Georgia transfer Sydnei McCaskill reportedly commits to FGCU

(via ESPNHS)

Georgia Bulldogs sophomore transfer point guard Sydnei McCaskill has committed to Florida Gulf Coast, according to McCaskill's AAU team Central Florida Elite.

McCaskill told the Eagles Nest she will start classes on Monday, Jan. 5th and is waiting on an NCAA appeal. She said she will "likely" be eligible to play next fall. For the 2015 spring semester, she will be a walk on but will then be on scholarship after that.

The Orlando, Fla. product averaged 1.4 points and 1.3 assists during her freshman season in 2013-14. In her 14 appearances with the Bulldogs, 60% of her field goal attempts came from beyond the three point line.

Coming out of high school at Dr. Phillips in 2013, she was ranked 86th in the country and 19th at the point guard position by ESPN. McCaskill was named 8A Miss Basketball in Florida after averaging 13.2 points and 9.1 assists her senior season. She lead Dr. Phillips to a 31-3 record. 

This story is developing. FGCU Eagles Nest will have more information soon.

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Performance of the Week: Kaneisha Atwater vs. Providence

By: Cameron J. Kaiser

If you're like me and attend Florida Gulf Coast University, then you know very well that last week was exam week. If you don't go to FGCU, well, last week was exam week, so the campus was relatively quiet. Same goes for the basketball program, which had their quietest week of the season. Both the men of Dunk City and the women of Raining Threes played one game each this week, both within the friendly confines of Alico Arena. The women once again flexed their muscles by beating the Big East's own Providence, while the men gave a lackadaisical effort against Florida International in their baffling loss to the Panthers.

Friars get grilled by Eagles

FGCU vs. Providence (Thursday, Dec. 11) W 68-58: Before their first match up ever against the Friars, FGCU had a program record of 2-3 against Big East teams. The lady Eagles built a 15 point lead deep in the first half against the Friars, and never looked back. Both teams tallied 33 rebounds and created 18 turnovers, but FGCU shot 51 percent to beat Providence by 10.

Disappointment in Dunk City

FGCU vs. Florida International (Sunday, Dec. 14) L 63-69: After racing out to a 20-6 lead in the first ten minutes of the game, the Eagles dilapidated right before the crowd's eyes. FIU turned up the defensive intensity in the second half, holding both Bernard Thompson and Julian DeBose scoreless. The Panthers out-rebounded FGCU 39-27 for the game, and outscored the Eagles by 10 in the second half on 65 percent shooting.

Performance of the Week

This week's "Performance of the Week" was by far the easiest to select to date. Kaneisha Atwater of the lady Eagles has earned the honor in week four for her record setting performance against Providence.

Courtesy of Captive Photons

Kaneisha Atwater, junior from Fort Pierce, Florida, had a monster night in the Eagles' impressive victory over the Friars of Providence. In 31 minutes of playing time, she put up an FGCU Division 1 record of 33 points, and did it on a nice 11 of 18 shooting. She also led the Eagles in steals with 4.

Atwater set the tone for the Eagles in the first half, scoring 12 of the first 21 points. She totaled 15 before the break, and then proceeded to not let up out of the locker room. Despite only scoring 26 points as a team in the second half, Atwater stayed strong by adding 18 more, sealing the victory over the Friars.

"She's an aggressive player. She's an emotional player. She's a high energy player. She's somebody that you have to respect her three, and then she's super quick with the ball. She's somebody that can provide a lot of defensive intensity, and I mean she's a very high level athlete, and then she has a high amount of competitiveness to go along with it," said head coach Karl Smesko about Atwater's ability as a player.

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Performance of the Week: Taylor Gradinjan vs. Southern Miss

 By: Cameron J. Kaiser

After two busy weeks to start the season, week three was much less hectic for the FGCU basketball program. Dunk City played a mere two games, while Raining Threes only played one. The lady Eagles beat their lone opponent to push their record to 6-2, while the men won both of their games to improve to 8-1.

Dunk City Dominance

FGCU vs. Florida Tech (Wednesday, Dec. 3), W 77-58: When the 7-0 Panthers of Division II came to Alico Arena, the fans expected to see a blowout. Well, while the final score wasn’t close, the Eagles only held a 3-point advantage at halftime. Led by an astounding 51 bench points, FGCU rallied to outscore the Panthers by 16 in the second half.

