College Hoops Tip-Off: Shriners Children's Charleston Classic 2021

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College Hoops Tip-Off 11.10.2021

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Eight teams vie to be champion

By Lewis Kendall all in the Holy City means the return of the annual Charleston Classic. Now in its 13th year, the early season tournament will run Nov. 18, 19 and 21 and will feature Boise State, Clemson, Elon, Marquette, Ole Miss, St. Bonaventure, Temple and West Virginia.

Twelve games will be played at College of Charleston’s TD Arena, which will welcome fans back to the event for the first time since the 2019 tournament. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online or by calling the College of Charleston ticket office (843-953-COFC [2632]).

The field is strong across the board, said longtime ESPN announcer and analyst Debbie Antonelli, a Mount Pleasant Giving the fans coming resident who will call the tournament for the third time. This year’s competitors to Charleston a chance include former Classic winners Clemson to enjoy our beautiful and Temple. Early season tournaments are notoriously difficult to predict, she said, city, it’s a real treat. adding that she was excited that TD Arena would be filled with fans after a too-long That’s what makes a period of quiet, empty arenas. tournament like this “It is going to be awesome to have the fans back,” she said. “Giving the fans really fun.” coming to Charleston a chance to enjoy our —ESPN announcer and analyst beautiful city, it’s a real treat. That’s what Debbie Antonelli makes a tournament like this really fun.”

Although the College of Charleston Cougars are not among the teams in this year’s field, new College of Charleston head coach Pat Kelsey said he was looking forward to the tournament, calling it “a great showcase of our city.”

“People get to see what we’re all about,” Kelsey said. “So many people that have been a part of that tournament, they’re blown away.”

“

Moreover, having the Shriners Hospitals for Children as a new philanthropic title sponsor for the next four years adds a special element to proceedings.

“That’s bigger than the game and gives you a different perspective,” Antonelli said.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is the health care system arm of Shriners International, a Masonic fraternity with nearly 200,000 members around the world. Founded in 1922, Shriners Hospitals boast a handful of public facilities across North America, including a hospital in Greenville, that specialize in pediatric orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate treatments.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Past photos of some of the teams that that have played in the Charleston Classic.

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Photos courtesy ESPN Events

A new sponsor

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Classic CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

This year’s competitors

The slate of teams includes five who played in the postseason last year: West Virginia, Clemson and St. Bonaventure played in the NCAA Tournament, while Boise State and Ole Miss played in the NIT. St. Bonaventure’s Bonnies, which Antonelli said was ESPN’s “team to beat” for the Classic, return all five starters from a team that won the Atlantic-10 conference regular season title, as well as its postseason tournament.

“St. Bonaventure will be really tough to deal with with all their experience coming back,” said Antonelli, who has been calling games for 34 years. “Teams like that, that have everyone coming back and have learned from that experience, I can’t wait to see what they look like in November based on what I saw in March.”

At the bottom of the bracket, West Virginia, which secured a No. 3 seed in the 2021 NCAA tournament, also caught Antonelli’s eye.

“West Virginia will be very big and physical and a typical Bob Huggins team: Really good at the point of pressure, really good at protecting the rim,” she said. “They build their defense from the middle out, and that makes them really tough every year.”

Florida won the 2019 Charleston Classic. Buffalo and UCONN also played during that tournament.

Great start to a season of college hoops

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ESPN’s line on the teams

St. Bonaventure - ESPN’s “team to beat” for the tournament returned all five starters from last year’s conference winning squad, including Kyle Lofton (14.4 PPG, 5.5 APG, 1.4 SPG last season) and Osun Osunniyi, the Atlantic 10’s reigning defensive player of the year.

West Virginia - After earning a No. 3 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Bob Huggins’s team will rely on new point guard and Old Dominion transfer Malik Curry (15.7 PPG last season).

Marquette - The Golden Eagles will be led by new head coach Shaka Smart (of VCU’s memorable Final Four Run), who finished with a 109-86 record at Texas, earning a No. 3 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Clemson - The Tigers look to build off a 16-8 record last season, as well as its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2018.

Boise State - After a disappointing loss in the 2021 NIT, the Broncos were picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West Conference’s basketball preseason poll.

