FGCU Basketball Schedules Xavier For 2014-15 Season

Florida Gulf Coast added an official non-conference foe for the 2014-15 season on Thursday as it was announced that the Xavier Musketeers would be hosting FGCU.

The one year 'guarantee' deal brings the Eagles to Cincinnati to battle the Musketeers on Sunday, Dec. 28. The two teams will face off in the Cintas Center, an on campus facility that holds over 10,000 fans.

Last season, Xavier finished with a 21-13 record, including a 10-8 mark in Big East play. The Musketeers snagged an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament but ultimately fell to NC State, 74-59, in the Round of 64. The finished their 2013-14 campaign ranked at No. 56 in the NCAA RPI.

This game is a great first step for a FGCU team that struggled to find a tough non-conference schedule last season; they finished the season with a SOS well into the 200s. This is often the case following a Cinderella run because powerhouse teams know it will no longer be an easy win.

But again it will be an uphill battle for scheduling as league leading Mercer, and ETSU both depart the Atlantic Sun. Excluding FGCU, USC Upstate is the only returning A-Sun team that finished the 13-14 season with above .500 record.

The Eagles were previously announced to be part of the eight team Gulf Coast Showcase tournament at Germain Arena on Nov. 24-26. FGCU will also finish two year deals with Iona, on an unknown date, and Furman, on Dec. 19. Furthermore, North Dakota State (former - Saul Phillips) expressed the possibility of a home and home, while athletic director Ken Kavanagh said in a news-press article that the Eagles will start another home and home series with FIU.

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