FGCU at Massachusetts (Sunday, Dec. 7) W 84-75: Dunk City took its show on the road to play in the Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase in Springfield, Massachusetts against the Minutemen of UMass. UMass, who was ahead of FGCU in the RPI ranking going into the contest, was knocked out by Tennessee in the round of 64 in last year’s NCAA tournament. In a game that was tightly contested for its majority, FGCU pulled away and led by as many as 18 with 3 minutes remaining in the game.

Extremely-southern Lady Eagles take on the almost-as-southern Lady Eagles...

FGCU vs. Southern Mississippi (Saturday, Dec. 6) W 78-62: Saturday night pitted Eagle against Eagle, as Southern Miss. came to take on FGCU at The Nest. USM, coming off a 27-7 season, played a physical style of basketball against the lady Eagles of FGCU. As their nickname suggests, FGCU used the long ball to knock out Southern Miss. The lady Eagles of FGCU hit 13 three pointers in their 16-point victory.

Performance of the Week

Week three of the season featured three individual standout performances from the FGCU basketball program. Freshman Christian Terrell of the men's team exploded off the bench against Florida Tech for 22 points, while Bernard Thompson tied a career high by hitting 6 three pointers against UMass. However, the best performance of the week came from red-shirt freshman Taylor Gradinjan of the Lady Eagles in their win over USM.

Courtesy of Captive Photons

On a night where Whitney Knight fouled out early and Stephanie Haas played limited minutes due to an illness, head coach Karl Smesko was forced into giving more minutes to his reserves. Gradinjan, who missed the bulk of the last two seasons due to a right ACL tear, came off the bench and gave FGCU 23 minutes of nonstop energy.

Taylor Gradinjan led the Eagles in scoring and rebounds, setting personal records in points with 23, rebounds with 9, three pointers with 4, and free throws with 7. In the first half, Gradinjan capped off a 17-0 run for FGCU by nailing 2 three pointers in a row, and then in the second half scored 10 points in a row for the Eagles.

"Taylor was knocking down open shots and looking for opportunities to go to the basket, being aggressive getting to the rim," said coach Smesko. "I thought offensively Taylor gave us a huge spark and a huge lift. She's had a couple good days of practice, and she followed it up with a great performance in the game."

Through all of the scoring, Gradinjan's 9 boards might be the most impressive stat from her big night. FGCU is not a team with a lot of size, and rebounding has been their achilles heel so far this season. At a modest 5'9", Gradinjan's activity on the glass provided a huge boost for the Eagles. Southern Mississippi only had 14 second chance points, while FGCU had 17. That, in part, can be attributed to Grandinjan's 8 defensive rebounds.

When asked about her breakout performance, Gradinjan answered humbly. "I just kind of went in and played. Just did my role, played with the team, and stuck to our game plan the entire time."

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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.

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Performance of the Week: Brett Comer vs. UCSB

(Courtesy of Captive Photons)

Every Monday our own Cameron J. Kaiser will write a weekly review of both the men's and women's basketball teams, and will choose a "performance of the week" to analyze.

It’s here, it’s finally here! After eight months of eagerly waiting, FGCU basketball is back, and the Eagles are looking as good as ever! Both the men’s and women’s teams started their respective seasons, and both are off to hot starts.

The FGCU women of Raining Threes kicked off their season on Friday the 14th, while the men of Dunk City started on Saturday the 15th.

The women opened their year against a talented George Washington team by winning 88-75. In their second game, which was mainly a tune-up for them, against Florida International, the Eagles won by a lofty score of 97-49. The FGCU ladies faced a big early season test against Auburn, and played well, but couldn’t finish the job on the road and lost 72-69. Sunday night in their fourth game, the Eagles faced Ave Maria at home. FGCU took care of the lady Gyrenes by winning 102-54 recording their largest margin of victory since beating Warner by 69 in November of 2012.

The men underwhelmed against Nova Southeastern in their opener, but still won 63-51. In their second game the Eagles faced California Santa Barbara, a team anchored by a strong post presence. In a back and forth contest, FGCU gutted out the W in overtime by a score of 81-75. For their third game in five days, FGCU faced a daunting task in taming the Bobcats of Ohio. In front of a sold out crowd at Alico Arena, the Eagles ran the Bobcats all the way back to Athens with a 79-62 victory.

