FGCU Begins A-Sun Play With 60-56 Win Over NKU

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

Chase Fieler joined historic company on Monday night as he became the 5th Eagle in program history to reach 1,000 career points. To make it even sweeter, FGCU came out on top, 60-56, to start Atlantic Sun play with an encouraging home win.

"It's just a honor to be fortunate enough to play at this level and have this success, and be in a category with Sherwood [Brown]," said Chase Fieler, when asked about joining Brown as the only FGCU players to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in their career.

In addition to Fieler's contributions, the Eagles withstood many Norse runs in part to Bernard Thompson's 17 points. The junior guard still has higher expectations.

"They had momentum, they made the last second shot...we just can't play in spurts. We just got to keep the consistency on both ends of the floor," Thompson said.

After ending 2013 on a high note, the Eagles stay at home on New Year's Day to battle Lipscomb, an A-Sun team who has had FGCU's number in the recent past.

"It's a home game. We have to win. They're the only team in conference to beat us on our home court last year. We'll make an emphasis to make sure that doesn't happen again," Fieler said.


Box Score

(FGCU Athletics)

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2013: The Year Fort Myers Became Dunk City

On March 22, 2013, the No. 15 seeded Florida Gulf Coast Eagles upset No. 2 Georgetown, and Fort Myers was forever crowned #DunkCity.

#DunkCity Post-Season In GIFs
FGCU won the Atlantic Sun Tournament to become the first team into the NCAA Tournament. Eagle fans were all:

College basketball fans were all:

Then this happened:

And this:

This:

This:

This:

And "Florida GC" fans were all:

(H/T MidMajorMadness)

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Logan Hovey To Redshirt Freshman Season

Freshman Logan Hovey will not suit up for Florida Gulf Coast this season, as it was just announced that the Orlando native will take a redshirt year due to a stress fracture in his leg.

With a redshirt season, Hovey will still has four years of eligibility remaining when he starts his career with the Eagles next season.

Joe Dooley said the following in a FGCU release.

“We’ve decided that it’s in Logan’s best interest to redshirt. It wouldn’t be fair to him to use a year of eligibility for what could only end up being about half of our conference schedule. We look forward to getting him back later this season to start practicing, and having him available to compete in game action at 100 percent next season.”

With Jordan Neff leaving the program and now Logan Hovey redshirting, both of the Eagles' 2013 commits will not see a single minute during the 2013-14 season.

While Hovey's skills could have helped the front court depth late in the season, it is a wise move in the long run for a Joe Dooley squad that looks scary for the 2014-15 year. Transfers Marc-Eddy Norelia, Julian DeBose, and Brian Greene Jr., will become available while Christian Terrell, Zach Johnson, and Eric Moeller round out a stacked recruiting class of 2014.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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Eagles Leave Las Vegas With 1-1 Record

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

77-68 win vs. FAMU
Brett Comer's 24 points, 18 of which came in the 2nd half, lead the Eagles to an impressive comeback victory over FAMU. Filip Cvjeticanin (15 points) and  Dajuan Graf (11 points) were the only other double digit scorers for FGCU. Unfortunately, the turnovers woes continued for the Eagles; they lost it 18 times. To compensate, the Blue and Green shot a season best 57.8% from the field.

64-63 loss vs. Radford
Eric McKnight's return was not enough as Florida Gulf Coast lost another close one, 64-63 to the Highlanders. Interestingly enough, Jamail Jones sat as Dooley started Comer, Thompson, Cvjeticanin, Fieler, Hicks. "Golden Boy" lead the Eagles with 21 points but his half court heave fell just a little bit short at the buzzer. That was following a go ahead three pointer by Radford's Kyle Noreen. In his season debut, Eric McKnight tallied 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 25 minutes of play.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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FGCU Commits Compete At City Of Palms Classic

Florida Gulf coast fans got a glimpse of the future this past weekend as Eagle commits Christian Terrell (Providence-Jacksonville) and Zach Johnson (Norland-Miami) both competed in the City of Palms Classic at nearby Bishop Verot High School.

"I'm excited, I love coming up to Fort Myers - it's gonna be a new home. It has a lot of FGCU fans and writers in the building. I'm just excited to play in front of future teammates and reporters," Johnson said.

