last season.

2012 and 2013 NCAA Tournament team Western Kentucky is now a member of Conference USA, adding more depth for the conference and placing another potential obstacle for the 49ers to face in the C-USA Conference Tournament.

Last season, Charlotte lost to C-USA bottom feeders UT-San Antonio, Tulane and Rice. To put it simply, the 49ers cannot afford to lose to poor teams if they want to get an attractive seed in the C-USA Tournament.

Aaron McCain, Niner Report Staff Analyst: "The Charlotte 49ers will improve on last season's 17-14 record thanks to their added depth in the backcourt. They will use their outside shooting ability to stretch the defense and open up the driving lanes for attacking the basket. The 49ers will struggle on the defense side of the ball thanks to their limited size and lack of depth in the front court. Charlotte will need to compensate for their limited defense, but they have added enough pieces to give the fans an entertaining offense." Record: 20-11, 49ers fall in quarterfinals of C-USA tournament and miss out on postseason for second straight season.

Russell Burton, Niner Report Managing Editor: "On paper, the talent on this team is better than what it was last season. But the problem is that while the 49ers added weapons to their backcourt, they didn't do much to their frontcourt. Thorne and Clayton have experience and Sullivan is a key piece, but there are questions about their health and ability to gel together. Major is the key to making the pieces fit and turning Charlotte's program around. If he can't get the pieces to fit together and rally Charlotte to the NCAA Tournament in his fifth season, he has to go." Record: 19-12, Charlotte loses in C-USA Tournament Championship, but gets a bid to the NIT Tournament.