# 2023–24 Charleston Cougars men's basketball team

The 2023–24 Charleston Cougars men's basketball team represented the College of Charleston in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by third-year head coach Pat Kelsey, played their home games at TD Arena in Charleston, South Carolina, as members of the Coastal Athletic Association. They finished the 27–8, 15–3 in CAA play to win the regular season championship. The team defeated Monmouth, Towson, and Stony Brook to win the CAA tournament. As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 13 seed in the West region. There they lost in the first round to Alabama, a team that went on to that year's Final Four.
On March 28, 2024, head coach Pat Kelsey left the team to take the head coaching position at Louisville.

## Previous season

The Cougars finished the 2022–23 season 31–4, 16–2 in CAA play to finish tied for first place with Hofstra. The team defeated Stony Brook, Towson, and UNC Wilmington to win the CAA tournament, claiming the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The team won 31 games before qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, a record for the school's Division I era.
This was the 6th NCAA tournament appearance in program history. As a No. 12 seed in the NCAA tournament's Southern region, they were defeated in the First Round by No. 5 seed San Diego State, a team that went on to upset No. 1 seed Alabama in the Sweet 16 and later played in the national championship game.
On November 20, 2022, the Cougars defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Charleston Classic Championship game, winning the local tournament for the first time in program history. On January 2, 2023, the Cougars were ranked in the AP poll for the first time in 20 years. They remained ranked for four weeks, the earliest in any season that the Cougars have been ranked for multiple consecutive weeks.

## Offseason
### Departures

Charleston departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Dalton Bolon | 3 | G | 6'4" | 205 | GS | Gnadenhutten, Ohio | Graduated |
| Raekwon Horton | 5 | F | 6'6" | 200 | SO | Santee, South Carolina | Transferred to James Madison |
| Ryan Larson | 11 | G | 6'1" | 180 | GS | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Graduated |
| Pat Robinson III | 15 | G | 6'3" | 195 | GS | Chesterfield, New Jersey | Graduated |
| Jaylon Scott | 21 | G | 6'5" | 195 | GS | Allen, Texas | Graduated |
| Babacar Faye | 35 | F | 6'8" | 190 | FR | Saly, Senegal | Transferred to Western Kentucky |
| Charles Lampten | 42 | F | 6'11" | 230 | SR | Roanoke, Texas | Transferred to Western Carolina |

### Incoming transfers

Charleston incoming transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school | Years remaining | Date eligible |
| Frankie Policelli | 1 | F | 6'9" | 225 | GS | New Hartford, New York | Stony Brook | 1 | October 1, 2023 |
| Bryce Butler | 4 | G | 6'5" | 205 | GS | Latrobe, Pennsylvania | West Liberty | 1 | October 1, 2023 |
| Kobe Rodgers | 11 | G | 6'3" | 180 | JR | Cincinnati, Ohio | Nova Southeastern | 2 | October 1, 2023 |
| CJ Fulton | 12 | G | 6'2" | 190 | JR | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Lafayette | 2 | October 1, 2023 |

### 2023 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Mayar Wol F | Hickory, NC | Moravian Prep | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jun 12, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 79 ||||||
| James Scott C | Fayetteville, NC | Seventy-First Senior | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Nov 9, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 77 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. ||||||

## Preseason

In the conference's preseason poll, the Cougars were picked to finish in first place.
Juniors Ante Brzovic (CAA Preseason First Team), Reyne Smith (CAA Preseason Second Team) and Ben Burnham announced that they would be returning to the team.

