LAST GAME: COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AT TCU, 73-72
(Box Score on Page 26) FORT WORTH, Texas - Despite trailing by as many as 16 early in the second half, FGCU fought all the way back and had several chances to take the lead in the final seconds, but came up short in a 73-72 season-opening loss at TCU last Friday night at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. • Three different players reached double figures for the Eagles, led by freshman BERNARD THOMPSON’S 15 points off the bench. Thompson poured in 11 of his 15 in the first half, while adding six rebounds and four assists. • The catalyst of the second half comeback, freshman BRETT COMER had a hand in 24 of FGCU’s 41 points in the final frame. Comer finished the game with 12 points and five assists with all but two of the points coming over the final 20 minutes. Sophomore CHASE FIELER turned in a clean stat line with 12 points on 4-of4 from the field, including 3-for-3 from long range, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. • The Horned Frogs shot just a shade under 50 percent (27-55) thanks to making just 4-of-18 from long range. • On the flipside, FGCU shot a torrid 61 percent (27-44) from the field and won the battle on the boards by a 30-24 margin, but was undone by 29 turnovers that led to a 30-18 edge in points off giveaways for the Horned Frogs.
SWEET NOVEMBER
FGCU will play seven games over 17-day span to open the season. Out of those seven games, five will come on the road, including two trips to Texas. The last four games of the month will come away from home in Texas, Miami and Maryland.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
FGCU was predicted to finish in eighth place in both preseason Atlantic Sun polls voted on by the league coaches and media. The Eagles finished with a 7-13 mark in the A-Sun last season, which was good for seventh place and a spot in the postseason tournament, if they were eligible.
BOMBS AWAY
Sophomore CHRISTOPHE VARIDEL ranked second in the A-Sun in three-pointers per game (2.6) in his rookie campaign, making total of 78 on the season. His 78 threes were the fifth-most by a freshman in the entire country and the fourth-best total in program history. Varidel made three or more trifectas in a game 16 times and accounted for 45 percent of the team’s long range makes on the year. The Versoix, Switzerland product finished second on the team in scoring (11.2) and was named to the A-Sun All-Freshmen squad.
MR. FEBRUARY
Junior SHERWOOD BROWN will be a key component to FGCU’s success under first-year head coach ANDY ENFIELD. Sparked by a career-high 26 points in the season finale at USC Upstate, Brown finished the month of 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. He also upped his effort on the boards, equaling a career-high nine rebounds on a pair of occasions down the stretch.
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
A-SUN RANKED 17TH
The 10-member Atlantic Sun Conference was lauded by CBS College Sports as the 17th-best Division I men's basketball conference, according to the media outlet's preseason rankings. Last year, Belmont represented the A-Sun in the NCAA Tournament, while Jacksonville and ETSU played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The second half of the 2010-11 season was a youth movement for the Eagles, as underclassmen led the team in scoring 18 of out the last 20 games. Then-freshman CHRISTOPHE VARIDEL was the catalyst, leading the team in scoring eight times over the 20 games. Redshirt sophomore ANTHONY BANKS, who transferred out, led the team in scoring six times over the span. Then sophomore SHERWOOD BROWN used a 26-point outing in the season finale at USC Upstate to cap a run of three of four games he led the team.
HEATING UP
After averaging 8.3 points over the first 15 games of his freshman season, CHRISTOPHE VARIDEL reached the double figure plateau 12 times over the final 15 games in which he averaged 14.7 points. Varidel's second half scoring surge helped him finish 17th in the A-Sun in scoring (11.5), good for third among league freshmen.
ON THE OFFENSIVE
Not equipped with a lot of size in the paint, FGCU made up for it by staying active on the offensive glass in 2010-11. The Eagles finished second in the A-Sun in offensive rebounds per game (13.2). FGCU has grabbed double figure offensive boards in 52 of its last 59 games (last 2 years), including 26 last season. The Green and Blue finished 2010-11 with a streak of eight straight games with double figure offensive caroms.
Despite having just four players over 6-foot-8, FGCU has one of the biggest players in the A-Sun Conference manning its frontline in 6-foot-10, 254-lb. forward KEVIN CANTINOL. The senior came on strong over the final 10 months of last season after becoming eligible mid-year after transferring from SEC foe Mississippi. Cantinol averaged 7.9 and 6.3 rebounds over the last 10 games despite making just four starts. Over the final 10 games, Cantinol led the team in rebounding five times and collected 27 offensive caroms.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
FGCU’s roster will not only have a new look on the sideline, but also on the court as first-year head coach Andy Enfield ushered in six new players. Included in the six newcomers are five freshmen, giving the Eagles a total of nine underclassmen. The talented freshmen class includes a quartet of guards and 6-foot-9 small forward FILIP CVJETICANIN from Croatia.
5
GAME2 VS. AVE MARIA (NOV. 14)
5