Ole Miss - Another 2021 NIT contender, Ole Miss brings a well-rounded recruiting class to a team that finished sixth in the competitive Southeastern Conference.

Temple - Winners of the 2017 Charleston Classic, the Owls and head coach Aaron McKie return a strong roster for the 2022 season.

Elon - Following an impressive run to the Colonial Athletic Association championship last season, the Phoenix aim to improve on their 10-9 record and make another shot at the Big Dance.

Photos courtesy ESPN Events

College Hoops Tip-Off 11.10.2021

With TD Arena as the venue and downtown Charleston as the backdrop, always providing the opportunity for a Bill Murray or Darius Rucker sighting, there could be no better way to ring in the start of the college basketball season, Antonelli said.

“I don’t know where you can find a better setting for this event. You have so many things you can do and see, it makes it really fun for fans,” she said.

“Right away we’re going to have great basketball in November. It’s a full week of hoops and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

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HELPING OTHERS

Tournament to benefit Shriners Hospitals

By Lewis Kendall

The closest Shriners Hospital is in Greenville.

or the next four years, the Charleston Classic college basketball tournament will be sponsored by Shriners Hospitals for Children, the health care arm of Shriners International, a Masonic fraternity with nearly 200,000 members around the world.

Founded in 1922, Shriners Hospitals boast a handful of public facilities across North America, including a hospital in Greenville, that specialize in pediatric orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. The hospitals started as a way to treat polio and have since “taken off,” according to Kenny Craven, vice president of the hospitals’ board of directors.

“Our outpatient services are growing,” Craven Craven said. “Medicine is changing and we need to treat more people. They’re out there; they just don’t know about us.”

The Shriners got into the game of sponsoring sports tournaments early on, beginning in 1925 with the organization’s support of the East-West Shrine Bowl, the longest-running college all-star football game in the nation. It expanded its sponsorships to golf, college baseball and even NASCAR events, all in the name of awareness of the organization’s work.

“

Medicine is changing and we need to treat more people. They’re out there; they just don’t know about us.”

College Hoops Tip-Off 11.10.2021

—Kenny Craven

6

Photos courtesy Shriners Hospitals for Children

“It's worth it to get it out there what we really treat,” Craven said, “what can we do to get our name out there and let people know what we do.”

Born and still living in Summerville, Craven is particularly excited about the Classic taking place in his backyard, not far from the local Omar Shrine Temple in Mount Pleasant where he often gathers. The Temple plans to hold a fundraiser on Nov. 20, with proceeds going directly to Shriners Hospitals.

“It’s fantastic philanthropy,” said Craven, who works as an auto broker. “To raise money to go to such a great cause has created a lot of excitement.”

And the basketball is set to provide a great backdrop as well, he noted, especially with the return of crowds.

“We’re excited to have fans back in the arena. We’re excited to partner with both ESPN and the College of Charleston,” Craven said. “It’s good for the local community and gets more information (out) about what Shriners and the hospitals do.”

“We hope to be a partner here for a long time,” he added.

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College Hoops Tip-Off 11.10.2021

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THE TEAMS

Boise State Broncos No. 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 22 23 24 25 33

Name Pos. Kasean Pryor G Tyson Degenhart F Kobe Young G Burke Smith F RJ Keene G Marcus Shaver, Jr. G Devonaire Doutrive G Max Rice G Pavle Kuzmanovic G Emmanuel Akot G Sam Winter G Naje Smith F Abu Kigab F Lukas Milner C Mladen Armus F

Ht. 6-9 6-7 6-6 6-11 6-6 6-2 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-8 6-2 6-7 6-7 6-10 6-10

Wt. 200 232 204 230 202 185 185 200 190 210 185 205 220 238 240

Yr. So. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. R-Sr. Sr. R-Jr. So. R-Sr. So. Sr. 5th Sr. R-Sr.

Hometown Previous School Chicago, Ill. Link Year Prep Spokane, Wash.

Mt. Spokane HS Pasco, Wash.

Chiawana HS Glen Allen, Va. Trinity Episcopal School The Woodlands, Texas Concordia Lutheran HS Phoenix, Ariz.

