College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 31-4; Colonial Athletic Association Regular Season (16-2) and Tournament Champions, lost in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: Pat Kelsey (Third Year; 48-19 at Charleston, with one NCAA Tournament appearance)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG CJ Fulton – 6’2″, 190 – Junior

SG Reyne Smith – 6’2″, 190 – Junior

SF Bryce Butler – 6’5″, 205 – Senior (5th)

PF Frankie Policelli – 6’9″, 225 – Senior

C Ante Brzović – 6’10”, 225 – Junior

Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats

CJ Fulton: 10.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.0 spg @ Lafayette

Reyne Smith: 10.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.7 spg – 34.1% 3FG

Bryce Butler: 22.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.2 spg – 59.2% FG @ West Liberty

Frankie Policelli: 13.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.7 spg – 36.8% 3FG @ Stony Brook

Ante Brzović: 11.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.7 spg, 0.5 bpg – 46.1% FG

Experienced Reserves

F Ben Burnham – 6’7″, 220 – Junior

G Kobe Rogers – 6’3″, 180 – Junior

Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats

Ben Burnham: 8.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.3 spg – 44.6% 3FG

Kobe Rogers: 12.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.4 spg – 44.9% FG @ Nova Southeastern

Freshmen

W Mayar Wol – 6’8″, 195 – Freshman – Consensus Top 150 recruit

G Jordan Crawford – 6’2″, 180 – Freshman

F/C James Scott – 6’11”, 210 – Freshman

G Evan Kilminster – 6’4″, 180 – Freshman

G Khalil London – 6’3″, 185 – Freshman

It’s hard to have a better season than the College of Charleston had last year. They won 31 games, ran away with the Colonial Athletic Association’s regular season title and then won the CAA tournament championship as well. And if they hadn’t drawn the national runner-up in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, who knows what more the Cougars could have accomplished?

As it goes, though, when teams have such sublime success as the 2022-23 Cougars, there is the inevitable exodus of top players and leaders from that incredible run. As a non-major in a state with two big-time programs ahead of them, one would have to imagine that a program like Charleston would be stuck in some sort of a rebuilding situation this winter. And it’s true; seven of the Cougars’ top ten players have gone, including leading scorer and All-CAA guard Dalton Bolon. One wouldn’t be unreasonable in expecting CoC to take a bit of a step back, necessary for a regroup. Charleston head coach Pat Kelsey doesn’t really feel like taking a year off from competing, though.

So the Cougars have reloaded with DI transfers, D2 transfers, and the best freshman class in school history. And if that isn’t enough, Kelsey has three talented freshmen from last year who are coming off redshirt seasons. There’s even a dude from Ireland coming aboard. The Cougars may have had a season that would be almost impossible to top, but Kelsey & Co. feel like that’s no reason they shouldn’t attempt the feat.

Bolon, a former star at Division II West Liberty, set quite a standard for guys moving up a level to play in Charleston. Ante Brzović wants to push that bar yet higher. Charleston’s top big man returns for his second season after proving that his production at D II Southeastern Oklahoma State was very much indicative of a player with real high major talent. Brzović didn’t start for the first ten games of his Charleston career, but he was too good to keep in a support role last year, and Kelsey moved him into the top five – to rave reviews. As a starter, Brzović averaged more than 13 points and 7 boards per game, and ended his first year as a Cougar on the All-Colonial team. Brzović can handle the ball a bit, and will drive in from the top of the key and throw up hook shots and runners – including a memorable one with the shot clock running out to help put away UNC-Wilmington in last season’s CAA title game.

