1996–97 Charleston Cougars men's basketball team
The 1996–97 College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball team represented the College of Charleston in the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by 18th-year head coach John Kresse, played their home games at F. Mitchell Johnson Arena in Charleston, South Carolina as members of the Trans America Athletic Conference.
1996–97 College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball | |
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TAAC Regular Season champion TAAC tournament champion | |
NCAA tournament, second round | |
Conference | Trans America Athletic Conference |
East Division | |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 21 |
AP | No. 16 |
Record | 29–3 (16–0 TAAC) |
Head coach |
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Home arena | John Kresse Arena |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 16 College of Charleston† | 16 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 29 | – | 3 | .906 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida International | 12 | – | 4 | .750 | 16 | – | 13 | .552 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida Atlantic | 11 | – | 5 | .688 | 16 | – | 11 | .593 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Campbell | 8 | – | 8 | .500 | 11 | – | 16 | .407 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stetson | 5 | – | 11 | .313 | 9 | – | 18 | .333 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Florida | 4 | – | 12 | .250 | 7 | – | 19 | .269 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Samford | 11 | – | 5 | .688 | 19 | – | 9 | .679 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jacksonville State | 9 | – | 7 | .563 | 10 | – | 17 | .370 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southeastern Louisiana | 7 | – | 9 | .438 | 10 | – | 18 | .357 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgia State | 6 | – | 10 | .375 | 10 | – | 17 | .370 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Centenary | 6 | – | 10 | .375 | 9 | – | 18 | .333 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mercer | 1 | – | 15 | .063 | 3 | – | 23 | .115 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† 1997 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll[1] |
After finishing the regular season conference schedule unbeaten (16–0), the Cougars would also win the 1997 TAAC tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 12 seed in the Southeast region. College of Charleston beat No. 5 seed Maryland[2] in the opening round before falling to eventual National champion Arizona in the second round, 73–69.[3] The team set a school record for wins in a season and finished with an overall record of 29–3 as well as a No. 16 ranking in the season’s final AP poll.
The Charleston senior class finished with a four-year record of 101–17.
Roster
1996–97 College of Charleston Cougars men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule and results
Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state | ||||||
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Regular season | |||||||||||
Nov 22, 1996* |
at Charleston Southern | W 81–68 | 1–0 |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,068) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Nov 27, 1996* |
vs. Arizona State Great Alaska Shootout |
W 77–68 | 2–0 |
Sullivan Arena (8,285) Anchorage Alaska | |||||||
Nov 29, 1996* |
vs. No. 21 Stanford Great Alaska Shootout |
W 82–78 | 3–0 |
Sullivan Arena (8,285) Anchorage Alaska | |||||||
Nov 30, 1996* |
vs. No. 8 Kentucky Great Alaska Shootout |
L 65–92 | 3–1 |
Sullivan Arena (8,285) Anchorage Alaska | |||||||
Dec 7, 1996* |
The Citadel | W 68–63 | 4–1 |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,622) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Dec 14, 1996 |
Presbyterian | W 62–56 | 5–1 |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (2,741) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Dec 16, 1996 |
Elon | W 68–59 | 6–1 (2–0) |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (2,432) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Dec 18, 1996* |
at Oklahoma State | L 49–67 | 6–2 |
Gallagher-Iba Arena (5,821) Stillwater, Oklahoma | |||||||
Dec 28, 1996* |
