Performance of the Week: Julian DeBose vs. Marist

 By: Cameron J. Kaiser

After a busy opening week for FGCU, it’s only natural that the second week was even more hectic. The men’s and women’s teams played a combined seven games in seven days over the Thanksgiving week.

The men of Dunk City were featured in the Gulf Coast Showcase, no more than five miles from campus at Germain Arena, while the women of Raining Threes headed to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam. In addition to the holiday showcase, the men also went on their first road trip of the year in Sioux Falls to take on South Dakota State.

Gulf Coast Showcase

FGCU vs. Marist, W 58-43 (Monday Nov. 24): Despite lacking the depth that FGCU possesses, the Red Foxes took advantage of the Eagles’ slow start. At halftime, the score was locked at 21. However, the second half was a different story. FGCU went on a 13-0 run out of the break and that’s all they needed to push their record to 4-0.

FGCU vs. San Francisco, W 62-47 (Tuesday Nov. 25): In the semi-finals, the Eagles took on a physical San Francisco team. The Eagles got off to a much quicker start, and beat the Dons in dominating fashion, 62-47. FGCU led by 26 at one point in the second half.

FGCU at Green Bay, L 45-59 (Wednesday Nov. 26): In the championship, FGCU took on the Green Bay Phoenix. In a battle featuring two of the top mid-major point guards in Brett Comer and Keifer Sykes, the Phoenix got off to a 15 to 0 lead that proved insurmountable. The Eagles’ perfect season was lost, but their record still stood at an impressive 5-1.

Wings Up, literally! First game played outside of the friendly confines of Fort Myers

FGCU at South Dakota State, W 71-58 (Sunday Nov. 30): Although the Eagles were considered the road team in the Gulf Coast Showcase championship, their first 'real' travel trip took them to the freezing temperatures found in South Dakota. The Eagles played somewhat of a sloppy game, committing 20 total fouls, but dominated the Jack Rabbits offensively in the second half.  

Dunk City’s record currently sits at a gaudy 6-1.

U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam

FGCU vs. Wichita State, W 56-39 (Thursday Nov. 27): In the first game of the Paradise Jam, the Eagles dominated the Shockers in the opening half, holding them to 13 points. They played solid defense all game, swiping 12 steals. FGCU cruised to the victory to move to 4-1 on the season.

FGCU at Clemson, W 86-61 (Friday Nov. 28): After falling to the Auburn Tigers in the previous week, the Eagles gained a little bit of figurative redemption by hammering the Clemson Tigers by 25. FGCU was led by Whitney Knight, who scored 28 points in only 24 minutes.

FGCU at Ohio State, L 83-90, 2 OT, (Saturday Nov. 29): In the final game of the tournament, the Eagles were locked in a battle for the ages with the Buckeyes. In a back and forth contest that featured 4 ties and 5 lead changes, FGCU eventually got into foul trouble, and ran out of steam in the second overtime period.

Despite their loss on the final day, the Eagles were named champions of the Paradise Jam due to their large scoring margin. Their record now sits at a solid 5-2.

Performance of the Week

Courtesy of Captive Photons

Unlike the first week where most of the games featured one stand out performance to lead the way, the second week was more about the team collectively getting it done. Bernard Thompson had a great game against San Francisco, and Whitney Knight had a huge game in limited minutes against Clemson, but the second annual performance of the week has to go to Julian DeBose for his FGCU debut against Marist.

Despite a slow start, Julian DeBose found his footing as the game progressed. Maybe it was because he was tired of watching his teammates have all the fun during his three game suspension. Maybe it was because he was amped up to play his first game in the Blue and Green after sitting out a year due to transfer rules. Or maybe, and I think this is the most likely, DeBose is an athletic specimen that is simply really good at putting an orange ball in a hoop.

Whatever option you want to go with, Julian DeBose turned in an explosive night in what started as a lackluster game for the Eagles. He broke onto the scene with 15 points, and they all came in the second half. He hit a three right out of the break that generated some life in the fans at Germain Arena, and then got everyone out of their seats by flying through the lane for a monster and-one dunk.

DeBose, while not known as a great defender yet, had 2 steals. He also used his length to come up with 3 blocks in the game.

“I think that Julian can be an outstanding defender. We’ve talked about this, and I think he’s long, he’s lanky, he’s athletic, and I think he can be one of those guys that can be a lockdown type defender,” said head coach Joe Dooley in regards to DeBose’s defensive potential.

Julian Debose capped off his stellar debut by stealing an inbounds pass from Marist, and then dunking it to nail the coffin shut.