The first week of basketball season featured four standout individual performances from the FGCU men’s and women’s basketball teams. Marc-Eddy Norelia burst onto the scene in the men’s season opener against NSU, while Bernard Thompson broke the school’s individual game D1 scoring record with 34 against Ohio, and despite losing on the road to Auburn, Stephanie Haas of the women’s team went off for 30 points.

However, the inaugural title of “performance of the week” goes to Dunk City’s facilitator, Brett Comer for his efforts against California Santa Barbara. Last Monday night, Comer came out and shredded UCSB for 28 points and 11 assists, shooting an astounding 11-14 from the floor.

In a game that FGCU won in overtime, the Eagles needed every bit of Comer’s monster night.

The Gauchos took a 49-47 lead with eight minutes remaining in the second half as Brett Comer waited at the scorer’s table to check in. After that, he didn’t check out. In those final eight minutes of the half, Comer took over the game scoring 10 of his 12 second half points, including a step back jumper to temporarily give the Eagles a temporary two point lead with six seconds left.

If it weren’t for Alan Williams making 2 free throws with a second left in regulation to send the game to overtime, Comer’s step back would’ve been a perfect way for him to end his spectacular night. Instead, overtime just gave him five more minutes to showcase his greatness.

In overtime, Comer added 8 more points, including a huge free throw that gave FGCU a 4 point lead with only a minute left to play. The Eagles won the game in thrilling fashion 81-75.

When asked about his big second half and overtime, Comer answered intelligently. He cited reasons such as players in foul trouble for UCSB, and their inability to defend the on ball screens he was getting as to why he was able to take over down the stretch.

“I was in an area to attack, so I was attacking, and if I had a layup I’d shoot it and if not I would kick it out to an open teammate for a shot.”

Brett Comer was named to the Atlantic Sun preseason First Team, and he is already showing why he is considered to be one of the best point guards in conference history. Included in the crowd that realizes Comer’s greatness are his own teammates, most specifically Bernard Thompson, who helps him form the most prolific backcourt in the NCAA.

“He has a hard work ethic. He goes in, gets shots up, he pushes himself to be a better player. It’s been good just watching him develop as a player, as a person, and I’m very proud of him,” said Bernard Thompson in praise of his teammate and fellow A-Sun preseason First Team Selection.

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Former FGCU star Sarah Hansen signs in Finland

(via Captive Photons)

Former Florida Gulf Coast women's basketball star Sarah Hansen signed her first pro contract on Sunday when she inked a deal with Forssan Alku in Finland.

Forsann competes in the Naisten Korisliiga, the highest tier of women's basketball in Finland, and has won a record tying eight championships since the league's inception in 1944. However, they are currently 1-7 on the year. Hansen informed the FGCU Eagles Nest that Forsann is not happy with their season and is bringing in a whole new team and coaching staff.

"I recently signed with a new agent. She knew the new coach from previous contracts," said Sarah Hansen. "He liked the way that I played and everything. It all pretty much came from there."

"Hopefully we can win more games...1-7 is not exactly the best," Hansen continued. "I obviously don't know much about the team or playing overseas so initially, I just want to contribute in ways that they need me to."

Hansen will look to carry over the tremendous success from her senior year. She averaged 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds a game en route to being named the Atlantic Sun Player of the Year for the second season in a row. The Eagles captured the Atlantic Sun title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as she was inducted into the FGCU Hall of Fame.

"Florida Gulf Coast made me into a significantly better ball player. Coach Smesko is one of the most amazing coaches I've ever come across," Hansen said.

That was just the final season in her tremendous collegiate career, in which she finished as the Eagles' all time leader in points, field goals made, rebounds, steals, games started, and minutes. After redshirting her freshman year, she landed on the Atlantic Sun All-Conference 1st team and earned a plethora of other awards as a sophomore and junior.

"When I came into FGCU, I redshirted. I wasn't good enough to be on the court. I was basically a practice player," Hansen said. "In my five years, I grew a lot as a player, intelligence wise and talent wise. It completely changed my game and changed me as a player."

The McKean, Pa. native flies to Finland on either Nov. 18 or 19 to continue her baksetball career. She will be joining former Eagle Brittany Kennedy, who spent the 2013-14 season with Saarlouis Royals (Germany), in the professional ranks.

"I've talked to some coaches and Brittany Kennedy. There's less physicality overseas than here. That's going to be a big change - it will be a lot more finesse and things like that," Hansen said.