## 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 6, 2023* 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | Iona | W 71–69 | 1–0 | 16 – Brzovic | 8 – Policelli | 4 – Smith | TD Arena (5,265) Charleston, SC |
| November 10, 2023* 6:00 pm, CBSSN | | vs. Duquesne Veterans Classic | L 72–90 | 1–1 | 14 – Rodgers | 10 – Brzovic | 4 – Fulton | Alumni Hall (2,340) Annapolis, MD |
| November 16, 2023* 11:30 am, ESPNU | | vs. Vermont Myrtle Beach Invitational First Round | L 64–73 | 1–2 | 13 – Burnham | 6 – Tied | 2 – Brzovic | HTC Center (1,154) Conway, SC |
| November 17, 2023* 2:30 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Wyoming Myrtle Beach Invitational Consolation 2nd Round | L 60–67 | 1–3 | 19 – Burnham | 8 – Burnham | 3 – Fulton | HTC Center (1,152) Conway, SC |
| November 19, 2023* 1:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Coastal Carolina Myrtle Beach Invitational 7th Place Game | W 80–72 | 2–3 | 24 – Smith | 11 – Brzovic | 6 – Fulton | HTC Center (1,172) Conway, SC |
| November 26, 2023* 5:30 pm, ESPN+ | | at Kent State | W 84–78 | 3–3 | 21 – Smith | 7 – Butler | 7 – Fulton | MAC Center (1,813) Kent, OH |
| December 1, 2023* 6:00 pm, FloHoops | | vs. Liberty Field of 68 Tip-Off | W 76–67 | 4–3 | 18 – Burnham | 6 – Tied | 3 – Brzovic | Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena (526) Boca Raton, FL |
| December 2, 2023* 6:00 pm, ESPNU | | at No. 13 Florida Atlantic Field of 68 Tip-Off | L 74–90 | 4–4 | 14 – Smith | 9 – Brzovic | 3 – Tied | Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena (3,161) Boca Raton, FL |
| December 10, 2023* 2:00 pm, FloHoops | | Rhode Island | W 85–70 | 5–4 | 23 – Burnham | 5 – Tied | 5 – Fulton | TD Arena (4,974) Charleston, SC |
| December 14, 2023* 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | The Citadel | W 86–71 | 6–4 | 15 – Policelli | 9 – Brzovic | 8 – Fulton | TD Arena (4,911) Charleston, SC |
| December 18, 2023* 6:00 pm, FloHoops | | Coastal Carolina | W 84–81 | 7–4 | 16 – Scott | 10 – Rodgers | 3 – Tied | TD Arena (4,993) Charleston, SC |
| December 21, 2023* 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | Saint Joseph's | W 89–82 | 8–4 | 31 – Smith | 7 – Tied | 8 – Fulton | TD Arena (4,854) Charleston, SC |
| December 29, 2023* 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | Montreat | W 96–59 | 9–4 | 19 – Burnham | 8 – Brzovic | 4 – Tied | TD Arena (5,027) Charleston, SC |
| CAA regular season |||||||||
| January 4, 2024 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | at Hofstra | W 73–61 | 10–4 (1–0) | 18 – Butler | 7 – Tied | 8 – Fulton | Mack Sports Complex (1,412) Hempstead, NY |
| January 6, 2024 6:30 pm, FloHoops | | at Stony Brook | W 93–87 | 11–4 (2–0) | 20 – Smith | 6 – Policelli | 6 – Brzovic | Island Federal Arena (2,416) Stony Brook, NY |
| January 11, 2024 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | Elon | W 80–62 | 12–4 (3–0) | 20 – Tied | 8 – Tied | 5 – Brzovic | TD Arena (4,679) Charleston, SC |
| January 13, 2024 4:30 pm, FloHoops | | Monmouth Hall of Fame | W 94–83 | 13–4 (4–0) | 19 – Rodgers | 12 – Brzovic | 6 – Tied | TD Arena (4,790) Charleston, SC |
| January 18, 2024 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | Towson | L 78–82 | 13–5 (4–1) | 24 – Rodgers | 9 – Brzovic | 1 – Tied | TD Arena (4,858) Charleston, SC |
| January 20, 2024 7:00 pm, CBSSN | | at UNC Wilmington | L 69–78 | 13–6 (4–2) | 27 – Brzovic | 11 – Brzovic | 5 – Fulton | Trask Coliseum (5,100) Wilmington, NC |