Portland Dallas, Texas Arizona Boise, Idaho Bishop Kelly HS Loznica, Serbia ABS Primorje 1945 Winnipeg, Manitoba Arizona Montesano, Wash. Montesano HS Spokane, Wash.

Cochise College St. Catharines, Ontario Oregon Olathe, Kan. Johnson County CC Belgrade, Serbia ETSU

College Hoops Tip-Off 11.10.2021

Head Coach: Leon Rice Assistant Coaches: Mike Burns, Tim Duryea, R-Jay Barsh

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Clemson Tigers No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 24 33

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown Josh Beadle G 6-3 180 Fr. Columbia, S.C. Ian Schieffelin F 6-7 225 Fr. Loganville, Ga. Al-Amir Dawes G 6-2 182 Jr. Newark, N.J. Chase Hunter G 6-3.5 204 R-So. Atlanta, Ga. Nick Honor G 5-10 195 R-Jr. Orlando, Fla. Hunter Tyson F 6-8 215 Sr. Monroe, N.C. Ben Middlebrooks F 6-10 232 Fr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Parker Fox G 6-7 210 Sr. Reno, Nev. Alex Hemenway G 6-3.5 195 Jr. Newburgh, Ind. David Collins G 6-4.5 217 +Sr. Youngstown, Ohio Devin Foster G 6-2 180 Jr. Canton, Mass.

Jack Nauseef G 6-1 160 Jr. Dayton, Ohio PJ Hall F 6-10 240 So. Spartanburg, S.C. Naz Bohannon F 6-6 232 +Sr. Lorain, Ohio

Previous School Cardinal Newman HS Grayson HS The Patrick School Westlake HS Fordham Piedmont HS Westminster Academy Oconee HS (Ga.) Castle HS USF Canton HS Chaminade Julienne Catholic

Dorman HS Youngstown State

Head Coach: Brad Brownell Assistant Coaches: Antonio Reynolds Dean, Kareem Richardson, Dick Bender

ESPN’s line

ESPN’s line

Coming off an NIT appearance in 2020-21, the Broncos return five players who averaged at least 8.9 points per game in 2020-2021. Coach Leon Rice has won at least 19 games in eight of the past nine seasons. The Broncos were picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West this season.

Coach Brownell will be looking to build on momentum after returning to the NCAA Tournament last season. The Tigers were #12 in the nation in scoring defense in 2020-21, allowing just 61.2 points per game. Clemson has made it to the Finals in all three Shriner Children’s Charleston Classic appearances and won the inaugural tournament title in 2008.

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Elon Phoenix Name Pos. Hunter McIntosh G Chuck Hannah F/C JaDun Michael G/F Charles Mendys G Sam Sherry F/C Torrence Watson G/F Kris Wooten G RJ Noord G Darius Burford G Jerald Gillens-Butler G/F Zac Ervin G/F Michael Graham F/C Ben Daugherty G Reece Clark G Hunter Woods G/F Andrew Junkin C

Ht. 6-2 6-7 6-5 6-0 6-10 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-0 6-5 6-5 6-8 6-1 6-4 6-6 7-0

Wt. Yr. Hometown 180 Jr. Snellville, Ga. 229 Sr. Boston, Mass.

198 So. Burlington, N.C 183 R-Sr. Carrboro, N.C. 220 Fr. Mechanicsburg, Pa 199 Sr. St. Louis, Mo. 194 Sr. Kinston, N.C. 170 Fr. Decatur, Ga. 166 So. Bolingbrook, Ill. 227 R-Sr. Orlando, Fla. 201 Jr. Gate City, Va. 221 So. Brooklyn, N.Y. 183 Jr. Chagrin Falls, Ohio 181 Fr. Weston, Mass.

