College Basketball · CAA · 2026-27
Charleston Cougars
Preseason · Coach John Groce (new)
Preseason Power Rankings
#115▼7
Who is best right now.
+6.4points per 100 possessions vs an average D-I team
Last week: +6.4 (#108)
Full Power Rankings → Compare to another teamRating breakdown
Adjusted for every opponent and home court. Power = offense minus defense.
Projected record
22-9
- Conference record
- 13-5
- Conference title
- 60%
- Outright title
- 43%
- Luck
- 0.0
Actual results so far plus the rest of the seasonplayed out 10,000 times with the win chance for each game (non-Division I opponents count as 97% wins). The title is the regular-season crown; conference tournaments aren't included. Later rounds of holiday tournaments are added once the opponent is known.
Why #108 in the preseason
What the computer saw going in
- →Last season: #172 in the country (-0.7), 21-11.
- →15% of last season's minutes are back.
- →8 transfers in, led by Tavari Johnson (Akron, 19.7 ppg), Ben Bradford (Charlotte, 13.5 ppg), Xavier Abreu (Northeastern, 12.6 ppg). Transfers moving up a level are counted cautiously.
- →1 ranked freshman: Kobe Edwards (#209).
- →Lost Connor Hickman (10.7 ppg), Jlynn Counter (15.7 ppg), Colby Duggan (9.3 ppg, now at Boston College).
- →New head coach: John Groce, replacing Chris Mack. A coaching change usually costs a little in year one; his teams have finished 2.2 points above expectations, which counts a little.
Teams like Charleston
The closest matches across all 365 Division I teams, based on the current ratings.
This season
Everyone who has played, most minutes first: per-game numbers from the box scores, updated after every game.
| Player | G · GS | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tavari JohnsonG · Senior · #38 ranked | 2 · 2 | 21.5 | 12.0 | 1.0 | 4.5 | 47.4 (9-19) | 45.5 (5-11) | 50.0 (1-2) |
| Max GreenG · Junior · #1268 ranked | 2 · 2 | 21.5 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 41.7 (5-12) | 33.3 (2-6) | 100.0 (2-2) |
| Eli EllisG · Sophomore · #1080 ranked | 2 · 2 | 19.0 | 15.5 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 72.2 (13-18) | 62.5 (5-8) | — (0-0) |
| Braden PierceC · Sophomore · #1408 ranked | 2 · 2 | 17.5 | 9.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 50.0 (9-18) | 0.0 (0-1) | 0.0 (0-2) |
| Xavier AbreuG · Sophomore · #1569 ranked | 2 · 0 | 16.0 | 10.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 66.7 (10-15) | 0.0 (0-4) | — (0-0) |
| JaShawn LaddG · Freshman | 2 · 0 | 15.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 30.0 (3-10) | 0.0 (0-5) | 100.0 (2-2) |
| Ben BradfordG · Junior · #984 ranked | 2 · 2 | 14.5 | 13.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 56.2 (9-16) | 33.3 (3-9) | 71.4 (5-7) |
| Kobe EdwardsG · Freshman · #3055 ranked | 2 · 0 | 14.5 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 85.7 (6-7) | 0.0 (0-1) | 33.3 (1-3) |
| Martin KaluG · Sophomore · #1661 ranked | 2 · 0 | 13.5 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 50.0 (5-10) | 25.0 (1-4) | 100.0 (4-4) |
| Trey ScottF · Sophomore · #2740 ranked | 2 · 0 | 11.5 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 66.7 (4-6) | 33.3 (1-3) | — (0-0) |
| Nicolo VirginioF · Junior | 2 · 0 | 11.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 42.9 (3-7) | 33.3 (1-3) | — (0-0) |
| Will MortimoreF · Sophomore · #1821 ranked | 2 · 0 | 10.0 | 6.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 100.0 (5-5) | — (0-0) | 100.0 (3-3) |
| Djordje CurcicG · Senior · #2648 ranked | 2 · 0 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 50.0 (4-8) | 20.0 (1-5) | — (0-0) |
| Conner GroceG · Sophomore · #2044 ranked | 2 · 0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 87.5 (7-8) | 66.7 (2-3) | — (0-0) |
| AJ FowlerG · Sophomore · #2921 ranked | 1 · 0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 (0-1) | 0.0 (0-1) | — (0-0) |
Projected rotation
The preseason model's minutes projection for each player with a track record (college stats or a recruiting rank), most minutes first. Players without one aren't projected here; This season above lists everyone who has played.
