Wikiwand AI

2024–25 Charleston Cougars men's basketball team

American college basketball season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2024–25 Charleston Cougars men's basketball team represented the College of Charleston in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by first-year head coach Chris Mack. The team played its home games at TD Arena in Charleston, South Carolina, as a member of the Coastal Athletic Association. The Cougars finished the season 24–9, 13–5 in CAA play to finish in third place. They defeated Monmouth in the quarterfinals of the CAA tournament before losing to UNC Wilmington in the semifinals.

ConferenceCoastal Athletic Association
Record24–9 (13–5 CAA)
Headcoach
Assistant coaches
Quick facts Charleston Cougars men's basketball, Conference ...
2024–25 Charleston Cougars men's basketball
ConferenceCoastal Athletic Association
Record24–9 (13–5 CAA)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaTD Arena
Seasons
Close
More information Conf., Overall ...
2024–25 CAA men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Towson16–2 .88922–11  .667
UNC Wilmington †14–4 .77827–8  .771
Charleston13–5 .72224–9  .727
William & Mary11–7 .61117–15  .531
Campbell10–8 .55615–17  .469
Monmouth10–8 .55613–20  .394
Northeastern9–9 .50017–15  .531
Drexel9–9 .50018–15  .545
Elon8–10 .44417–16  .515
Hampton8–10 .44417–16  .515
Hofstra6–12 .33315–18  .455
Delaware5–13 .27816–20  .444
Stony Brook4–14 .2228–24  .250
North Carolina A&T3–15 .1677–25  .219
† 2025 CAA tournament winner
Close

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

More information Name, Number ...
Charleston 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 Policelli1F6'9"225GSNew Hartford, New YorkGraduated
Reyne Smith2G6'2"190JRUlverstone, TasmaniaTransferred to Louisville[6]
Khalil London 3 G 6'3" 185 FR Wyandanch, New York Transferred to Tennessee State[7]
Bryce Butler4G6'5"205GSLatrobe, PennsylvaniaGraduated
Kobe Rodgers 11 G 6'3" 180 JR Cincinnati, Ohio Transferred to Louisville[8]
Ben Burnham13F6'7"220JRFort Mill, South CarolinaTransferred to Virginia Tech[9]
Mayar Wol 15 F 6'8" 185 FR Raleigh, North Carolina Transferred to Eastern Kentucky[10]
James Scott23F6'11"210FRFayetteville, North CarolinaTransferred to Louisville[11]
Close

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]

More information Name, Number ...
Charleston incoming transfers
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 Boyd4G6'3"210GSPrinceton, KentuckyLipscomb1October 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
Close

2024 recruiting class

More information Name, Hometown ...
College recruiting
Name Hometown School 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 
Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (0)
Justas Stonkus
G		 Plungė, Lithuania BC Žalgiris-2 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Apr 26, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (0)
Jaxon Prunty
SF		 Lexington, SC Lexington High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 170 lb (77 kg) May 2, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Scout: 3/5 stars   Rivals: 3/5 stars   247Sports: 3/5 stars   (78)
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, 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:

  • "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.
Close

Preseason

In the conference's preseason poll, the Cougars were picked to finish in second place.[19]

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.[20][21]

Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
2024–25 College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 0 Jaxon Prunty 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)170 lb (77 kg) FrLexington HS Lexington, SC
G 1 AJ Smith 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)210 lb (95 kg) JrThe Citadel Charlotte, NC
F 3 Elijah Jones 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)210 lb (95 kg) SrGreen Bay South Holland, IL
G 4 Derrin Boyd 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)210 lb (95 kg) SrLipscomb Princeton, KY
G 5 Deywilk Tavarez 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) SoDelaware State Pennsauken, NJ
G 6 CJ Fulton 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) SrLafayette Belfast, Northern Ireland
G 7 Evan Kilminster 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)180 lb (82 kg) RS SoAustralian Institute of Sport Newcastle, Australia
G 8 Justas Stonkus 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg) FrBC Žalgiris-2 Plungė, Lithuania
F 10 Ante Brzovic 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)225 lb (102 kg) SrSoutheastern Oklahoma State Zagreb, Croatia
G 14 Cade Higgins 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)195 lb (88 kg) FrIMG Academy Fort Worth, TX
C 15 Stef van Bussel 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)250 lb (113 kg) SoSaint Louis Asten, Netherlands
F 17 Lazar Đjoković 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)230 lb (104 kg) SoXavier Gornji Milanovac, Serbia
G 31 Jack Miller 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)180 lb (82 kg) SrOcean Township HS Ocean Township, NJ
G 33 Joey Scarpitti 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)170 lb (77 kg) FrSt. Edward HS Cleveland, OH
G 44 Đorđe Ćurčić 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg) SoSaint Louis Čačak, Serbia
F 50 Adam Comer 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)220 lb (100 kg) SrBroome HS Spartanburg, SC
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: September 4. 2024