Fellow signee Christian Terrell was also thrilled at the opportunity to place so near The Nest. "It's very exciting coming down and playing in front of some of the fans here. I love the coaching and the fans...Coach Fly is one of my favorites," Terrell said.

Terrell, a 6-4 guard, averaged 16 points a game en route to Providence taking fourth place. He looked especially impressive during the Stallions' rematch against Montverde. While teammate and Duke commit Grayson Allen couldn't find his stroke, Terrell stepped it up and kept Providence in the game till the very end.

Although Norland left Fort Myers with a 1-2 record, it wasn't due to a lack of effort; Zach Johnson was diving all over the floor, grabbing loose balls and rebounds (averaged four steals per game).

"I just always had to play with toughness - it comes from within. You'll beat a team straight off of toughness," Johnson said.

Terrell and Providence continue their season in 2014 with a game against Palatka (Jan. 4), while Johnson and the Vikings head to Gainesville to battle the Rock (Jan. 4).

All quotes credited to Naples Daily News videos.

Full Notes

Christian Terrell (Providence)

75-70 win vs. St. John Bosco (Dec. 18)
Stats: 15 points (5/11 FG), 8 rebounds, 5 assists.
62-51 win vs. Neumann-Goretti (Dec. 19)

Stats: 19 points (5/11 FG), 10 rebounds.

Joe Dooley & FGCU scored a good one in Christian Terrell. 6-5 SF w/ athleticism & skill. Handled pressure well, made smart plays & attacked
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) December 20, 2013

58-51 loss vs. Montverde (Dec. 21)
Stats: 12 points (5/16 FG), 8 rebounds, 4 assists.

Christian Terrell is the best player in the court tonight. #cityofpalms
— Jason Jordan (@JayJayUSATODAY) December 22, 2013

Liking FGCU signee Christian Terrell. Skilled combo guard w savvy and a does of athleticism. Gotta get a ranking on him #cityofpalms
— Jerry Meyer (@jerrymeyer247) December 22, 2013

63-55 loss vs. Whitney Young (Dec. 23)
Stats: 20 points, 7 rebounds.

Christian Terrell with a HUGE chase down block for Providence, they lead 38-37 w/ 3:58 left in the 3rd
— Scarberry Media (@scarberrymedia) December 23, 2013

Wins Three Point Shoot Out

Zach Johnson (Miami Norland)

81-53 loss vs. Paul VI (Dec. 19)
Stats: 25 points (9/26 FG), 4 rebounds, 3 assists.

FGCU commit Zach Johnson is doing it all for Norland, they trail 47-26 in the 3rd quarter #CityofPalms
— Scarberry Media (@scarberrymedia) December 19, 2013

61-54 loss vs. Oak Ridge (Dec. 20)

Stats: 21 points (7/20 FG), 4 assists.

67-30 win vs. Bishop Verot (Dec. 21)
Stats: 15 points (6/13 FG), 5 rebounds, 5 assists.


Eric Moeller (Co. Central Florida)

64-62 loss vs. Palm Beach State College (Dec. 15)
Stats: 3 points (1/2 FG), 3 rebounds, 5 blocks.

88-61 win vs. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (Dec. 18)

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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Eric McKnight To Make Season Debut Monday Against Radford

Suspended Florida Gulf Coast center Eric McKnight will finally make his season debut on Monday night in Las Vegas, as the Eagles take on Radford.

After FGCU deemed the redshirt junior center eligible to play in the Blue and Green's final game at the Las Vegas Classic, they confirmed on Sunday night that McKnight will indeed play.

Due to a violation of team rules, the former Iowa State transfer was initially suspended for the first six games of the season, minimum. Since his suspension was changed to indefinite, McKnight has now missed six more games - putting his total suspension at 12 games.

The dominant big man will provide some much needed help for a struggling Eagles team. Freshman forward Logan Hovey is also eyeing a late December return, in time for Atlantic Sun play.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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FGCU Falls Short Against Mississippi State In Las Vegas Classic

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

In their second Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic game, sloppy play doomed FGCU against Mississippi State and they fell, 66-53.

The Eagles turned the ball over a season high 21 times and that was troublesome on the other end.

"Passing and catching, poor all around, our execution," said Joe Dooley. "We turned it over and that led to points."

After keeping it close early, the Bulldogs started to pull away late in the first half.

