FRESH START
Coming off a season in which he played just 84 total minutes, redshirt junior EDDIE MURRAY is thriving under the guidance of first-year head coach ANDY ENFIELD. Armed with athleticism and leadership, Murray is providing a youthful roster with career-highs of 6.6 points and 4.3 points per game. The Fort Myers product produced his first career double-double against Maine, going for career-bests of 11 points and 14 rebounds over 36 minutes. Murray is shooting a scalding 63 percent (31-49) from the floor over 22 minutes per game. Murray has nearly hit the totals he put up through two full seasons in just 11 games this year. YEAR(S) 2009-11 2011-12
GAMES 53 12
POINTS 99 79
REB. (OFF) DBL-DBL 56 (22) 0 52 (14) 1
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU
Highlighted by his first career double-double at Miami and a 20-point outing against ETSU, junior SHERWOOD BROWN has carried over a strong finish to his sophomore campaign into this season. Brown has reached double figures six times in 10 contests, including three straight games played, leading the team in scoring (11.8) and ranking second in rebounding (5.0) - figures that rank 11th and 19th in the A-Sun, respectively. Sparked by a career-high 26 points in last year's season finale at USC Upstate, Brown finished last February (10 games) with a 11.2 scoring average - more than four points above his season mark. Brown reached double figures in each of the final four games, averaging 18.3 points while leading the team in scoring three times. Brown's strong end to last season was capped by a career-high 26 points at USC Upstate that included seven three-pointers.
SPARK PLUGS
A big part of the early success of the FGCU bench has been the performances by freshman BERNARD THOMPSON and sophomore CHRISTOPHE VARIDEL off the pine. Both have also been in the starting lineup, but have turned in seasonhighs off the bench. Thompson has reached double figures all three games off the bench, averaging 14.7 points while shooting 53 percent (16-30). Varidel's 12.1 points per game average off the pine is 4.4 points better than his average in the starting five. Varidel poured in 20 points at SMU and against Maine, 17 at Loyola Maryland and 16 against Toledo to lead the team in scoring all four times off the bench.
STICKY FINGERS
Aside from being the league's top scoring freshman (11.7), BERNARD THOMPSON has used is long 6-foot-3 frame to his benefit on the defensive end. Thompson has a steal in 10 straight games, ranking second in the A-Sun at 1.9 thefts per game. During the current 10-game streak, Thompson has nine multi-steal performances. Thompson is on pace for 58 steals, a mark that would finish top five in single-season history. As a team, FGCU equaled a season-high for the third time with 11 steals against Maine.
SECOND HALF SURGE
Highlighted by three second half performances of 15 points by three different players, FGCU has turned in some great stretches over the final 20 minutes. At Miami, FGCU tied a program D-1 record for second half points given up by limiting the Hurricanes to 18 points on 4-of-24 from the field. At Nebraska, the Eagles limited the Huskers to just 25 second half points. SHERWOOD BROWN (at Miami), BRETT COMER (Ave Maria) and BERNARD THOMPSON (at Loyola) have all scored 15 points in one second half.
6
MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS Double-Figure Scoring Games (38) ... Player 08-09 Sherwood Brown -- Kevin Cantinol -- Brett Comer -- Filip Cvjeticanin -- Chase Fieler -- Dante Holmes -- Eddie Murray -- Bernard Thompson -- Christophe Varidel --
09-10 4 -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- --
10-11 6 7 -- -- 5 -- -- -- 17
11-12 6 -- 5 2 6 3 2 9 5
Career 16 7 5 2 11 3 4 9 22
20-Point Scoring Games (3) ... Player 08-09 Sherwood Brown -- Christophe Varidel --
09-10 0 --
10-11 1 1
11-12 1 2
Career 2 3
30-Point Scoring Games (0) ... Player 08-09
09-10
10-11
11-12
Career
3 + Three-Pointers in a Game (13) ... Player 08-09 Sherwood Brown -- Filip Cvjeticanin -- Chase Fieler -- Bernard Thompson -- Chrisophe Varidel --
09-10 1 -- -- -- --
10-11 3 -- 4 -- 16
11-12 3 1 1 1 7
Career 7 1 5 1 23
5 + Three-Pointers in a Game (1) ... Player 08-09 Sherwood Brown -- Chase Fieler -- Christophe Varidel --
09-10 0 -- --
10-11 1 1 1
11-12 -- -- 1
Career 1 1 2
Double Figure Rebounding Games (3) ... Player 08-09 09-10 Sherwood Brown -- 0 Kevin Cantinol -- -- Chase Fieler -- -- Eddie Murray -- 0
10-11 0 1 1 0
11-12 1 -- 1 1
Career 1 1 2 1
5+ Offensive Rebound Games (2) ... Player 08-09 Kevin Cantinol -- Chase Fieler -- Eddie Murray --
09-10 -- -- 0
10-11 2 1 0
11-12 -- 1 1
Career 2 2 1
Double-Doubles (4) ... Player Sherwood Brown Brett Comer Chase Fieler Eddie Murray
08-09 -- -- -- --
09-10 0 -- -- 0
10-11 0 -- 1 0
11-12 1 1 1 1
Career 1 1 1 1
5 + Assist Games (8) ... Player Brett Comer Chase Fieler
08-09 -- --
09-10 -- --
10-11 -- 0
11-12 7 1
Career 7 1
Double Figure Assist Games (2) ... Player 08-09 Brett Comer --
09-10 --
10-11 --
11-12 2
Caree 2
3 + Steals in a Game (14) ... Player Sherwood Brown Brett Comer Chase Fieler Dante Holmes Eddie Murray Ed Rolax Bernard Thompson Christophe Varidel
08-09 -- -- -- -- -- 2 -- --
09-10 1 -- -- -- 1 -- -- --
10-11 -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- 1
11-12 2 4 2 2 -- -- 3 --
Career 3 4 3 2 1 2 3 1
3 + Blocks in a Game (2) ... Player 08-09 Chase Fieler -- Ed Rolax --
09-10 -- 1
10-11 1 --
11-12 2 --
Career 3 1
GAME13 AT MERCER (JAN. 2)