That tilt wasn’t CoC’s only old-fashioned tussle with Wilmington last year; their contests last season were so intense that Brzović even took an elbow from his teammate Bolon in January which turned into a shiner that remained for the rest of the Cougars’ campaign. “I think it makes him look tougher,” Bolon joked. “He wasn’t that handsome to begin with.” After clinching the CAA crown, Brzović may have gotten the last laugh, though. “I like my black eye,” Brzovic told CBS Sports during the resulting celebration. “So many girls tell me they want to take care of me once I go back home…I love it!” Brzović can face up and drill jumpers or catch and go to work in the paint, where he uses clean footwork and a creative, spin-cycle approach to get buckets around the cup. While Brzović isn’t an above-the-rim big, he’s crafty beyond his years, and defends with good positioning and footwork. Kelsey likes to use a deep rotation, but Brzović saw a whopping 30.1% usage rate when he was out there last year. Brzović also did a great job of getting to the foul line – as did most of his teammates. If he can take another step forward, the Croatian post star is going to force his coach to keep him on the floor for all the minutes he can handle as a junior.

Reyne Smith returns as the Cougars’ top perimeter threat, and is one of the shootin’est ‘Strayan’s you ever will see. Smith made the CAA All-Freshman team two years ago, and though he played slightly fewer minutes last year on such a loaded roster, his marksmanship was barely dimmed. Smith scored in double figures 19 times in 35 games, but despite taking a back seat while some of his teammates took their turns, Smith had games of 20, 23, 24, 27 and 29 points along the way. When he’s hot hot, Smith can just about carry CoC by himself, but when he’s cold he can disappear a bit. Part of that is down to Smith’s shooting splits. For instance, last year, Smith attempted 14 shots against Division I opponents near the rim, 19 more from mid-range…and 257 shots from beyond the arc, per Bart Torvik. With the way Kelsey rotates his guys, it’s more acceptable for Smith to remain a long-range specialist than it would be for players on some other teams. And besides, Kelsey likes his players to shoot the rock; the Cougars took almost 63 shots per game last year, a top-20 figure nationally, and nearly half of those were deep heaves. Despite his proclivity for trying long-range shots, Smith has found his way to earning 2.5 foul shots per game through his first two seasons, and he owns a sterling 91.5% career rate at the charity stripe. If he wants to grow his scoring versatility, though, Smith can always catch defenders off guard by dribbling in a bit as they close out hard on him. And this year, with fewer threats around him, Kelsey would love to see Smith get closer to 40% from deep as opposed to the 34.1% he shot last year.

Smith isn’t the only international star in the Cougars’ backcourt, as Kelsey has added CJ Fulton from Lafayette to run the point. Fulton, who is from Belfast, is a member of the Irish National team and was among the most decorated prep players in the country’s history before coming to the USA. At Lafayette, he began by being named to the Patriot League All-Freshman team, and last year moved up to the All-Patriot team. Fulton’s international experience shows in his heady ballhandling and excellent shot creation. Fulton played a tidy point for the Leopards, especially last season when he handed out an outstanding 150 assists against just 54 turnovers. He is also developing into a dangerous outside shooter; after hitting 35 triples at 36.8% as a freshman, Fulton swished 58 deep balls at a 38.7% rate as a sophomore. That Fulton was so efficient both shooting and handling the ball despite averaging a Patriot League-leading 36.4 minutes per game is impressive, and bodes well for a move to Kelsey’s high-revving attack. The Cougars ranked in the nation’s top 50 in possessions per game last year, and finished 19th in the nation per Evan Miya’s ‘True Tempo’ stat, and Kelsey can’t wait to see his new floor general lead the charge. “CJ possesses qualities that I love in a player – he is tough, smart, and efficient. He led the country in assist to turnover ratio as a freshman and was top five as a sophomore,” Kelsey says of his new point guard. “He effects the game on both sides of the floor as this season he was top 50 in the country in steals.” With Smith as more of a specialized weapon, Fulton should fit nicely beside him as a guy who can do it all. The defensive playmaking which so enamores Kelsey has resulted in Fulton coming up with 102 thefts through his first 60 games played, and his career steal rate of 3.3% is the third-best in Lafayette history.