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Karl Smesko Staying At FGCU, Negotiating Contract

(Courtesy of Captive Photons)

Despite being contacted by Indiana for their head coaching position, Florida Gulf Coast women's basketball coach Karl Smesko is committed to his future with FGCU, per a school release.

As the FGCU Eagles Nest first reported, Smesko and the Hoosiers talked following the resignation of IU head coach Curt Miller. After hearing he was no longer a candidate a few days later, Smesko was reportedly back in the mix early this week. Finally, he put this subject to rest on Tuesday by pulling his name out of consideration for the job.

“I am happy to be at FGCU,” Smesko said in the release. “Ken [Kavanagh, Director of Athletics] and President Bradshaw were great during this process. I really like and respect everyone I have met at Indiana University; however, the timing just wasn’t right to make this move.”

This isn't the first time Smesko was considered for a high-major position. The program's founding coach was reportedly a finalist for head coaching positions at Oregon State, Illinois, and Indiana over the past five years.

“We are extremely pleased that Karl has decided to remain an Eagle and will continue to serve as such a tremendous teacher and ambassador for FGCU,” Kavanagh said int the release. “He has established a program from scratch that has rightly earned its place amongst the finest in the nation based on our ladies’ collective accomplishments on and off the floor. In turn, we look forward to many more celebratory occasions well into the future under Coach Smesko and his outstanding staff.”

Florida Gulf Coast and Coach Smesko are currently "working on renogiating his contract", a school spokesperson informed the Eagles Nest. There are no finalized details yet. According to the News-Press, he is currently in the fifth year of a seven year contract that pays him around $200,000 this season.

Smesko has racked up over 300 wins and five Atlantic Sun regular season championships. After a heart breaking overtime loss to Oklahoma State in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, the Eagles only suffer the departure of senior Sarah Hansen. Whitney Knight leads a plethora of returning players that should be contending for another NCAA berth.

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FGCU Women's Basketball Hires Former Arkansas Assistant Nicki Collen

Florida Gulf Coast has hired former Arkansas assistant Nicki Collen to fill the FGCU women's basketball assistant coaching vacancy, the school announced Monday.

"Nicki has a very high basketball IQ and a great wealth of experience. We thought she was a great fit for our staff and would really do well at FGCU," said head coach Karl Smeskso.

Collen coached under her husband, Tom Collen, at Arkansas from 2011-2013 and prior to that, served as an assistant coach (2003-2004) and director of basketball operations (2004-2005) at Louisville. During her playing career, Collen had success at both Purdue and Marquette, as well as professional season in Greece.

"She has a lot of contacts and experience evaluating high level talent. She has a good idea of the type of players we're looking for," Smekso said. "I think she'll be able to make the transition from Arkansas to Florida Gulf Coast pretty quickly."

FGCU director of basketball operations Mel Thomas and Drake assistant David Lane were the two other finalists for the position that became open when assistant Abby Scharlow resigned.

Meanwhile, Smesko expects that assistant Chelsea Lyles will be named recruiting coordinator, in place of Scharlow.

"We expect that's the direction we'll go. We haven't made an official announcement yet but that should be coming shortly," Smesko said.

The Eagles are returning from a 26-8 season in which they fell to Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They suffer the departure of lone senior Sarah Hansen but retain a plethora of talent.

"We think we'll have a very good team. We know it will be a great challenge just to get back to the NCAA Tournament. We feel that we are a team that if we get there, we have the potential to win games in the tournament," Smesko said. "We're definitely excited about the possibility of getting back but we know there's a lot of work to be done if we're going to achieve that goal."

Smesko brings in incoming freshman guard Tayler Goodall (Colombus North HS, Ind.) as well as Vanderbilt transfer Kady Schrann. The latter of the two will have to sit out a year due to NCAA transfer rules.

Their full schedule has not been released, but FGCU will be competing at the Paradise Jam against Wichita State, Ohio State, and Clemson. In addition, they have contests against Southern Miss, FIU, Bethune Cookman, California State Northridge, and St. Joseph's, according to the News-Press.

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FGCU Women's Basketball To Compete In Paradise Jam

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

It was announced today that the Florida Gulf Coast women's basketball team will compete in the Paradise Jam for the second time.

The eight team event takes place in the US Virgin Islands from Nov. 27 through Nov. 29. It is split into two tournaments, comprised of four teams each. FGCU was placed in the Island Division and will face off against Wichita State, Clemson, and Ohio State.