“I thought they did a good job of controlling the tempo from the start to the finish,” Dooley said. “They got great contributions from off the bench, and they did a great job of turning our turnovers into points."

An aggressive Brett Comer led FGCU with 15 points while Chase Fieler add 11 and Bernard Thompson tallied 10. The Eagles couldn't find their shot from long range, and that proved harmful when down.

After dropping the first two on campus games in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic, Florida Gulf Coast now heads to Las Vegas to face FAMU on Sunday and Radford on Monday.

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#DunkCity Podcast: Episode 1 With Gary Parrish

Today marked the first ever FGCU Eagles Nest #DunkCity podcast. As a guest, CBS Sports college basketball insider Gary Parrish came on to talk Florida Gulf Coast.

Guide
Chase Fieler's shot at the end of double OT; Trent Tucker rule

Eric McKnight's suspension

Atlantic Sun play

General FGCU talk

Gary's A-Sun regular season pick

*Try to excuse my stammering and general awkwardness - that's why I usually stick to writing.

More Sports Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Dunk City Podcast on BlogTalkRadio

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FGCU Loses Double OT Nailbiter To USF

Final Play
Yes, Jamail Jones just made FGCU rethink of creating a football team. Yes, Chase Fieler is a magician. But let's get down to the nitty gritty. Fieler did get the "shot" off in time.

(via @cursoTBO)

But according to the Trent Tucker Rule, which was adopted by the NCAA in 2001, if .3 seconds or less are left on the clock, the only field goal allowed is a "tip-in". Because the ball was clearly out of Fieler's hands by the time the clock expired, the logically explanation is that the refs deemed it a "shot" and not a "tip-in".

"In any period, when the game clock displays 10ths of seconds and play is to be resumed by a throw-in or a free throw when 3/10 (.3) of a second or less remains on the game clock, a player may not gain possession of the ball and try for a field goal. Such player can only score a field goal by means of a tap of the pass or of a missed free throw." NCAA Rule 5, Section 1, Article 18

Other Game Thoughts
• Nate Hicks scored zero points, yet played out of his mind. He grabbed 19 boards and was the sole reason FGCU out rebounded a larger USF squad.
• Bernard Thompson seems to have put that ankle injury behind him. On the night, he poured in 32 points and nailed a huge three to put the Eagles in the situation they were in.
• With 9:39 left in regulation the Eagles had a nine point lead. The difference between good teams and great teams is that the "great" ones can open that up to double digits and put the game away.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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Jamail Jones Throws Down For #DunkCity (FGCU vs. USF)

In typical #DunkCity fashion, Jamail Jones, with time winding down in the first half, threw down this nasty one handed dunk, putting USF center John Egbunu on a poster.

This cut the USF lead to two (23-21) heading into the half. Both the Eagles and Bulls struggled from the field in the first half; both shot under 35%.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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FGCU MBB Recruiting Wrap (12/9-12/14)

Christian Terrell (Providence)

86-72 win vs. Atlantic Coast (Dec. 13)
Stats: 15 points

Zach Johnson (Miami Norland)

62-27 win vs. Mourning (Dec. 11)
Stats: 4 points (2/6 FG), 2 rebounds, 3 steals

77-31 win vs. Miami Springs (Dec. 13)
Stats: 10 points (3/6 FG), 4 rebounds, 2 assists

Eric Moeller (Co. Central Florida)

75-70 win vs. Pensacola State College (Dec. 13)
Stats: 7 points (3/4 FG, 1/1 3FG)

84-71 win vs. State College of Florida (Dec. 14)
Stats: 13 points (6/8 FG)

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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FGCU Bounces Back, Trounces Samford 83-51

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

After three straight losses, FGCU finally found their rhythm on Saturday as a team effort led them to a 83-51 trouncing of the Samford Bulldogs.

Leading the Eagle charge was Chase Fieler, who, with 11 points and 10 rebounds, recorded his first double double of the season. Pouring in 15 points, Bernard Thompson moved only 8 points away from being the third Eagle to score 1,000 points in his career.

The 32 point victory was a result of a solid effort on both ends of the floor. Florida Gulf Coast held the Bulldogs to a season best 51 points while the Eagles also scored a season high 83 points.

"It started with our defense. We were able to get stop and run the way we like to," said Chase Fieler.