Close

Schedule and results

More information Date time, TV, Rank# ...
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, YouTube		 vs. Southern Illinois
Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase		 W 90–80  1−0
  27 – Brzovic  9 – Brzovic  7 – Fulton  Sanford Pentagon (2,300)
Sioux Falls, SD
November 8, 2024*
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 South Florida W 86–71  2−0
  34 – Brzovic  9 – Brzovic  6 – Fulton  TD Arena (5,457)
Charleston, SC
November 15, 2024*
7:00 pm, YouTube		 Florida Atlantic
Field of 68 Tip-Off		 W 119–116 2OT 3−0
  39 – Brzovic  13 – Brzovic  6 – Tied  TD Arena (4,963)
Charleston, SC
November 17, 2024*
4:00 pm, YouTube		 Liberty
Field of 68 Tip-Off		 L 47–68  3−1
  15 – Đjoković  8 – Đjoković  4 – Fulton  TD Arena (4,858)
Charleston, SC
November 20, 2024*
6:00 pm, ESPN+		 at The Citadel
Rivalry		 W 76–61  4−1
  22 – Brzovic  14 – Brzovic  6 – Brzovic  McAlister Field House (3,231)
Charleston, SC
November 24, 2024*
1:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Rhode Island L 53–91  4–2
  10 – Smith  6 – Brzovic  4 – Boyd  Ryan Center (3,778)
Kingston, RI
November 27, 2024*
1:00 pm, FloHoops		 Northern Kentucky W 79–64  5–2
  22 – Boyd  13 – Brzovic  6 – Tied  TD Arena (4,718)
Charleston, SC
December 3, 2024*
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 Tusculum W 94–71  6–2
  17 – Đjoković  6 – Smith  7 – Fulton  TD Arena (4,388)
Charleston, SC
December 10, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Saint Joseph's W 78–75  7–2
  18 – Smith  5 – Tied  9 – Fulton  Hagan Arena (2,062)
Philadelphia, PA
December 16, 2024*
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 Wofford W 77–67  8–2
  21 – Brzovic  7 – Brzovic  8 – Fulton  TD Arena (4,748)
Charleston, SC
December 22, 2024*
3:00 pm, ESPNU		 vs. Oregon State
Diamond Head Classic Quarterfinals		 L 65–74  8–3
  13 – Tied  8 – Đjoković  4 – Fulton  Stan Sheriff Center 
Honolulu, HI
December 23, 2024*
5:30 pm, ESPNU		 vs. Loyola Chicago
Diamond Head Classic Consolation 2nd Round		 W 77–68  9–3
  30 – Tavarez  6 – Brzovic  5 – Brzovic  Stan Sheriff Center 
Honolulu, HI
December 25, 2024*
3:30 pm, ESPNU		 vs. Charlotte
Diamond Head Classic 5th Place Game		 W 84–81  10–3
  32 – Brzovic  14 – Brzovic  7 – Fulton  Stan Sheriff Center (4,163)
Honolulu, HI
CAA regular season
January 2, 2025
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 Hampton W 94–67  11–3
(1–0)		  26 – Boyd  9 – Brzovic  6 – Tavarez  TD Arena (5,070)
Charleston, SC
January 4, 2025
2:00 pm, FloHoops		 Towson W 77–69  12–3
(2–0)		  20 – Tied  11 – Brzovic  5 – Tied  TD Arena (5,116)
Charleston, SC
January 9, 2025
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 at Hofstra W 67–61  13–3
(3–0)		  23 – Brzovic  11 – Brzovic  12 – Fulton  Mack Sports Complex (1,504)
Hempstead, NY
January 11, 2025
2:00 pm, FloHoops		 at Monmouth L 73–84  13–4
(3–1)		  20 – Tavarez  9 – Tavarez  7 – Fulton  OceanFirst Bank Center (1,904)