The Shockers, FGCU's first opponent, finished last season with a 26-7 record, including a 14-4 mark in Missouri Valley play. As a 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they fell, 62-56, to No. 3 Penn State.

Next up on the Eagles' Paradise Jam slate is Clemson. The Tigers struggled to a 13th place finish in the ACC and a 13-19 overall record last year. To finish the tournament, Florida Gulf Coast will take on Ohio State (17-18, 5-11), of the Big Ten Conference.

In the program's first appearance at the Paradise Jam, in 2012, FGCU left with losses to DePaul and South Carolina, and a win over Hampton.

This off-season, the Eagles are coming off an Atlantic Sun Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Blue and Green lost an overtime heart breaker, 61-60, to Oklahoma State in the Big Dance.

They suffer the departure of all time leading scorer Sarah Hansen, but return a plethora of talented players. Whitney Knight and Stephanie Haas will look to build off of double digit scoring campaigns while Jenna Cobb is also primed for a breakout season.

Head Coach Karl Smesko also brings in lone incoming freshman Tayler Goodall, of Columbus North HS (Ind.). Goodall recently competed in the Indiana vs. Kentucky All-Star game, tallying five points and receiving the Wooden Citizenship Award.

Schedule At Paradise Jam
Nov. 27, 4:30 p.m: vs. Wichita State
Nov. 28, 4:30 p.m: vs. Clemson
Nov. 29, 4:30 p.m: vs. Ohio State

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

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Vanderbilt Transfer Kady Schrann Signs With FGCU

The Florida Gulf Coast women's basketball team filled their final scholarship spot for the upcoming season on Tuesday as Karl Smesko announced the signing of Vanderbilt transfer Kady Schrann.

"Kady is a great addition for us. She will add competitiveness to our practices this season and should be a major contributor the following year," Smesko said in a release. She has been a successful player in the SEC and we believe she can be more aggressive offensively at FGCU. We feel that she can be a consistent scorer in our system and we’re looking forward to having her on the court with us.”

Schrann, a 5-foot-9 guard, will sit out the 2014-15 season due to NCAA transfer rules and will have one year of eligibility remaining afterwards.

During the 2013-14 season, the Commodores junior averaged 4.1 points per game in 30 appearances. Her numbers declined ever since putting up 6.7 points per game, including a 29 point performance against LSU, as a member of the 2011-12 SEC Freshman First Team.

At York Catholic HS in Pennsylvania, Schrann tallied 2,161 career points en route to been named the 48th best class of 2011 recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz.

"FGCU stuck out to me because I watched them play against Oklahoma State, and I was like, 'They're pretty good,'" Schrann told SB Nation's Swish Appeal. "They also had my major and I was like, 'This looks like a great fit for me.'"

Schrann joins fellow 5-foot-9 guard Tayler Goodall (Columbus North HS - Indiana) in the Eagles 2014 recruiting class. ESPN graded Goodall as the No. 19 point guard in the incoming freshman class.

The two will look to build on a team that is coming off an Atlantic Sun post-season title and a narrow NCAA first round loss to Oklahoma State. The Blue and Green only suffer the departure of all time program leader in points, Sarah Hansen.

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

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NCAA Tournament: Women's Upset Bid Falls Just Short Against Oklahoma State

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Mackey Arena presented a warm, embracing environment for the FGCU women's basketball team, but the Midwestern support couldn't boost a stagnant Eagles offense late in the game, and the Blue and Green fell 61-60 in overtime to No. 5 Oklahoma State.

With 10 Florida Gulf Coast players from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin, Eagles fans dominated well over one section of Mackey Arena, with school president Wilson Bradshaw leading the charge in the front row.

As the contest got underway, FGCU struggled to keep a larger Cowgirls team off the glass and fell quickly into a 16-6 hole. The Eagles did a fantastic job getting to the basket but just couldn't convert.

“We missed wide-open layups that we usually wouldn’t miss. Today we were nervous going into the game and it came back to bite us," said senior Sarah Hansen.

But behind an electric Dirty Bird contingent, they stormed back and tore off a 19-8 run to end the 2nd half, leaving the score tied at the break. A huge factor was sophomore guard Stephanie Haas who tallied 12 of her 15 points in the first half.

The Eagles continued the run after the break and held a 10 point lead halfway through the 2nd half. At that point however, the offense became stagnant as the Cowgirls switched to a zone.