As time winded down, everyone got in on the action. Both TeJai Allen and Armand Shoon recorded their first points ever while donning the Blue And Green.

This win provides some much needed momentum for the Eagles as they head to both USF and Mississippi State in the upcoming week.

Jamail Jones Recorded Only Three Minutes

"He [Jamail] wasn't able to practice yesterday. He nicked his knee. He was ready but I wasn't real happy with his effort early and part of it was he wasn't able to practice yesterday. Hopefully he'll get some treatment today and tomorrow and get him ready for the week." -Joe Dooley

Eagles Shot 39% From Three

"I think we've got a good shooting team. When Bernard plays as he is starting to because he's getting healthy. [He's] historically a big three point shooter and struggled a bit but, as his percentage goes up our team's percentage will go up because he's a very good shooter." -Joe Dooley

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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McKnight Suspension Now At Least Four More Games

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

Florida Gulf Coast center Eric McKnight will remained suspended for a minimum of four more games according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN. 

 

After being suspended for at least the first six games of the season, McKnight's status was updated to an indefinite suspension just prior to FGCU's home contest against Iona. Now with a minimum four more games left on the bench, that will put McKnight's total absence at 12 games, in the best case.

The former Iowa State transfer has already missed eight games and his first possible return would be in FGCU's second game at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic on Dec. 23. That game pits the Eagles against either Radford or Sacred Heart.

If, as Goodman said, McKnight returns at the month's end, the new year could bring a healthy and deep Joe Dooley squad. Logan Hovey, who had leg surgery on Nov. 14, is hoping for a late December return in time for Atlantic Sun play. 

If these two forwards return, 2014 could be a fresh start for a somewhat struggling Eagles team.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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VIDEO: Christian Terrell Almost Brings Down The House

Christian Terrell, 2014 Providence guard and FGCU commit, almost threw down his second viral dunk of the year. This time the (near) victim was Arlington County Day's center. Watch for yourself. Next year Terrell will be suiting up in the Blue and Green. Get ready Dunk City!

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Sherwood Brown Waived By Ramat Gan

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

David Pick, of EuroBasket, has told the FGCUEaglesNest that Ironi Ramat Gan, just weeks after signing Sherwood Brown, has waived the former Florida Gulf Coast guard.

This is following a long array of activity in Israel. Brown had initially signed with Maccabi Haifa but was cut months later. Then the 2013 A-Sun Player of the Year decided to sign with Ramat Gan of the Liga Leumit. Now after being waived, Brown is back in the United States.

He was in attendance at the FGCU Men's Basketball game against Eckerd. It has yet to be seen if and where Brown will continue his basketball career, but back in June the FGCU basketball star and friend Peter Cuderman founded Excelitrex Business Solutions.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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FGCU MBB Recruiting Wrap: Terrell Dominates Rival ACD (12/2-12/7)

Christian Terrell (Providence)
93-74 win vs. ACD (Dec. 7)
Stats: 32 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists

•His 32 points was a Providence single game record until teammate and Duke commit Grayson Allen also went off and poured in 34 points.
•Terrell was aggressive from the first whistle, and consequently got to the free throw line often. He knocked down shots from all over and had the "best performance I have ever seen him turn out" according to Jack LeGwin (recruiting writer for Zags Blog).
•With time winding down in the 1st quarter, Terrell almost threw down a monster dunk over the ACD center. Unfortunately Terrell was called for an offensive foul but still impressive none the less.
VIDEO: Terrell makes a contested layup in transition.


Zach Johnson (Miami Norland)
58-64 loss vs. Sagemont (Dec. 3)
Stats: 18 points (6/17 FG), 7 rebounds, 7 assists

•Late in the game, there was a sequence in which Johnson nailed a three, stole the inbounds pass, and slammed down a reverse dunk (h/t Eric Alston).

Eric Moeller (Co. Central Florida)
84-68 win vs. Hillsborough Community College
Stats: 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block

83-77 win vs. Broward College
Stats: 5 points, 6 rebounds, 7 blocks

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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FGCU Collapses Late And Falls 72-61 To FIU

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

After Brett Comer provided FGCU with a spark to start the second half, the Golden Panthers went on a run of their own to capture a 72-61 win in Miami.