| January 25, 2024 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | at Hampton | W 107–86 | 14–6 (5–2) | 31 – Brzovic | 12 – Brzovic | 7 – Fulton | Hampton Convocation Center (897) Hampton, VA |
| January 27, 2024 2:00 pm, FloHoops | | at Campbell | W 90–67 | 15–6 (6–2) | 16 – Burnham | 6 – Policelli | 3 – Tied | Gore Arena (1,617) Buies Creek, NC |
| February 1, 2024 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | UNC Wilmington | L 74–80 | 15–7 (6–3) | 20 – Rodgers | 9 – Policelli | 5 – Fulton | TD Arena (5,021) Charleston, SC |
| February 3, 2024 2:00 pm, FloHoops | | at William & Mary | W 84–83 | 16–7 (7–3) | 20 – Burnham | 7 – Burnham | 5 – Brzovic | Kaplan Arena (5,062) Williamsburg, VA |
| February 8, 2024 8:00 pm, CBSSN | | North Carolina A&T | W 80–58 | 17–7 (8–3) | 21 – Burnham | 16 – Policelli | 5 – Fulton | TD Arena (4,624) Charleston, SC |
| February 10, 2024 3:30 pm, FloHoops | | Drexel Black Out | W 80–70 | 18–7 (9–3) | 22 – Policelli | 5 – Tied | 3 – Tied | TD Arena (4,750) Charleston, SC |
| February 15, 2024 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | at Northeastern | W 77–73 | 19–7 (10–3) | 21 – Smith | 6 – Tied | 4 – Fulton | Matthews Arena (1,127) Boston, MA |
| February 19, 2024 8:00 pm, CBSSN | | William & Mary | W 65–57 | 20–7 (11–3) | 15 – Tied | 12 – Brzovic | 2 – Tied | TD Arena (4,517) Charleston, SC |
| February 22, 2024 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | at Delaware | W 90–71 | 21–7 (12–3) | 20 – Rodgers | 7 – Burnham | 6 – Fulton | Bob Carpenter Center (2,191) Newark, DE |
| February 24, 2024 2:00 pm, CBSSN | | at Towson | W 72–56 | 22–7 (13–3) | 17 – Policelli | 5 – Rodgers | 5 – Fulton | SECU Arena (4,322) Towson, MD |
| February 29, 2024 7:00 pm, FloHoops | | Campbell | W 96–73 | 23–7 (14–3) | 32 – Smith | 8 – Burnham | 7 – Rodgers | TD Arena (4,905) Charleston, SC |
| March 2, 2024 2:00 pm, FloHoops | | Hofstra Senior Day White Out | W 87–76 | 24–7 (15–3) | 21 – Smith | 7 – Policelli | 8 – Rodgers | TD Arena (5,127) Charleston, SC |
| CAA tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2024 12:00 pm, FloHoops | (1) | vs. (8) Monmouth Quarterfinals | W 83–59 | 25–7 | 16 – Burnham | 9 – Brzovic | 7 – Fulton | Entertainment and Sports Arena Washington, D.C. |
| March 11, 2024 6:00 pm, CBSSN | (1) | vs. (5) Towson Semifinals | W 61–56 | 26–7 | 16 – Smith | 6 – Brzovic | 3 – Fulton | Entertainment and Sports Arena Washington, D.C. |
| March 12, 2024 7:00 pm, CBSSN | (1) | vs. (7) Stony Brook Championship | W 82–79 $^{OT}$ | 27–7 | 23 – Smith | 7 – Burnham | 6 – Fulton | Entertainment and Sports Arena (1,954) Washington, D.C. |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 22, 2024 7:35 pm, TruTV | (13 W) | vs. (4 W) No. 19 Alabama First Round | L 96–109 | 27–8 | 19 – Burnham | 8 – Tied | 4 – Rodgers | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena Spokane, WA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. W=West. All times are in Eastern. |||||||||
Source

## Awards and honors

Conference honors :
| Honors | Player | Position |
| CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player | Reyne Smith | G |
| CAA All-Tournament Team | Reyne Smith | G |
| CAA All-Tournament Team | Frankie Policelli | F |
| CAA All-Tournament Team | Kobe Rodgers | G |
| CAA Sixth Man of the Year | Bryce Butler | G |
| All-CAA First Team | Ante Brzovic | F |
| All-CAA Second Team | Reyne Smith | G |
| All-CAA Third Team | Ben Burnham | F |
| CAA All-Rookie Team | James Scott | F |
Coaching honors :
| Honors | Coach | Position | Ref. |
| Coastal Athletic Association Men's Basketball Coach of the Year | Pat Kelsey | Head coach | |
Source