| Player | How he got here | Proj. min | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tavari JohnsonG · Senior |  Transfer from Akron | 31 | 19.7 pts · 2.9 reb · 5 ast |
| Martin KaluG · Sophomore |  Returning | 25 | 8.9 pts · 4.2 reb · 0.8 ast |
| Eli EllisG · Sophomore |  Transfer from South Carolina | 23 | 8.6 pts · 2.8 reb · 1.9 ast |
| Ben BradfordG · Junior |  Transfer from Charlotte | 22 | 13.5 pts · 3.8 reb · 1.6 ast |
| Xavier AbreuG · Sophomore |  Transfer from Northeastern | 18 | 12.6 pts · 2.7 reb · 1 ast |
| Max GreenG · Junior |  Transfer from Northwestern | 17 | 4.3 pts · 1.8 reb · 1 ast |
| Trey ScottF · Sophomore |  Transfer from Georgia State | 16 | 5.3 pts · 3.4 reb · 0.7 ast |
| Braden PierceC · Sophomore |  Transfer from Villanova | 15 | 1.2 pts · 0.9 reb · 0.5 ast |
| Conner GroceG · Sophomore | Transfer from Akron | 12 | 0.8 pts · 0.1 reb · 0.1 ast |
| Kobe EdwardsG · Freshman | Freshman · #209 recruit | 8 | — |
| Djordje CurcicG · Senior | Returning | 6 | 0.3 pts · 0.3 reb · 0.4 ast |
| Will MortimoreF · Sophomore | Returning | 6 | 2.6 pts · 2.1 reb · 0 ast |
| AJ FowlerG · Sophomore | Returning | 5 | 0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast |
Gone from last season: Connor Hickman (10.7 ppg), Jlynn Counter (15.7 ppg), Colby Duggan (9.3 ppg, to 
Boston College), Christian Reeves (11.1 ppg, to 
Kansas), Chol Machot (8.9 ppg, to 
Georgetown), Chris Davis Jr. (7.6 ppg, to 
South Florida)
Roster
Everyone on this season's roster, with this season's numbers for anyone who has played. Names link to player pages, ranked players first.
| # | Player | How he got here | Pos | Class | Ht / Wt | Hometown | This season | Last season | Rank · Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Tavari Johnson | Transfer from Akron | G | Senior | 6-0 · 180 | La Grange Park, IL | 12.0 pts · 1.0 reb · 4.5 ast (2 G) | 19.7 pts · 2.9 reb · 5.0 ast (35 G) | #38 · +2.29 |
| 3 | Ben Bradford | Transfer from Charlotte | G | Junior | 6-5 · 200 | Gaithersburg, MD | 13.0 pts · 1.5 reb · 2.0 ast (2 G) | 13.5 pts · 3.8 reb · 1.6 ast (34 G) | #984 · +0.39 |
| 15 | Eli Ellis | Transfer from South Carolina | G | Sophomore | 6-0 · 195 | Hickory, NC | 15.5 pts · 4.5 reb · 2.0 ast (2 G) | 8.6 pts · 2.8 reb · 1.9 ast (28 G) | #1080 · +0.33 |
| 10 | Max Green | Transfer from Northwestern | G | Junior | 6-7 · 190 | La Grange, KY | 7.0 pts · 5.0 reb · 1.5 ast (2 G) | 4.3 pts · 1.8 reb · 1.0 ast (23 G) | #1268 · +0.22 |
| 11 | Braden Pierce | Transfer from Villanova | C | Sophomore | 7-0 · 245 | Woodstock, GA | 9.0 pts · 6.0 reb · 3.0 ast (2 G) | 1.2 pts · 0.9 reb · 0.5 ast (30 G) | #1408 · +0.14 |
| 0 | Xavier Abreu | Transfer from Northeastern | G | Sophomore | 6-4 · 180 | Lynn, MA | 10.0 pts · 2.0 reb · 2.0 ast (2 G) | 12.6 pts · 2.7 reb · 1.0 ast (29 G) | #1569 · +0.06 |
| 5 | Martin Kalu | Returning | G | Sophomore | 6-6 · 210 | Quakenbrueck, Germany | 7.5 pts · 5.5 reb · 1.0 ast (2 G) | 8.9 pts · 4.2 reb · 0.8 ast (32 G) | #1661 · +0.03 |
| 23 | Will Mortimore | Returning | F | Sophomore | 6-10 · 220 | Maitland, NSW | 6.5 pts · 1.5 reb · 0.0 ast (2 G) | 2.6 pts · 2.1 reb · 0.0 ast (7 G) | #1821 · -0.05 |
| 1 | Conner Groce | Transfer from Akron | G | Sophomore | 6-1 · 170 | Champaign, IL | 8.0 pts · 1.5 reb · 0.5 ast (2 G) | 0.8 pts · 0.1 reb · 0.1 ast (13 G) | #2044 · -0.13 |
| 4 | Djordje Curcic | Returning | G | Senior | 6-3 · 190 | Cacak, Serbia | 4.5 pts · 0.5 reb · 1.0 ast (2 G) | 0.3 pts · 0.3 reb · 0.4 ast (9 G) | #2648 · -0.35 |
| 9 | Trey Scott | Transfer from Georgia State | F | Sophomore | 6-11 · 225 | Atlanta, GA | 4.5 pts · 2.5 reb · 1.0 ast (2 G) | 5.3 pts · 3.4 reb · 0.7 ast (26 G) | #2740 · -0.39 |
| 7 | AJ Fowler | Returning | G | Sophomore | 6-5 · 160 | Fayetteville, AR | 0.0 pts · 0.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | 0.0 pts · 0.0 reb · 0.0 ast (3 G) | #2921 · -0.46 |
| 2 | Kobe Edwards | Freshman | G | Freshman | 6-2 | Wilson, NC | 6.5 pts · 3.5 reb · 3.0 ast (2 G) | — | #3055 · -0.52 |
| 24 | JaShawn Ladd | Freshman | G | Freshman | 6-4 | Indianapolis, IN | 4.0 pts · 3.5 reb · 2.0 ast (2 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
| 18 | Nicolo Virginio | New to Division I | F | Junior | 6-9 · 220 | Varese, Italy | 3.5 pts · 3.5 reb · 1.0 ast (2 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
Schedule
Projected scores and win chances come from the current ratings and update every morning.