After Agent Zero sat most of the first half, the Orlando product tallied all of his 14 points and 6 assists in the second half. With 7:20 remaining, the Eagles held a eight point lead but that began too dwindle. Soon FIU had regained the lead and closed out the game by making some shots at the charity stripe.

While falling apart late isn't encouraging, a good sign was the aggresiveness of Bernard Thompson. He seemed to have put the ankle injury behind him and looks like the A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year we know.

Thompson, with 10, and Chase Fieler, with 14, were the only other Eagles in double figures outside of Comer. Kevin Boyle, who saw increased time in the first half, netted all of his points on a NBA range three pointer.

In an early season trend, Florida Gulf Coast shot an abysmal 41% from the free throw line. Next up for the Eagles is Samford on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Alico.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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Gameday: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles vs. Florida International Golden Panthers

Location: U.S Century Bank Arena - Miami, FL (Capacity 5,000)
Time: 4:07 p.m ET

TV: Fox Sports 1 (Adam Alexander, Mike Gminski)
Live Stats: FIUSports
Updates: @FGCUEaglesNest on Twitter

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
Coach: Joe Dooley
Record: 4-3 (0-0)
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Roster | Schedule

Florida International Golden Panthers
Coach: Anthony Evans
Record: 7-4 (0-0)
Conference: Conference USA
Roster | Schedule

Stats / Streaks / History
• FIU is reeling after a 18 points loss to D-II Nova Southeastern - the Sharks first win over a D-I school.
• Florida Gulf Coast is 5-6 all time against Conference USA schools. This is FIU's first season in Conference USA. They were previously in the Sun Belt. The Eagles are 9-10 against Sun Belt teams.
• FIU is 31-36 all time against the Atlantic Sun. The Golden Panthers were part of the Trans America Athletic Conference (now the Atlantic Sun) from 91-92 and 97-98.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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Eric McKnight Now Indefinitely Suspended - Will Not Play Against Iona

Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson

Although most thought Eric McKnight would return from his six game suspension today against Iona, it was released that the redshirt junior forward remains suspended indefinitely and will not play against the Gaels.

“Originally slated as a minimum six-game suspension, Eric will remain sidelined until it is determined that he has reached a satisfactory level of completion in all matters related to his violation of team rules," said Ken Kavanagh, FGCU athletic director, in a FGCU release.

McKnight was initially suspended for a violation of team rules; according to Joe Dooley, he still "has some more work to do."

“We’re very pleased with the progress Eric has made to this point, but he still has some more work to do. He has handled himself extremely well during this difficult time and has done everything asked of him both on and off the court. We’re looking forward to getting Eric back in the near future," said Joe Dooley, FGCU head coach.

This is a big hit for the Eagles who would have greatly benefited from increased front court depth. In many games this season both Chase Fieler and Nate Hicks have gotten into early foul trouble; Filip Cvjeticanin and Marcus Blake were left with the brunt of the load.

Fellow forward and true freshman Logan Hovey is also out for the Eagles. The Orlando native had surgery for his stress reaction on Thursday, Nov. 14.

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

All quotes credited to FGCU Athletics press release.

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FGCU MBB Recruiting Wrap: Johnson With Solid Performances (11/25-11/30)

Credit: FGCU Athletics

Christian Terrell (Providence HS)

•79-54 loss vs. Montverde (Nov. 30th)
Stats: 1 point

Zach Johnson (Miami Norland HS)

•75-38 win vs. Miami Springs (Nov. 25th)
Stats: 13 points (6/11 FGs), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals

•64-63 win vs. Evans (Nov. 30th)
Stats: 16 points, 7 assists, 6 steals

Eric Moeller (College of Central Florida)

•no games

For more on FGCU make sure to follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEaglesNest)

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Gameday: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles vs. Iona Gaels

Photo by Liam Jones

Location: Alico Arena - Fort Myers, FL (Capacity 4,500)
Time: 2:05 p.m ET

Video: ASun.TV
Live Stats: StatsBroadcast
Audio: Iona Insider

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
Head Coach: Joe Dooley
Record: 4-2 (0-0)
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Roster | Schedule

Iona Gaels
Head Coach: Tim Cluess
Record: 2-2 (0-0)
Conference: Metro Atlantic
Roster | Schedule

Stats / Streaks / History
• FGCU is 2-2 all time against MAAC teams.
• The Gaels are 1-0 against the Atlantic Sun.

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