197 Jr. Pasadena, Calif.

236 R-Jr. New Hope, Miss.

Previous School Greater Atlanta Christian School

Northfield Mount Hermon The Burlington School Roanoke College Cumberland Valley High School

Whitfield School Arendell Parrott Academy Heritage High School Bolingbrook Butler Gate City Canterbury School Western Reserve Academy North Mount Hermon Saint

John Muir Mississippi State

Head Coach: Mike Schrage Assistant Coaches: Janathan Holmes, Allen Payne, Noel Gillespie

No. 1 2 4 5 10 12 13 21 22 23 32 35 40 41 42

Name Kam Jones Emarion Ellis Stevie Mitchell Greg Elliott Justin Lewis

Pos. G G G G F Olivier-Maxence Prosper F Oso Ighodaro F Cameron Brown G Tyler Kolek G David Joplin F Darryl Morsell G Kur Kuath F Keeyan Itejere F Brendan Carney G Michael Kennedy F

Ht. 6-4 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-7 6-8 6-9 6-1 6-3 6-7 6-5 6-10 6-9 6-2 6-6

Wt. 185 185 190 180 245 220 215 190 190 215 205 215 205 190 190

Yr. Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Jr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Gr. Gr. Fr. R-So. R-So

Hometown Cordova, Tenn.

Davenport, Iowa Reading, Pa. Detroit, Mich.

Baltimore, Md. Montreal, Quebec Chandler, Ariz.

Plano, Texas Cumberland, R.I. Brookfield, Wis. Baltimore, Md. Biemnon, South Sudan Knightdale, N.C. Menlo Park, Calif.

Mequon, Wis.

Previous School Evangelical Christian School

Assumption HS Wilson HS East English Village HS Baltimore Polytechnic HS NBA Academy Latin America

Desert Vista HS John Paul II High School St. George’s School Brookfield Central HS Mount Saint Joseph HS Kearns HS GRACE Christian School Sacred Heart Prep Homestead HS

Head Coach: Shaka Smart Assistant Coaches: Neill Berry, Cody Hatt, DeAndre Haynes

ESPN’s line

ESPN’s line

The Phoenix figure to be one of the top teams in the Colonial Athletic Association after they advanced to the conference tournament championship game in March.

Elon will return to TD Arena on January 9 to play College of Charleston.

New head coach Shaka Smart will lead the Golden Eagles after previous stops at VCU and Texas. This will be Marquette’s first appearance in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic.

Continued on page 12

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No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 21 23 24 25 30

Marquette Golden Eagles

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THE TEAMS

Continued from page 11

Ole Miss Rebels No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 14 15 21 23 24 33

Name Pos. Eric Van Der Heijden F Austin Crowley G Daeshun Ruffin G Nysier Brooks C Jaemyn Brakefield F James White G Grant Slatten G Matthew Murrell G Tye Fagan G Luis Rodriguez G/F Robert Allen F Sammy Hunter F Jarkel Joiner G John McBride G

Ht. 6-8 6-5 5-9 7-0 6-8 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-6 6-8 6-9 6-1 6-7

Wt. 205 195 160 245 220 190 195 200 198 210 225 225 180 220

Yr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Gr. So. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr.

St. Bonaventure Bonnies

Hometown Raleigh, N.C. West Point, Miss.

Jackson, Miss.

Philadelphia, Pa. Jackson, Miss.

Conyers, Ga. Sparta, Tenn.

Memphis, Tenn.

Logtown, Ga. Los Angeles, Calif.

Orlando, Fla. Nassau, Bahamas Oxford, Miss.

Memphis, Tenn.

Previous School Millbrook Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.)

Callaway Miami (FL) Duke Heritage White County IMG Academy Georgia Woodstock Academy (Conn.)

Samford B.C. Christian Academy (Canada)

CSU Bakersfield Memphis University School

Head Coach: Kermit Davis Assistant Coaches: Win Case, Ronnie Hamilton, Levi Watkins

Ht. Wt. 6-3 185 6-5 205 6-3 190 6-3 182 6-5 205 6-4 210 6-9 235 6-7 186 6-9 235 6-8 215 6-10 220 6-4 180 6-5 215 6-8 200

Yr. Sr. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. R-So. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. R-So. Fr. Sr. Fr. R-Sr. Fr.

Hometown Hillside, N.J. Buffalo, N.Y. Piscataway, N.J. Almere, Netherlands

Delray Beach, Fla. Romulus, Mich.

