By: Bryan Cooney
The thrilling run to the Sweet 16 in 2013 brought national attention and a following with fans hooked on the wave that Dunk City rode on with wins over Georgetown and San Diego State. The expectations for Florida Gulf Coast and new head coach Joe Dooley were off the charts. In 2014, a promising season ended in the NIT against Florida State, after a defeat at the hands of arch-rival Mercer in the Atlantic Sun Championship thwarted a return trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Eagles. With three departures from last season’s team, Chase Fieler, Eric McKnight and Dajuan Graf, one would think that void that is hard to replace. Fortunately for Joe Dooley, four transfers from Division-I programs are ready to step in and provide depth and production. Marc-Eddy Noreila (Tulane), Julian Debose (Rice), Brian Greene Jr. (Auburn), and Demetrius Morant (UNLV) combined with the familiar cast of characters in Brett Comer, Bernard Thompson, Jamail Jones, and Nate Hicks, give FGCU its most talented roster in the school’s history. Senior Marcus Blake along with JUCO transfer Eric Moeller, true freshman Christian Terrell, and Logan Hovey who took a medical redshirt last season due to a leg injury should factor into the rotation as well.
A potential eleven-deep rotation should allow maximum flexibility for Joe Dooley to mix and match lineups and provide rest for players when needed. Possibilities are endless with five on the floor, but the starting lineup in the opener against Nova Southeastern on November 15th should feature familiar faces. Comer, Thompson, and Jones have cemented themselves as the staples of the Eagle lineup, with the trio starting all but five games all of last season. Comer begins the season as the active leader in assists amongst any player in college basketball entering this season and is closing in on the Atlantic Sun all-time record of 634, sitting 35 assists shy of that mark. Thompson’s prowess as a dynamic scorer and defender makes him one of the more valuable players in the Southeast. Jones settled into his own the latter third of the regular season and postseason and will be looked upon as a leader on and off the court. Noreila appears to have the first crack at the power forward position with his mobility and athleticism hard to leave out of the starting lineup. Hicks looks to return from an ACL injury sustained in the NIT matchup against Florida State and if healthy, should provide an imposing force at the rim and on the boards.
I believe there are three keys to success this season for FGCU, with one common theme: The letter B. The first B I look at is the bench. Bench depth in a conference like the A-Sun always gives the opposition issues with matchups, and with the talent at Joe Dooley’s disposal, whichever way he goes will be impressive. The situations that can arise during a game or a season, from foul trouble to an injury, can be problematic for some clubs. But for the Eagles, the bench should be a strength. DeBose averaged over ten points a game for Rice two years ago, with impressive offense ability. Greene was asked to play point guard at Auburn, but seems to be more comfortable off the ball, and his athleticism should be very useful on both ends of the floor. Morant is athletically gifted and coming along in his development offensively. Out in the open floor, none may be better on this roster, and his length on the defensive end should allow him minutes to produce and gain experience. Hovey could be an important piece to the roster being a skilled forward who coaches have been high on since he arrived on campus. The rotation excludes sharpshooter Filip Cvjeticanin, who will miss the season after back surgery. Depending on the starting lineup, the bench roles can fluctuate, which is a luxury FGCU will be able to experience with many guys to choose from.
The second B, that may be the most critical key to the success of this team, is the bigs. Last season, outside of Chase Fieler, production on the offensive end was inconsistent. This year's squad will feature more skilled and of course eligible players in the frontcourt that simply were not available last season. The mix of Noreila, Hicks, Moeller, Morant, Hovey, and Blake are not established offensive threats, but are capable of finishing at the rim and causing havoc on the defensive end. Getting out in transition will have to begin with solid backline defense, which should be attainable from this group. I believe the use of Hicks, Noreila, Hovey and Moeller and their shooting ability can draw out the opposition’s bigs to create more space for the guards to attack the basket. It will be interesting to see how these guys are utilized, and after the first few games it will be easier to gauge how Dooley will approach this part of his club.
The third and final B to look at are the names Brett and Bernard. The two have started the majority of their careers at FGCU, and have established a relationship that is infectious to how the team dynamic can be established. I believe a stronger bunch in the locker room will emerge from this year’s team with the leadership on and off the court from Comer and Thompson, with no question the taste of the defeat in the A-Sun title game still in their mouths. I will find it hard to believe these two will allow the rest of the team to slip up mentally for any game this season, particularly in conference and going towards the conference tournament as March becomes closer. It has been a pleasure watching these two come in as freshmen and develop as players and as people, and it will be a lot of fun watching them do what they need to do to lead this team as far they can.
A quality non-conference schedule awaits the Eagles, highlighted by trips to Xavier and Pittsburgh at the end of December. An in-season home and home series with UC Santa Barbara and a meeting at Iona will be fun matchups on the mid-major side of the schedule. Plenty of road games to gain experience for the newcomers should be valuable heading towards conference play, and a well-tested bunch should be ready to take on the conference’s best teams as the calendar turns. Do not be surprised if at one point in January, the Eagles get on national radar if they are able to go on the road and score big wins in tough environments, as I believe this team is capable of doing. As Eagle fans saw in Andy Enfield’s second season, big things happened. A second season under Joe Dooley, with many of the eligible transfers having a year of practice under their belt, should lead to better play out of the gates and greater continuity throughout the whole roster.
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