| Nov 2 | vsSouthern Wesleyan(non-D1) | W111-55Box score → |
| Nov 6 | vsNewberry(non-D1) | W112-66Box score → |
| Still to play · computer projections | ||
| Nov 11 |  atTemple | Projected 73-74COFC: 48% to winCharleston: 48% to win Compare |
| Nov 15 |  vsSouth Carolina State | Projected 87-64COFC: 98% to winCharleston: 98% to win Compare |
| Nov 19 |  atDrake | Projected 77-76COFC: 53% to winCharleston: 53% to win Compare |
| Nov 24 |  vs (N)UTEPCancun Challenge - Riviera Division | Projected 78-70COFC: 76% to winCharleston: 76% to win Compare |
| Nov 25 | Cancun Challenge - Riviera DivisionChampionship or placement game | Opponent TBD |
| Nov 29 |  vsHoward | Projected 80-73COFC: 72% to winCharleston: 72% to win Compare |
| Dec 2 | atCharlotte | Projected 74-75COFC: 45% to winCharleston: 45% to win Compare |
| Dec 6 |  vsDavidson | Projected 75-72COFC: 59% to winCharleston: 59% to win Compare |
| Dec 9 | vsVoorhees(non-D1) | Upcoming |
| Dec 14 |  atBelmont | Projected 74-78COFC: 37% to winCharleston: 37% to win Compare |
| Dec 18 |  vsNorthern ColoradoCancun Challenge - Campus Game | Projected 82-72COFC: 81% to winCharleston: 81% to win Compare |
| Dec 22 | vsSouth Florida | Projected 77-83COFC: 33% to winCharleston: 33% to win Compare |
| Dec 31 | vsNortheasternConference | Projected 88-73COFC: 90% to winCharleston: 90% to win Compare |
| Jan 2 |  vsNorth Carolina A&TConference | Projected 85-67COFC: 94% to winCharleston: 94% to win Compare |
| Jan 7 |  atDrexelConference | Projected 77-69COFC: 74% to winCharleston: 74% to win Compare |
| Jan 9 |  atMonmouthConference | Projected 75-74COFC: 56% to winCharleston: 56% to win Compare |
| Jan 14 |  vsCampbellConference | Projected 84-69COFC: 91% to winCharleston: 91% to win Compare |
| Jan 16 | atNorth Carolina A&TConference | Projected 81-70COFC: 84% to winCharleston: 84% to win Compare |
| Jan 18 |  vsTowsonConference | Projected 77-67COFC: 82% to winCharleston: 82% to win Compare |
| Jan 23 |  vsElonConference | Projected 80-71COFC: 79% to winCharleston: 79% to win Compare |
| Jan 28 |  atUNC WilmingtonConference | Projected 74-76COFC: 46% to winCharleston: 46% to win Compare |
| Jan 30 |  vsHofstraConference | Projected 76-68COFC: 75% to winCharleston: 75% to win Compare |
| Feb 4 |  atHamptonConference | Projected 75-69COFC: 69% to winCharleston: 69% to win Compare |
| Feb 6 |  atWilliam & MaryConference | Projected 80-77COFC: 58% to winCharleston: 58% to win Compare |
| Feb 11 |  vsStony BrookConference | Projected 80-69COFC: 81% to winCharleston: 81% to win Compare |
| Feb 18 | atHofstraConference | Projected 73-71COFC: 56% to winCharleston: 56% to win Compare |
| Feb 20 | atNortheasternConference | Projected 84-76COFC: 77% to winCharleston: 77% to win Compare |
| Feb 25 | vsHamptonConference | Projected 78-66COFC: 85% to winCharleston: 85% to win Compare |
| Feb 28 | vsUNC WilmingtonConference | Projected 77-72COFC: 67% to winCharleston: 67% to win Compare |
| Mar 2 | atCampbellConference | Projected 81-72COFC: 78% to winCharleston: 78% to win Compare |
CAA standings
| # | Team | Conf | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2 | UNC Wilmington | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 3 | William & Mary | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| 4 | Elon | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 5 | Hofstra | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 6 | Stony Brook | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 7 | Drexel | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 8 | North Carolina A&T | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 9 | Monmouth | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| 10 | Towson | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| 11 | Hampton | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| 12 | Northeastern | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| 13 | Campbell | 0-0 | 0-1 |
No games yet: Power Rankings order until the season tips off.
All conference standings →