Lagos, Nigeria Gatineau, Quebec Bamako, Mali

Previous School Putnam Science Academy

Spire Academy Wake Forest Beckley Prep Indian River CC Ranger CC Harcum College Cegep de l’Outaouais Collège

Pittsburgh Bahia Blanca, Argentina Don Bosco School Pleasantville, N.J. Putnam Science Academy Binghamton, N.Y. Seton Catholic Logansport, Ind. Miami (OH) Amsterdam, Netherlands Fork Union Military Academy

ESPN’s line

ESPN’s line

Kermit Davis has led Ole Miss to double digit win totals in the SEC in two of his first three seasons. The Rebels just missed the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and will look to return this season for the first time since 2019.

The returning A-10 regular season and tournament champs have more to prove this year with five returning starters, all of whom are seniors. Preseason expectations are high for the Bonnies as they were picked to repeat as A-10 champs and ranked #23 in the preseason AP poll.

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College Hoops Tip-Off 11.10.2021

Name Pos. Kyle Lofton G Dominick Welch G Quadry Adams G Joryam Saizonou G Linton Brown G Jaren Holmes G Oluwasegun Durosinmi C Justin Ndjock-Tadjore G Abdoul Karim Coulibaly F Pedro Rossi F Osun Osunniyi C Brett Rumpel G Jalen Adaway G Anouar Mellouk F

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Temple Owls

West Virginia Mountaineers

No. 0 1 2 3 4 10 11

Name Khalif Battle Damian Dunn Jahlil White Sage Tolbert III Hysier Miller Jake Forrester Nick Jourdain

Pos. G G G F G F F

Ht. 6-5 6-5 6-7 6-8 6-1 6-9 6-8

Wt. -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Yr. So. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr.

Hometown Hillside, N.J. Kinston, N.C. Whitesboro, N.J. New Orleans, La. Philadelphia, Pa. Harrisburg, Pa. Clifton, N.J.

Previous School Trenton Catholic Meadowcreek (Ga.) Wildwood Catholic Fort Bend Travis Neumann Goretti Westtown

Immaculate Conception/ Covenant College Prep

13 14 21 22 23 24 25 33

Tai Strickland G Arashma Parks F Emmanuel Okpomo C Ryan Sayers G Quincy Ademokoya G Zach Hicks F Jeremiah Williams G Colin Daly G

6-2 6-9 6-10 6-1 6-6 6-7 6-5 6-4

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

R-So. R-So. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr.

Tampa, Fla. Cleveland, Ohio Delta State, Nigeria Pottstown, Pa. Bloomington, Ill. Camden, N.J. Chicago, Ill. Havertown, Pa.

St. Petersburg Phelps School (Pa.) Oak Hill Academy Owen J. Roberts Norcross (Ga.) Camden Catholic Simeon Archbishop Carroll

Head Coach: Aaron McKie Associate Head Coach: Monté Ross Assistant Coaches: Chris Clark, Jimmy Fenerty

No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 22 23 24 32 45

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown Kedrian Johnson G 6-3 185 Sr. Dallas, Texas Pauly Paulicap F 6-8 235 5th Elmont, N.Y. Kobe Johnson G 6-3 210 Fr. Canton, Ohio Gabe Osabuohien F 6-7 240 5th Toronto, Ontario Jamel King F 6-7 190 Fr. Uniontown, Ala. Dimon Carrigan F 6-9 230 5th Boston, Mass.

Malik Curry G 6-1 190 5th Wilmington, Del. Jalen Bridges F 6-7 225 So. Fairmont, W.Va. Taz Sherman G 6-4 190 5th Missouri City, Texas Isaiah Cottrell F 6-10 245 R-Fr. Las Vegas, Nev. Sean McNeil G 6-3 205 Sr. Union, Ky. Seny N’diaye F 6-10 245 So. Dakar, Senegal Taj Thweatt F 6-7 210 So. Wildwood, N.J. James Okonkwo F 6-8 230 Fr. Maidenhead, England Seth Wilson G 6-1 215 Fr. Lorain, Ohio

Previous School Temple College DePaul Canton McKinley HS Southwest Christian Academy (Ark.)

Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.)