Drexel | W 75–65 | 7–2 |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,722) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Dec 29, 1996* |
Northern Illinois | W 71–67 OT | 8–2 |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (2,561) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Jan 2, 1997 |
at Mercer | W 88–64 | 9–2 (1–0) |
Porter Gym (683) Macon, Georgia | |||||||
Jan 4, 1997 |
at Georgia State | W 88–63 | 10–2 (2–0) |
GSU Sports Arena (1,245) Statesboro, Georgia | |||||||
Jan 9, 1997 |
Jacksonville State | W 90–74 | 11–2 (3–0) |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,482) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Jan 11, 1997 |
at Samford | W 79–59 | 12–2 (4–0) |
Seibert Hall (3,588) Birmingham, Alabama | |||||||
Jan 13, 1997* |
at Wofford | W 88–64 | 13–2 |
Benjamin Johnson Arena (2,422) Spartanburg, South Carolina | |||||||
Jan 16, 1997 |
Florida Atlantic | W 72–64 | 14–2 (5–0) |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,617) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Jan 18, 1997 |
Florida International | W 78–75 | 15–2 (6–0) |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,692) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Jan 23, 1997 |
Campbell | W 77–52 | 16–2 (7–0) |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,347) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Jan 30, 1997 |
at Central Florida | W 87–63 | 17–2 (8–0) |
UCF Arena (1,345) Orlando, Florida | |||||||
Feb 1, 1997 |
at Stetson | W 77–56 | 18–2 (9–0) |
Edmunds Center (3,307) DeLand, Florida | |||||||
Feb 3, 1997 |
at Campbell | W 97–58 | 19–2 (10–0) |
Carter Gymnasium (788) Buies Creek, North Carolina | |||||||
Feb 6, 1997 |
Central Florida | W 90–61 | 20–2 (11–0) |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,419) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Feb 8, 1997 |
Stetson | W 62–44 | 21–2 (12–0) |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,607) Charleston, South Carolina | |||||||
Feb 13, 1997 |
No. 25 | at Florida International | W 85–81 | 22–2 (13–0) |
Golden Panther Arena (1,273) Miami, Florida | ||||||
Feb 15, 1997 |
No. 25 | at Florida Atlantic | W 64–60 | 23–2 (14–0) |
FAU Arena (2,124) Boca Raton, Florida | ||||||
Feb 20, 1997 |
No. 22 | Southeastern Louisiana | W 81–68 | 24–2 (15–0) |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,688) Charleston, South Carolina | ||||||
Feb 22, 1997 |
No. 22 | Centenary | W 94–73 | 25–2 (16–0) |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,734) Charleston, South Carolina | ||||||
TAAC tournament | |||||||||||
Feb 27, 1997* |
(1) No. 20 | Centenary Quarterfinals |
W 89–71 | 26–2 |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,255) Charleston, South Carolina | ||||||
Feb 28, 1997* |
(1) No. 20 | Southeastern Louisiana Semifinals |
W 93–63 | 27–2 |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,480) Charleston, South Carolina | ||||||
Mar 1, 1997* |
(1) No. 20 | Florida International Championship Game |
W 83–73 | 28–2 |
F. Mitchell Johnson Arena (3,525) Charleston, South Carolina | ||||||
NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
Mar 13, 1997* |
(12 SE) No. 16 | vs. (5 SE) No. 22 Maryland First Round |
W 75–66[2] | 29–2 |
Pyramid Arena (9,000) Memphis, Tennessee | ||||||
Mar 15, 1997* |
(12 SE) No. 16 | vs. (4 SE) No. 15 Arizona Second Round |
L 69–73[3][4] | 29–3 |
Pyramid Arena (11,815) Memphis, Tennessee | ||||||
Rankings
Awards and honors
- Anthony Johnson – TAAC Player of the Year
- John Kresse – TAAC Coach of the Year
References
- sports-reference.com 1996-97 Trans America Athletic Conference Season Summary
- "College of Charleston Makes Case for Respect". The New York Times. March 14, 1997. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- "Arizona Uses Every Trick in Its Bag to Oust Charleston". The New York Times. March 16, 1997. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- "Arizona Ends Charleston's Dream". The Los Angeles Times. March 16, 1997. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- "1996-97 Men's Basketball Schedule". College of Charleston Athletics. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- "College of Charleston 1996-1997 stats" (PDF). NCAA Career Statistics.
- "1997 NBA Draft". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 12, 2021.