The Atlantic Sun Conference's, formerly the Trans America Athletic Conference, weeklong celebration of its 30 Shining Moments includes the College of Charleston's 1996-97 record-setting men's basketball season. The Cougars' 29-3 season ranks fifth on the league's Top 30 Shining Moments list.
In Charleston's five years in the conference, no team dominated men's basketball like the Cougars. From 1993 to 1998, the Cougars won 74 of their 80 league games and did not lose once in the conference tournament. Head coach John Kresse won three Coach of the Year awards and coached four Player of the Year recipients.
In 1993-94, their first year in the league, the Cougars went 24-4 with a 14-2 mark in league play. Although ineligible for the conference tournament, the Cougars earned the first, and currently only, at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in league history. In the next two years, College of the Charleston made trips to the NIT and in 1996 defeated Tennessee, 55-49 in the first round.
In 1996, the Cougars suffered only two regular-season losses. One came at the hands of defending champion and eventual runner-up Kentucky in their third game of the year with the other coming against Oklahoma State in mid-December.
Over the next three months, College of Charleston won 22 straight, 17 of which were by double digits. The Cougars ran through conference play undefeated (16-0), the first conference team since Northeast Louisiana (6-0 in 1979-80) with an unblemished league record. Despite a 28-2 record and a No. 16 ranking, the Cougars received only a No. 12 seed in the Southeast Region. They took on Maryland, the fifth seed, a team that entered the game ranked lower (No. 22) than College of Charleston.
The score stood tied at 33-all at the half but a 10-0 run early in the second half gave the Cougars a lead they would not relinquish in their 75-66 win in Memphis. Future NBA player Anthony Johnson handed out nine assists against only one turnover and Thaddeous Delaney scored 12 points with 11 rebounds and six blocked shots.
Two days later, they took on the eventual champion, Arizona and held a 34-33 lead at halftime before succumbing to the Wildcats, 73-69. At 29-3, the Cougars finished with the second-fewest losses in the country (Kansas, 34-2).
Interview with 1996 Player of the Year CofC's Thaddeous Delaney (Shaq of the TAAC):
http://www.atlanticsun.org/media/2008-09/audio/ASun30_Moment5_Delaney.MP3