‘Make more free throws than you let the other team attempt’. Kelsey’s team last season reflected the philosophy.

William Francis Ryan, Jr – and many other great coaches before him – repeated an adage which, if adhered to, couldn’t help but make a team successful. ‘Make more free throws than you let the other team attempt’. Kelsey’s team last season reflected the philosophy. The Cougars featured six different players who attempted an average of at least two free throws per game. As a team, they got to the line more than 20 times per game, and those trips added up to Charleston making 15.4 freebies per contest. By playing clean and smart defense on the other end, College of Charleston sank 21 more foul shots than their opponents attempted, and thus they won like crazy. It also helped their offense, which was one of the nation’s most heavily-reliant on the three point shot, to average more than 80 points per game despite making just 17.5 2FG’s per game.

Even more than their proficiency at the foul line, last year’s Cougars shot the three at an extremely high rate, and then quite literally elbowed one another out of the way in their haste to chase down offensive rebounds. Kelsey’s other star newcomer will help with more of both things. After playing against him for three years at Stony Brook, CoC’s coach was all over former Sea Wolves forward Frankie Policelli as soon as he entered the Transfer Portal. Now, Policelli will play his extra ‘Covid Year’ in a Cougars jersey, and after posting 13 double-doubles a year ago, Kelsey can’t wait to see him paired up with Brzović for a change. “Frankie is an experienced, veteran player with size, skill and toughness,” Kelsey has said. Policelli averaged 15.5 points and 8.7 boards over Stony Brook’s final 15 games last year, and he knocked down a career-high 64 triples on a career-best 36.8% shooting from downtown. Policelli has splashed 147 triples over the course of his career, and provides the Cougars a true inside-outside scoring threat at the 4-spot. Kelsey is also hoping that his new forward can do more of the inside scoring this year. Last season, just 72 of Policelli’s 336 shot attempts came around the rim. His outside shooting will be a tremendous help in spacing the Cougars’ halfcourt offense, though. In his star-turn season, Policelli had games of 34 points and 12 boards and then, in a conference tourney win over NC A&T, Policelli went for 30 and 16 with six triples. With more help around him in Charleston, Policelli should be more dangerous than ever.

Last year’s top forward off the bench was Ben Burnham, and he’s an excellent guy to have around to fill that role. Kelsey relies heavily upon his reserves, and values some of them enough to play them for as many minutes as an average starter. Burnham is a stretch-forward who led the Cougars by shooting 44.6% from deep a year ago. Like Smith, Burnham was a member of the All-Freshman team two years ago, and like Smith he took a slight step back from his rookie role last year. With Policelli and Brzović ahead of him, Burnham can settle in as the third big guy and do his thing, scoring from the outside and providing great hustle and energetic rebounding when he’s in the game. Burnham had a clinching block to help seal CoC’s conference title over UNC-W last March, and has already shown that he’s ready for primetime.

Like Bolon and Pat Robinson before him, Bryce Butler is joining the Cougars after a successful career at Division II West Liberty. There, Butler scored 1,913 points over his four seasons, and he averaged 20.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists over the past two years. A well-rounded and mature player, Butler will add another deep threat to Charleston’s attack; a career 39.3% shooter from the land of trey, Butler was at his best last winter, posting a 43.3% mark from distance on 52 makes. He was also a defensive playmaker at the lower level, racking up 82 steals and 42 blocks over the last two years combined, and should add a great deal of hustle and more 3-and-D potential to the CoC wing.