"We had a couple shot clock violations but you have to give Oklahoma State credit for taking us out of that and forcing tough shots at the end," Haas said.

The Eagles formed a five out attack which relied heavily on the outside shot but FGCU wasn't converting; they failed to score once in a six minute period and only a Kaniesha Atwater layup with 35 seconds left forced overtime.

"We we're getting complacent and weren't attacking or looking to shoot. We passed up a couple shots in the end," Hansen said. "We tried not to lose as opposed to try to win."

Absent from the court was first half spark Stephanie Haas, who recorded just seven minutes after the break.

"We were going with our most defensive lineup. Atwater, I didn't want to take her off No. 3 because she was doing such a great job," said head coach Karl Smesko.

Now 0-2 in NCAA Tournament appearances, Florida Gulf Coast ended the season 26-8 and will be losing senior and points record holder Sarah Hansen. They bring in three star guard Tayler Goodall out of Columbus, Ind., and redshirt freshman Taylor Gradinjan will return following an ACL injury.

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NCAA Tournament: FGCU Women's Basketball Primed For Oklahoma State

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

After defeating Stetson in the Atlantic Sun finals, the FGCU women's basketball team is primed for their first round NCAA Tournament matchup with No. 5 Oklahoma State.

"Our goal all season long was to make it to the NCAA Tournament, and we had to win a couple last-second games or overtime games to put us in this position. But we're excited about the opportunity and we're trying to be as prepared as we can to be competitive and to give us the best opportunity to win," said head coach Karl Smesko.

The Eagles (26-7, 17-1) found their way into their 2nd NCAA Tournament through timely long range shooting; the Blue and Green convert on 35% of their three point attempts.

"I don't think there's any pressure. We just have to make sure we continue what we've been doing all year," said Whitney Knight. "We know we can knock down the shots."

Leading the charge for the Eagles is Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Sarah Hansen, who is averaging 13.8 ppg, and 7.1 rpg.

"We know we belong here and we're excited to be here," Hansen said.

The tip-off is at 11:00 a.m. and the game can be watched on ESPN2.

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FGCU Women Capture Fourth Straight Conference Title

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

Although it was a little to close for comfort, the FGCU women's basketball team took home their fourth straight Atlantic Sun regular season championship after Stephanie Haas sunk two free throws with .2 seconds left to give the Eagles a 74-73 win over Stetson.

Even with the Eagles shooting just 33% from the field, they had five double digit scorers: DyTiesha Dunson 10, Sarah Hansen 15, Whitney Knight 14, Jenna Cobb 14, and Stephanie Haas 16. Knight also recorded ten rebounds for a double-double.

The Hatters dominated the glass 48-37, but the Blue and Green countered through forcing 21 Stetson turnovers on 11 steals.

Now with the No. 1 seed in the A-Sun tournament, Florida Gulf Coast holds home court advantage throughout. They will open with No. 8 Lipscomb on Tuesday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2.

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

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FGCU WBB Streak Ends With Loss To NKU

(Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson)

The Eagles headed into Highland Heights on Saturday night looking to extend their Atlantic Sun dominance. But instead, NKU halted FGCU, and their streak, 63-43. Prior to last night, the Eagles had won 44 straight Atlantic Sun games, a national record.

Whitney Knight poured in 19 points and added 4 blocks but that was not enough to boost an otherwise stagnant Eagles offense. NKU went on a 19-0 run to end the first half and never looked back.

Florida Gulf Coast is now 14-7 (8-1) on the season and tied for 1st in the A-Sun with rival Stetson. They head to ETSU on Thursday, Feb. 6

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FGCU Signing Day Special

Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson

Today marks the beginning of an early signing period that lasts until Nov. 20. A plethora of Florida Gulf Coast commits from many different sports will be signing their LOI today so the Eagles Nest breaks it down.

*If you will be signing today and are not on the list, contact me (fgcueaglesnest@gmail.com)!

Men's Basketball
Christian Terrell (Providence HS), 6-2 SG: The internet sensation will be signing his LOI to Florida Gulf Coast today. Terrell, in addition to throwing down monster dunks, has great court vision and can drive to the rim with control. His fellow teammate, Grayson Allen, will also be signing with his respective college, Duke, today.

Eric Moeller (Co. Central Florida) 6-11 C : The junior college signee is currently at the College of Central Florida. Out of high school he had offers from FGCU and Belmont. He has a good inside presence and can also run well in transition.