Florida International Old Dominion Fairmont Senior HS Collin College Huntington Prep (W.Va.) Sinclair CC Huntington Prep (W.Va.) Wildwood Catholic HS Beckley Prep IJN (W.Va.) Lorain HS

Head Coach: Bob Huggins Associate Head Coach: Larry Harrison Assistant Coaches: Ron Everhart, Erik Martin

ESPN’s line

ESPN’s line

Temple returns to the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic for the fourth time, having won the championship during their last appearance in 2017. The Owls return their top four scorers from last season.

Coach Bob Huggins will have an opportunity to become the third winningest coach in D1 men’s basketball history at the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic.

He starts the year at 900 wins, just two shy of Bob Knight at 902 and three short of Roy Williams at 903. The Mountaineers are coming off of an NCAA Tournament *All roster information up to date as of time of publication. appearance last season.

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13

HOME COURT

CofC’s Kelsey looks to inspire team, community

By Lewis Kendall fter a whirlwind last six months that saw Pat Kelsey accept the position of head men’s basketball coach at College of Charleston, move his family from Rock Hill to the Holy City, and recruit nearly a dozen players to fill out the Cougars’ squad, he is happy to take things one small step at a time.

With the regular season looming on the horizon, Kelsey is finding joy in the little things.

“The goal for us every year is to win championships. But we do that by being excellent today, in the next repetition of the next drill,” he said in a recent telephone interview.

“That’s how we roll.”

In March, Kelsey, 46, was named to head the college’s basketball program, following in the footsteps of Earl Grant, who left to coach at Boston College. Kelsey, a Cincinnati native, comes with a weighty resume: The fifth all-time winningest coach in the history of the Big South Conference, he averaged nearly 21 wins a season over the last nine years with an up-tempo Winthrop University team, including three conference titles.

College Hoops Tip-Off 11.10.2021

A proven winner

14

“Pat Kelsey has been a winner wherever he’s been,” said Debbie Antonelli, a longtime ESPN analyst and Mount Pleasant resident. “He’s high-energy, he’s an engaging guy and you will recognize that with his teams.”

But before he can get into the X’s and O’s, Kelsey wants to talk team culture. He spent much of his formative coaching years as an assistant at Wake Forest under the late Skip Prosser, a man who built winning groups through unanimous buy-in for a fast-paced offensive style, and with a little help from Nietzsche quotes and mascots riding Harleys to hype fans on game days.

“I owe everything I am today as a professional to him,” Kelsey said of his mentor.

Historically, Kelsey’s teams have emulated much of what made Prosser’s great: a similar speedy playstyle with an emphasis on team defense. When he took the reins this spring, the College of Charleston only had three returning players, so Kelsey and his staff set out on a recruiting spree.

They brought in 11 new faces, vetting them through a process he describes as “peeling back the onion.”

“They have to be a fit for our culture and for our basketball system,” Kelsey said. “We spend a lot of time, not just

“

We want to make Charleston basketball Charleston’s team.

We want the city to adopt and buy into what we’re building there.”

—CofC Men’s Basketball Head Coach Pat Kelsey

identifying the best players, but the right players.”

Among those players is Charles Lampten, a 6-foot-11 junior college All-American that Kelsey calls a “naturalborn shot blocker.” Kelsey and his staff also brought in guard Dalton Bolon, who averaged almost 22 points per game at the Division II level last year.

A look at the new season

Although his team is not among this year’s field, Kelsey said he was looking forward to the upcoming Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic the weekend of Nov. 18, calling it “a great showcase of our city.”

“People get to see what we’re all about,” Kelsey said. “So many people that have been a part of that tournament, they’re blown away.”

The Cougars have a pair of closed-door scrimmages over the next few weeks before their opening game against South Carolina State at TD Arena on Nov. 11. The following week features a big early-season test against a University of North Carolina team ranked 19th in the Associated Press preseason poll.

But Kelsey said he doesn’t view games against ranked opponents like UNC any differently than he will the scrimmages.

“The opponent that’s right in front of us gets the same level of intensity of preparation as the one coming up after,” he said. “Our mentality is to prepare at an elite level every single day. When you prepare that way and train that way, you’re prepared when your name is called and the lights are the brightest.”

Part of that is every member of the team and staff, many of whom have been with him for the past nine years at Winthrop, owning what he likes to call their “20 square feet,” in other words, understanding individual importance to the collective.