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

+12.4 – Average Score Margin (6th)

0.491 – Assists Per Field Goal Made (217th)

9.8 – 3FG Made Per Game (11th)

33.0% – Team 3FG Percentage (222nd)

15.4 – Free Throws Made Per Game (41st)

Fans always hope that their teams’ most successful seasons will translate into more and more successes on the recruiting trail. This year, those wishes have more or less lined up for the Cougars – even though they missed out on 4-star wing Isaiah Coleman. Instead, Mayar Wol has become the highest-ranked prospect ever to sign with CoC, and could very well play significant minutes right away. A fast-rising prospect the past two years, Wol can score from nearly anywhere on the court and is growing into the frame of an impact power forward. He still has some polishing to do on his game; his handle can be a bit erratic and Wol doesn’t have perfect form on his jumper. The natural talent, though, oozes from Wol both in the open court and inside the arc. As his confidence has grown, Wol has been more and more comfortable shooting from the outside, and he can get to the basket on straight line drives to finish powerfully above the rim. With the refinement that’s sure to come from playing in Kelsey’s system beside talented veterans, Wol appears on track to make a run at the CAA All-Freshman team.

While Coleman eventually decided to switch his commitment to Seton Hall, there’s a consolation prize in skilled 6’11” forward James Scott. While he didn’t have the same level of interest from high major programs which Wol picked up in the last year-plus, Scott’s game has grown by leaps and bounds since his sophomore year. With fluid hips and great length, Scott is a terrific shot-blocker and rebounder despite not being a traditional wide-body. He can knock down jumpers, and while Scott will need to add strength, he provides Kelsey with an excellent developmental big who could be able to contribute right away, too.

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

@ Florida Atlantic- December 2

N – Duquesne – November 10

N – TBD Myrtle Beach Invitational – November 19

N – Vermont – November 16

@ Kent State – November 26

Three redshirt freshmen are joining the rotation this year, and each of them will bring something a bit different to Kelsey’s rotation. Jordan Crawford is a scoring guard who plays with great confidence and can really get end to end in search of a quality shot. “Jordan is an electric scorer at all three levels,” says Kelsey. “He has a relentless motor and high character.” With minutes – and shots – always available off the bench, Crawford should be able to show what he can do after a year’s seasoning. Khalil London is more of a combo guard, capable of creating shots for himself and others. He tore his ACL towards the end of his high school career, causing interest from Georgetown and Rutgers to wane. After a year off to get healthy and comfortable in Kelsey’s system, London is prepared to prove that the high major schools missed out on a good one. He should bring great outside shooting range and a fearless mentality to Charleston.

Evan Kilminster is the second Australian player on this year’s team, and brings good size and experience to back up the point guard spot. A high-effort player, Kilminster is a skilled passer who can hit deep jumpers consistently and has proven comfortable and effective driving into fallaway and pull-up jumpers. Kobe Rodgers is one of four different players with eligibility remaining from last year’s Division II national champion, Nova Southeastern, who have each transferred up to the top level of competition for this season. While a Shark, Rodgers played alongside Georgia commit RJ Sunahara in a high-octane offensive attack. While he has been a bit streaky, Rodgers can score from the outside or put it on the deck, and he’s a pest defensively with both quick feet and hands. Rodgers should get the chance to play significant role this year if he can continue to get steals and help the Cougars run out into easy buckets and good deep looks against disordered opponents.

Charleston experienced a triumphant season last year. Now they aren’t just trying to do it all again, they’re trying to re-tool and run the gauntlet with a bigger target than ever upon their backs. The Cougars were great on the boards a year ago, and that helped to cover for a whole lot of three point misses. The Cougars ranked eighth in the country last year in Evan Miya’s ‘Kill shots’ statistic, which tracks scoring runs of 10-0 or greater. By bring relentless on the glass and then hitting back-breaking triples, Charleston has clearly found a winning formula.

The Cougars are likely going to have to win more games with closer margins this time around, and Wilmington is very much back to see if they can’t wrest the CAA title up a bit further northeast. Charleston retains a great deal of the talent and confidence which saw them dominate last season, though, and Kelsey’s newcomers are strong. The Cougars call Charleston ‘Our City’, and after showing the rest of the country how high this program’s ceiling has risen, Kelsey’s team is ready to take the home fans on another run towards March success.