Other commits: Zach Johnson (will be signing Monday, Nov. 18)

Baseball
Devin Smeltzer (Bishop Eustace Prep) 6-3 LHP: The New Jersey native is a phenomenal pitcher who throws up to 91 mph; he can continue in a great line of tradition in Fort Myers. At a young age, Smeltzer overcame cancer and now is pursuing his dream. You can watch him pitch in the Perfect Game All American Game here.

Dash Winningham (Trinity Catholic) 6-2 1B: The 2013 Underclass High Honorable Mention visited FGCU, with multiple other commits, and will sign with the Eagles today.

Chris Hopkins (DeLand HS) 6-5 RHP: Hopkins, a righty, is another talented young pitcher in Dave Tollett's class of 2014. He joined Winningham as a 2013 Underclass High Honorable Mention.

Kyle Gilbert (Seminole HS) 6-0 C: The lone catcher of FGCU's class, Gilbert was the 2012 PG WWBA Underclass World Championship MVP.

Zeke Pietrzyk (Estero HS) 6-2 LHP: Pietrzyk is another southpaw, who has been clocked at 85 mph. The local kid will be fun to watch with the Eagles. He was the Most Valuable Pitcher at the same 2012 PG WWBA Underclass World Championship.

Zach Spivey (Spruce Creek HS) 5-8 OF: The speedster covers a lot of ground in the outfield and has a nice swing at the plate. Great addition to the Eagles' class.

Other commits: Matthew Reardon

Softball
Brittany McGuire (Florida Storm) 5-8 3B: Started on varisty as a freshman and led the county in RBIs and slugging percentage.

Kori Dunn (Lake Howell HS) C/OF: Last season, as a junior, Dunn batted .389 with 16 RBIs and was a perfect 27 for 27 in stolen bases.

Brianne Innamorato (Bishop Eustace Prep): From Jersey to Dunk City, Innamorato joins Smeltzer as Eagles commits from Bishop Eustace.

Other commits: Gabriela Draney, Chandler Middlebrook, Natalie Lopez, Riley Randolph

Women's Basketball
Taylor Goodall (Columbus North HS) 5-9 G: During her junior season Goodall averaged 13.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.4 steals en route to a 25-1 Bulldogs record.

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Kaneisha Atwater Eligible To Play Immediately

Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson

Kaneisha Atwater, a VCU transfer, has now been deemed eligible by the NCAA to play immediately for FGCU.

Back on Oct. 17, the NCAA denied the initial waiver in order for Atwater to play immediately, and according the News-Press, FGCU promptly decided to appeal the ruling. VCU also said they would give their full support. Clearly the NCAA has overturned their initial ruling.

According to a NDN story, VCU head coach Marlene Stolling wrote to the NCAA, supporting Atwater and "encouraging" for immediate eligibility.

Atwater's decision to transfer to Dunk City was in order to be closer to her one year old son, Andario, in Fort Pierce. The NCAA has been very unusual in the waiver granting process, approving some that seem absurd while denying others that have legitimate reasons. Regardless, Atwater is now ready to play immediately, an encouraging sign for the Eagles team and her personal duties.

With the Rams, Atwater played in all 30 games and started in 12, averaging 6.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. She is a sophomore and his three years of eligibility left.

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FGCU MBB & WBB Various Preseason Rankings

Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson

Men's Basketball
After ending last season's final USA Today Coaches poll ranked at No. 25, FGCU is unranked in both the Coaches and AP preseason college basketball poll. In fact, the Eagles received no votes at all. None of FGCU's opponents are ranked either.

However, in College Insider's mid-major poll, Dunk City was ranked at No. 11 with 267 points. No other A-Sun team made the top 25 but Mercer received 50 points and USC Upstate received 11 points. Iona, who FGCU plays on Dec. 1, were out of the top 25 but received 99 points. The voting panel includs Lipscomb's Casey Alexander.

Women's Basketball
Similarly, the lady Eagles are not ranked in the USA Today Coaches poll or the AP poll. Numerous FGCU opponents however are ranked (Coaches): Stanford (No. 3) and LSU (No. 17). FGCU will be battling Stanford on Nov. 27 in the Hardwood Tournament of Hope and will travel to Baton Rouge on Dec. 17.

In College Insider's mid-major poll, FGCU is ranked No. 10 with 411 total points. South Dakota State, the Eagles' opponent in the same tournament in Mexico, are ranked at No. 8. Atlantic Sun foe Stetson accumulated 96 points but did not make the top 25.

