This season might look a lot like last if your lone barometer is a peek at the conference standings. But coach Barclay Radebaugh senses a difference. At the end of the 2007-08 season, he saw indicators of a brighter future ahead.

The Buccaneers finished last in the Big South for the second straight season, but this year has been different. Last season was marred by injuries to key players. Charleston Southern played well at the end of the 2007-08 season, knocking off High Point, Liberty and Coastal Carolina at home in the final two weeks of the regular season.

More important, Radebaugh watched his talented core of freshmen mature as the season unfolded. Omar Carter, the league's freshman of the year, went from underrated, overweight recruit to legitimate all-conference candidate. Guards Jamarco Warren and Tovi Bailey gave the Bucs a dangerous one-two punch in the backcourt.

With that trio returning, Radebaugh has something to build around. The feeling within the program has gone from helpless to hopeful.

"We have to get out and recruit very hard and continue to build on what we have built in the last two years," Radebaugh told the Charleston Post & Courier.

To continue to improve, CSU aims to find a post presence, an element that was sorely lacking in '07-08. When the Bucs shot well from the perimeter, they were tough to beat. When they didn't, they struggled to stay in games. A back-to-the-basket forward might round out a lineup capable of competing consistently.

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