“No one’s role is any more or less important than anyone else,” he said. “Our brand, what we’re about, how we work, how we roll, how we train, how we expect our guys to carry themselves off the floor, those are the cultural pieces of our program that are more important than anything.”

Having the opportunity to build something in a place like Charleston just makes it sweeter, he added.

“We want to make Charleston basketball Charleston’s team. We want the city to adopt and buy into what we’re building there,” Kelsey said.

“We’re going to work our tails off to create an elite basketball team here in the Holy City — our city.”

Coach Pat Kelsey is fired up about his first season at the College of Charleston.

Courtesy CofC Athletics

The Cougers’ new season The College of Charleston Cougers welcome 12 teams into their den at TD Arena during a 2021-22 basketball season that features 31 regular season games. In addition to a highly anticipated clash with North Carolina on Nov. 16, the Cougars will play Tulane (Nov. 30) and Presbyterian (Dec. 12) in non-conference action.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS Title Sponsor

This year’s squad also launches the era of new Coach Pat Kelsey, who joins the school after a winning program at Winthrop. Games in the Colonial Athletic Association open at home Dec. 29 against Drexel.

2021-2022 Men’s Basketball Schedule TIME

HOME/AWAY OPPONENT

LOCATION

Nov. 11, 2021

7 p.m.

Home

South Carolina State TD Arena

Nov. 12, 2021

7:30 p.m.

Home

Lipscomb

TD Arena

Nov. 13, 2021

5 p.m.

Home

Loyola (Maryland)

TD Arena

Nov. 16, 2021

8:30 p.m.

Home

North Carolina

TD Arena

Nov. 22, 2021

7 p.m.

Away

Oklahoma State

Stillwater, Okla.

Nov. 27, 2021

4 p.m.

Away

Chattanooga

Chattanooga, Tenn.

Nov. 30, 2021

7:30 p.m.

Home

Tulane

TD Arena

Dec. 3, 2021

TBA

Away

Furman

Greenville, S.C.

Dec. 7, 2021

7 p.m.

Away

Tulane

New Orleans, La.

Dec. 12, 2021

2 p.m.

Home

Presbyterian

TD Arena

Dec. 16, 2021

7 p.m.

Away

Stetson

DeLand, Fla.

Dec. 19, 2021

2 p.m.

Neutral

Rhode Island

Washington, D.C.

Dec. 22, 2021

7 p.m.

Away

Old Dominion

Norfolk, Va.

Dec. 29, 2021

6 p.m.

Home

Drexel

TD Arena

Dec. 31, 2021

2 p.m.

Home

Delaware

TD Arena

Jan. 3, 2022

7 p.m.

Away

Northeastern

Boston, Mass.

Jan. 5, 2022

7 p.m.

Away

Hofstra

Hempstead, N.Y.

Jan. 9, 2022

4 p.m.

Home

Elon

TD Arena

Jan. 11, 2022

7 p.m.

Home

William & Mary

TD Arena

Jan. 17, 2022

7 p.m.

Home

UNCW

TD Arena

Jan. 20, 2022

7 p.m.

Away

Towson

Towson, Md.

Jan. 22, 2022

4 p.m.

Away

James Madison

Harrisonburg, Va.

Jan. 27, 2022

7 p.m.

Home

Hofstra

TD Arena

Jan. 29, 2022

4 p.m.

Home

Northeastern

TD Arena

Feb. 3, 2022

7 p.m.

Away

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Va.

Feb. 5, 2022

4 p.m.

Away

Elon

Elon, N.C.

Feb. 12, 2022

7 p.m.

Away

UNCW

Wilmington, N.C.

Feb. 17, 2022

7 p.m.

Home

James Madison

TD Arena

Feb. 19, 2022

4 p.m.

Home

Towson

TD Arena

Feb. 24, 2022

7 p.m.

Away

Delaware

Newark, Del.

Feb. 26, 2022

4 p.m.

Away

Drexel

Philadelphia, Pa.

For tickets and other information, visit CofCSports.com/sports/mens-basketball.

Major Sponsors

Additional Sponsors

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DATE

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