2024–25 Charleston Cougars men's basketball team
The 2024–25 Charleston Cougars men's basketball team will represent the College of Charleston in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They will be led by first-year head coach Chris Mack. The team will play its home games at TD Arena in Charleston, South Carolina, as a member of the Coastal Athletic Association.
| 2024–25 Charleston Cougars men's basketball | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Coastal Athletic Association |
| Record | 0–0 (0–0 CAA) |
| Head coach |
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| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | TD Arena |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Campbell | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charleston | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Delaware | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Drexel | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elon | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hampton | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hofstra | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monmouth | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina A&T | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northeastern | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stony Brook | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Towson | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UNC Wilmington | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William & Mary | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2025 CAA tournament winner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous season
The Cougars, led by third-year head coach Pat Kelsey, finished the season 27–8, 15–3 in CAA play to win their second-straight regular season championship. The team defeated Monmouth, Towson, and Stony Brook in overtime to win their second-straight CAA tournament.[1] They lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Alabama, a team that went on to that year's Final Four.[2]
After the season head coach Pat Kelsey left the program to coach at the University of Louisville, and Chris Mack was later hired as the 25th coach in Charleston history.[3][4]
Offseason
Departures
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Crawford | 0 | G | 6'2" | 180 | FR | Charlotte, North Carolina | Transferred to Eastern Kentucky[5] |
| Frankie Policelli | 1 | F | 6'9" | 225 | GS | New Hartford, New York | Graduated |
| Reyne Smith | 2 | G | 6'2" | 190 | JR | Ulverstone, Tasmania | Transferred to Louisville[6] |
| Khalil London | 3 | G | 6'3" | 185 | FR | Wyandanch, New York | Transferred to Tennessee State[7] |
| Bryce Butler | 4 | G | 6'5" | 205 | GS | Latrobe, Pennsylvania | Graduated |
| Kobe Rodgers | 11 | G | 6'3" | 180 | JR | Cincinnati, Ohio | Transferred to Louisville[8] |
| Ben Burnham | 13 | F | 6'7" | 220 | JR | Fort Mill, South Carolina | Transferred to Virginia Tech[9] |
| Mayar Wol | 15 | F | 6'8" | 185 | FR | Raleigh, North Carolina | Transferred to Eastern Kentucky[10] |
| James Scott | 23 | F | 6'11" | 210 | FR | Fayetteville, North Carolina | Transferred to Louisville[11] |
Incoming transfers
Mack's new coaching staff quickly made use of the transfer portal and signed Derrin Boyd, a graduate student from Lipscomb who led his team with 17.6 points per game last season, earning an All-ASUN Second Team selection.[12] Two sophomores who had previously played for the Serbian U-19 National Team then committed to Charleston, Đorđe Ćurčić from Saint Louis and Lazar Đjoković from Xavier, reuniting on the court for the first time since the 2023 U-19 World Cup.[13] Another international player, Stef van Bussel, signed to the Cougars after playing for the Netherlands National U-18 and U-16 Teams, the Bayer Giants Leverkusen of the German pro league, and the Saint Louis Billikens.[14] That same day another sophomore, Deywilk Tavarez, transferred in from Delaware State after averaging 17.0 points per game as a freshman and winning MEAC Rookie of the Year.[15] The coaching staff then signed AJ Smith, a junior from The Citadel, who led Charleston's crosstown-rival in scoring with 16.2 points per game last season.[16][17] The transfer class was finalized with the addition of senior Elijah Jones, who led Green Bay in rebounding last season and won the NJCAA National Championship in 2023.[18]
| Name | Number | Pos | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school | Years remaining | Date eligible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Smith | 1 | G | 6'4" | 215 | JR | Charlotte, North Carolina | The Citadel | 2 | October 1, 2024 |
| Elijah Jones | 3 | F | 6'7" | n/a | SR | South Holland, Illinois | Green Bay | 1 | October 1, 2024 |
| Derrin Boyd | 4 | G | 6'3" | 210 | GS | Princeton, Kentucky | Lipscomb | 1 | October 1, 2024 |
| Deywilk Tavarez | 5 | G | 6'2" | n/a | SO | Pennsauken, New Jersey | Delaware State | 3 | October 1, 2024 |
| Stef van Bussel | 15 | C | 6'10" | 255 | SO | Ommel, Netherlands | Saint Louis | 3 | October 1, 2024 |
| Lazar Đjoković | 17 | F | 6'10" | 230 | SO | Gornji Milanovac, Serbia | Xavier | 3 | October 1, 2024 |
| Đorđe Ćurčić | 44 | G | 6'2" | 185 | SO | Čačak, Serbia | Saint Louis | 3 | October 1, 2024 |
2024 recruiting class
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Scarpitti G |
Lakewood, OH | St. Edward (OH) | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | Apr 25, 2024 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 0 | ||||||
| Justas Stonkus G |
Plungė, Lithuania | BC Žalgiris-2 | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Apr 26, 2024 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 0 | ||||||