West Long Branch, NJ
January 16, 2025
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 at Campbell W 67–61  14–4
(4–1)		  15 – Tied  15 – Đjoković  6 – Fulton  Gore Arena (1,359)
Buies Creek, NC
January 18, 2025
5:00 pm, FloHoops		 Northeastern W 87–85  15−4
(5−1)		  32 – Tavarez  9 – Brzovic  6 – Fulton  TD Arena (5,132)
Charleston, SC
January 23, 2025
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 UNC Wilmington L 83–85  15−5
(5−2)		  24 – Boyd  9 – Đjoković  9 – Fulton  TD Arena (5,090)
Charleston, SC
January 25, 2025
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 at Elon W 78–62  16−5
(6−2)		  20 – Smith  12 – Brzovic  5 – Brzovic  Schar Center (2,657)
Elon, NC
January 30, 2025
6:00 pm, CBSSN		 Stony Brook W 81–74  17−5
(7−2)		  25 – Tied  11 – Fulton  11 – Fulton  TD Arena (4,727)
Charleston, SC
February 3, 2025
8:00 pm, CBSSN		 at William & Mary L 75–90  17−6
(7−3)		  20 – Brzovic  11 – Đjoković  6 – Fulton  Kaplan Arena (3,461)
Williamsburg, VA
February 6, 2025
6:00 pm, CBSSN		 North Carolina A&T W 66–63  18−6
(8−3)		  24 – Brzovic  9 – Brzovic  8 – Fulton  TD Arena (4,600)
Charleston, SC
February 8, 2025
6:00 pm, FloHoops		 Elon W 88–83 OT 19–6
(9–3)		  27 – Brzovic  10 – Tied  5 – Tied  TD Arena (5,007)
Charleston, SC
February 13, 2025
7:00 pm, CBSSN		 at UNC Wilmington L 66–86  19–7
(9–4)		  14 – Smith  8 – Brzovic  6 – Fulton  Trask Coliseum (5,200)
Wilmington, NC
February 15, 2025
6:00 pm, FloHoops		 at North Carolina A&T W 69–59  20–7
(10–4)		  20 – Tavarez  6 – Brzovic  11 – Fulton  Corbett Sports Center (1,201)
Greensboro, NC
February 20, 2025
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 at Northeastern W 73–62  21–7
(11–4)		  20 – Brzovic  11 – Tavarez  6 – Fulton  Matthews Arena (1,227)
Boston, MA
February 22, 2025
12:00 pm, CBSSN		 at Drexel L 55–64  21–8
(11–5)		  16 – Brzovic  6 – Brzovic  4 – Tied  Daskalakis Athletic Center (1,723)
Philadelphia, PA
February 27, 2025
7:00 pm, FloHoops		 Delaware W 94–84  22–8
(12–5)		  27 – Brzovic  9 – Đjoković  10 – Fulton  TD Arena (4,939)
Charleston, SC
March 1, 2025
6:00 pm, FloHoops		 Campbell W 87–65  23–8
(13–5)		  25 – Boyd  8 – Tied  10 – Fulton  TD Arena (5,165)
Charleston, SC
CAA tournament
March 9, 2025
8:30 pm, FloHoops		 (3) vs. (6) Monmouth
Quarterfinals		 W 79–78 OT 24–8
  22 – Brzovic  8 – Tied  5 – Fulton  CareFirst Arena (2,580)
Washington, D.C.
March 10, 2025
8:30 pm, CBSSN		 (3) vs. (2) UNC Wilmington
Semifinals		 L 67–68  24–9
  18 – Boyd  11 – Đjoković  5 – Fulton  CareFirst Arena (2,367)
Washington, D.C.
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern.
Close

Awards and honors

More information Honors, Player ...
Conference honors
Honors Player Position
All-CAA First Team Ante Brzovic F
All-CAA Third Team Derrin Boyd G
All-CAA Third Team CJ Fulton G
CAA All-Rookie Team Justas Stonkus G
CAA Scholar Athlete of the Year CJ Fulton G
Close

Source[22]

References

Related Articles

Timelines

Top Qs

Fact Checks