The College of Charleston has sponsored a men’s basketball team since 1898. They have been NCAA Division I since 1991. The Cougars have appeared in the NCAA tournament seven times. The team made four trips to the NCAA Tournament (1994, 1997, 1998 and 1999) under the leadership of former head coach John Kresse. The Cougars returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 under Earl Grant, and in back-to-back years under Pat Kelsey, 2023 and 2024. The Cougars reached the NCAA tournament, with a record of 1–4, beating Maryland in the opening round in 1997. In 1995 and 1996, the Cougars made the NIT. The program’s biggest regular season win in school history was over then-No. 3 North Carolina on the road on December 6, 1998. In 2012, ESPN ranked Charleston as the 73rd best college basketball program in the previous 50 years, which was the highest ranking of all Division I teams in the state of South Carolina.