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Eagles In The Classroom: NCAA Release GSR

Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson

Today the NCAA released its annual Graduation Success Rate (GSR) reports. This is the class that began college in 2006 and is calculated by students who graduated within six years. Headlining FGCU sports are Women's Soccer and Women's Tennis, both of whom had a 100% GSR rate. Here is FGCU's full list.

Men's Sports
Basketball: 53%
Baseball: 60%
Cross Country: 38%
Golf: 80%
Tennis: 73%

Women's Sports
Basketball: 40%
Cross Country: 56%
Golf: 83%
Soccer: 100%
Softball: 72%
Swim & Dive: 67%
Tennis: 100%
Volleyball: 89%

Overall, the Atlantic Sun conference had 26 perfect scores, including every Women's Tennis team (for the 2nd year in a row). Fifty-one A-Sun schools posted a score equal to or higher than the national average.

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Women's Basketball Preseason News & Notes

Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson

The FGCU Eagles Nest brings you some news and notes in a busy day for the FGCU Women's Basketball team.

Today the A-Sun released the women's basketball preseason polls and awards. Representing FGCU on the preseason First Team All Atlantic Sun is senior guard Sarah Hansen, a unanimous choice, and redshirt sophomore guard Whitney Knight. Hansen, a McKean, Pa. product, was also chosen as the preseason A-Sun Player of the Year (in addition to being fan voted as POY). Also, the fans voted the Eagles' DyTiesha Dunson as the A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year.

FGCU, in both the coaches and media polls, landed at the top of the A-Sun. In the Coaches Poll, the Eagles had 97 points with 7 total first place votes. With 327 points and 30 place votes, they also topped the Media Poll.

Full polls:

Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll
1. FGCU (7) 97
2. Stetson (2) 86
3. Mercer (1) 83
4. Northern Kentucky 66
T-5. ETSU 49
T-5. North Florida 49
7. Jacksonville 43
8. USC Upstate 41
9. Lipscomb 22
10. Kennesaw State 14

Preseason Women’s Basketball Media Poll 

1. FGCU (30) 327 

2. Stetson (2) 285 

3. Mercer (1) 244 

4. Northern Kentucky 183 

5. USC Upstate 163 

6. North Florida 158 

7. ETSU 151 

8. Jacksonville 132 

9. Kennesaw State 89 

10. Lipscomb 83 

In other FGCU WBB news, the NCAA denied a wavier, in order to play immediately, for VCU transfer Kaneisha Atwater. Atwater, a Ft. Pierce native, averaged 6.2 ppg in 30 games for the Rams last season. Per Seth Soffian & News-Press, she wanted to be closer to her one year old son Andarios.

In the same News-Press article, FGCU women's basketball Karl Smesko coach had this to say.

"In my opinion, Kaneisha’s case is exactly why you need to have exceptions to rules. That’s why the NCAA has these waiver opportunities in place. It seems pretty simple when you look at the facts: a young mother transfers solely for the purpose of being more involved with the raising of her son."

FGCU is planning on appealing the NCAA's denial.

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FGCU Extends Men's And Women's Basketball Coverage With Use Of ESPN3

Courtesy of Linwood Ferguson

Thanks to a partnership between the A-Sun and ESPN, FGCU Men's Basketball will have 24 games broadcasted either on T.V or ESPN3 this season, including the first 11 games. The new release scheduled the 10 remaining Eagles' home games to be on ESPN3, allowing viewers to watch all of the Eagles' home games in the comfort of their own home.

In addition, three of FGCU's away games (Sat. Jan 25 @ Kennesaw State, Sat. Feb. 15 @ USC Upstate, Thu. Feb. @ Lipscomb) will be broadcasted on ESPN3. Each of those three opponents were A-Sun members who were already utilizing the ESPN3 system.

So now, 10 of FGCU Men's Basketball's home games will be on ESPN3, one on ESPN2, one on ESPNU, one on WINK CBS, and one on CSS. Away games includes broadcasts on Big Ten Network, Fox Sports 1, and other networks previously mentioned. The Men's A-Sun semifinals will also be broadcasted on ESPN3.

Also the FGCU Women's Basketball team will now have all 15 of its home games on ESPN3. They will also broadcast the semifinals and finals of the A-Sun women's tournament.

Excluding on air personalities and production positions, the system will be entirely student run.

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