| Jaxon Prunty SF |
Lexington, SC | Lexington High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | May 2, 2024 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 78 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
Sources:
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Preseason
Despite the change in head coach, 2024 First Team All-CAA member Ante Brzovic decided to return for his senior season, as did Irish National Team guard CJ Fulton.[19][20]
Roster
| 2024–25 College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 4, 2024* 12:00 pm, - |
vs. Southern Illinois Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase |
Sanford Pentagon (-) Sioux Falls, SD | |||||||||
| November 8, 2024* |
South Florida | TD Arena Charleston, SC | |||||||||
| November 20, 2024* |
at The Citadel Rivalry |
McAlister Field House Charleston, SC | |||||||||
| TBD* |
Liberty Field of 68 Tip-Off |
TD Arena Charleston, SC | |||||||||
| TBD* |
FAU Field of 68 Tip-Off |
TD Arena Charleston, SC | |||||||||
| December 10, 2024* |
at Saint Joseph's | Hagan Arena Philadelphia, PA | |||||||||
| December 19, 2024* |
vs. TBD Diamond Head Classic Quarterfinals |
Stan Sheriff Center Honolulu, HI | |||||||||
| December 20, 2024* |
vs. TBD Diamond Head Classic 2nd Round |
Stan Sheriff Center Honolulu, HI | |||||||||
| December 22, 2024* |
vs. TBD Diamond Head Classic 3rd Round |
Stan Sheriff Center Honolulu, HI | |||||||||
| CAA regular season | |||||||||||
| TBD |
Hofstra | TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
Stony Brook | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
Elon | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
Monmouth | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
Towson | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
at UNC Wilmington | Trask Coliseum Wilmington, NC | |||||||||
| TBD |
Hampton | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
at Campbell | Gore Arena Buies Creek, NC | |||||||||
| TBD |
UNC Wilmington | TD Arena Charleston, SC | |||||||||
| TBD |
William & Mary | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
North Carolina A&T | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
Drexel | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
Northeastern | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
Delaware | TBD TBD | |||||||||
| TBD |
Campbell | TD Arena Charleston, SC | |||||||||
| CAA tournament | |||||||||||
| TBD |
vs. TBD Quarterfinals |
Entertainment and Sports Arena Washington, D.C. | |||||||||
References
- "Cougars Reyne Supreme Again in CAA". College of Charleston Athletics. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- "Cougars End Season in NCAA First Round". College of Charleston Athletics. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- McGavic, Matthew. "Louisville Officially Hires Pat Kelsey as Men's Basketball Head Coach". Sports Illustrated Louisville Cardinals News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- "Chris Mack Named Next Head Charleston Men's Basketball Coach". College of Charleston Athletics. 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- "Defending ASUN Champion Colonels Announce Additions For 2024-25 Title Run". Eastern Kentucky University Athletics. 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- McGavic, Matthew. "What Reyne Smith and James Scott Bring to Louisville". Sports Illustrated Louisville Cardinals News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- "Men's Basketball Inks Four Transfers for Upcoming Season". Tennessee State University. 2024-04-23. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- McGavic, Matthew. "Report: Charleston Transfer Guard Kobe Rodgers Commits to Louisville". Sports Illustrated Louisville Cardinals News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- Miller, Andrew (2024-04-04). "Former CofC forward Ben Burnham commits to Virginia Tech". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- "Colonels Add Former Top-100 National Recruit". Eastern Kentucky University Athletics. 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- McGavic, Matthew. "Charleston Transfer Center James Scott Commits to Louisville". Sports Illustrated Louisville Cardinals News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- "Derrin Boyd Signs with Charleston Men's Basketball". College of Charleston Athletics. 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- apmiller@postandcourier.com, Andrew Miller (2024-04-13). "College of Charleston coach Chris Mack gets 3 verbal commitments to program". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- "van Bussel Joins Cougar Roster". College of Charleston Athletics. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- "Mack Inks MEAC Rookie of the Year". College of Charleston Athletics. 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- apmiller@postandcourier.com, Andrew Miller (2024-04-18). "Citadel basketball's top scorer transfers to crosstown rival College of Charleston". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
- "Mack Signs AJ Smith to Cougar Roster". College of Charleston Athletics. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- "Jones Signs with Cougars". College of Charleston Athletics. 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- Hartsell, Jeff (2024-04-03). "CofC big man to return to Cougars; Charleston Southern nabs 2 transfers". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- Miller, Andrew (2024-04-02). "College of Charleston 'right fit' for new coach Chris Mack". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2024-04-16.