CHARLESTON, S.C. - After launching its season with a 3-1 start, Charleston Basketball hits the road for the first time in the Pat Kelsey era. CofC heads to Stillwater to take on Oklahoma State on Monday night. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Fans can also listen live on the Charleston Sports Radio Network (94.7 FM & 910 AM).

 
STORYLINES

• Charleston Basketball is off to its third 3-1 start in the last four seasons after securing a trio of victories at the Rising Coaches Classic and suffering its first loss of the campaign to No. 18 UNC. 
• Head coach Pat Kelsey ushered in a new era in style with the three-straight season-opening wins. Over his last 34 games, he is 30-4 as head coach. Kelsey, the 25th all-time head coach to lead CofC, sits just 11 victories shy of 200 in his career. 
• Charleston hits the road for its first away game of the season when the Cougars face Oklahoma State in Stillwater. CofC is 32-22 on the road since 2016-17. CofC is 3-2 in its last five true road openers. 
• The Cougars are 1-3 all-time against Oklahoma State as they face the Cowboys for the third time in the last four years. CofC's lone win in the series came in 2002 in Anchorage, Alaska (66-58). The Cowboys won in 2018 and 2019, 70-58 and 73-54, respectively.
• CofC is seeking a true road win over a Big 12 opponent for the first time since the Cougars downed No. 21 Baylor in Waco on Nov. 24, 2012. 
• Charleston is coming off a tough loss at home to No. 18 North Carolina, a game in which the Cougars led for 22:53 of gameclock and led by as many as 11. CofC won the turnover battle and hit a season-high 11 triples, but UNC's length proved to be too much down the stretch.
• Kelsey and company have rejuvenated the CofC fan base and the attendance numbers have been staggering. The Cougars saw 5,203 fans attend the UNC game, the second-highest attendance in program history. More than 4,000 fans have come to all four games thus far this season, so the Cougars head to Stillwater having played in front of a raucous environment since the campaign tipped off on Nov. 11. 
• The College of Charleston is leading the nation in possessions per game with 85.7 per contests. The Cougars rank 29th nationally and lead the CAA in scoring (88.5 PPG). CofC also leads the CAA in rebounding with 48.0 RPG, anchored by 16.75 offensive boards per game, which ranks 11th nationally. 
• Kelsey played at least 11 players in all four games with six Cougars averaging at least 8.8 PPG led by John Meeks (15.0 PPG) and Brenden Tucker (15.0 PPG). Tucker shot a blistering 63.2 percent from 3-point range over the four opening games.

SETTING THE PACE

• Head coach Pat Kelsey is implementing a fresh style of play for Charleston Basketball fans, a style defined by pace, tenacity and relentless effort. Kelsey's squad at Winthrop ranked in the Top 15-percentile in pace nationally. He's even cranked it up a notch in the Holy City. CofC leads the entire country in KenPom's adjusted tempo metric (possessions per 40 mins. adjusted by opponent) with 77.6. 
• Charleston also leads the nation in total possessions per game with 85.7. That is a stark jump from last season, in which the Cougars averaged just 67.1 possessions per game. 
• The pace is paying dividends as the Cougars are scoring to the tune of 88.5 points per game. That is on pace to set a school record. The Cougars have only averaged north of 80.0 PPG in a season three times  - 1972-73 (87.3), 1969-70 (82.8) and 1974-75 (81.0).
• Kelsey's Winthrop team that went 23-2 a season ago ranked 31st nationally and led the Big South in scoring at 78.9 points per game, compared to CofC's 70.6 PPG clip a season ago (190th nationally).  The Cougars rank in the nation's Top-30 in scoring currently.
• To play at such a frenetic pace, Kelsey is known to play "deep". During his 2020-21 run to the Big Dance, Kelsey had 11 players averaging at least 11.0 minutes per game, seven players averaging at least 15.7 minutes and just one averaging north of 30 minutes per game. This season, 10 Cougars are averaging at least 10+ minutes per game with nine playing +16.8 minutes per outing.   

THESE FRESHMEN ARE FOR REAL

• All four of CofC's freshmen cracked the rotation during the first four games of the season and all four bring a unique skill set. They have not been afraid of the moment and proved that against No. 18 North Carolina, scoring a combined 45 points against the Tar Heels, which made up 54.2 percent of CofC's scoring in that battle.
• Freshmen Reyne Smith, an Australia native, who has spent years playing international competition at the highest level, has been stellar early in his career. He was named CAA Rookie of the Week after the first week of his college career. He tossed in 9.0 PPG, reaching double figures twice in his first three career games. Smith buried six triples and added 2.7 rebounds per game from the guard position. 
• Smith kept that going against UNC, piling in a career-high 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc. He hit his first three attempts from deep to give CofC an 11-point first-half lead. 
• Smith and fellow international star Babacar Faye, who comes to CofC from Senegal, have started all four games this season. Faye is averaging 6.0 PPG and 3.3 RPG, shooting 60 percent from the field. He has limitless potential and makes jaw-dropping plays with his athleticism. Faye had two monstrous dunks against UNC, including an alley-oop lob on the first play of the game.
• Fort Mill, S.C. native Ben Burnham is a 6-7 stretch four who presents a nightmare matchup for opponents with his combo of size and speed. Burnham can score at all three levels, and proved it with a pair of triple doubles in high school. Burnham erupted for a career-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting against UNC after growing up a lifelong Tar Heels fan. Burnham is just the fifth Cougar since the beginning of the 2018-19 season to shoot 70 percent from the field in a game while taking at least 10 field goal attempts. 
• Over his first four games, Burnham is averaging 9.8 PPG and 1.8 RPG, making 15-of-27 FGs. He's scored in every game off the bench this season and is seeking three straight games in double figures.
• Prior to the year, Kelsey started the Gold Jersey tradition, which allows the player who shined in a variety of areas during practice, making all the right plays and giving energy, etc. Freshman Raekwon Horton wore that jersey for much of the preseason, providing a relentless effort on the glass and on defense. Horton was a McDonald's All-American nominee in 2020 and averaging 22 points and 9.5 rebounds as a high school senior. He appeared in all four games to open the season, snagging a career-high five boards vs. SC State. 

 
UP NEXT

• Charleston continues a two-game road swing when the Cougars head to Chattanooga on Saturday, November 27. 
• Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET at McKenzie Arena.