ORLANDO, FLORIDA - At Amway Center, South Carolinians that had packed the arena earlier that day were fresh off of a dramatic game as their own Furman upset Virginia in a near-buzzer-beating fashion. They preceded to watch their own College of Charleston shoot 20.8 percent from downtown as San Diego State took down their Cougars.

Although a 12 seed, Charleston was probably better than their seeding. If you’re not familiar with the seeding of the NCAA Tournament, mid-major conference winners are capped at the 12th seed. Therefore, the very best mid-major teams in the country are 12 seeds, explaining why they pull of the upset over the 5 seed 44 percent of the time.

Despite their poor shooting, the game was close. San Diego State was the bigger, more physical team, yet Charleston held their own on the boards and played gritty and tough. Although it wasn’t enough, fans of the team see a bright future ahead, and it all starts with their Head Coach.

Pat Kelsey arrived on campus in the Holy City just two years before the 30-win season, bringing a younger, fresher presence to the younger, fresher basketball roster. From the jump, Charleston fans could see that their new head coach, who had just come off a stint with Winthrop that saw a NCAA Tournament appearance, was quickly shifting the culture of the team. The hashtag “Our City” became the phrase behind the new Kelsey regime. In February, he signed a 5-year contract extension to remain Head Coach of the Cougars, so fans can rest easy, even with the loss of four contributing seniors, knowing that Kelsey will keep the momentum going and bring the College of Charleston back to March Madness.