WACO, Texas – Coming off an impressive win Wednesday night over fellow mid-major power UT Arlington, the FGCU men's basketball team continues its challenging season-opening stretch as it faces a quick turnaround Friday night at 8 Eastern against Baylor.
 
FGCU posted its largest comeback in the program's Division-I era against UT Arlington as the Eagles erased a 16-point deficit (one shy of matching the all-time mark set in 2005-06) to claim an 85-72 win in front of a sellout crowd Wednesday. UTA entered the game ranked #5 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25 – the preeminent mid-major poll in the nation – while the Eagles were #23.
 
The Eagles' formidable stretch of opponents to tip off the year continues with Baylor as the Bears knocked off #4 nationally-ranked Oregon on Tuesday at home, 66-49. After the contest with the Big 12 member, FGCU will play its third game in six days in three different states when the Green and Blue visit East Lansing to face #13 nationally-ranked Michigan State on Sunday night.
 
TWEETABLES
1) Leading returning scorer (17.1 PPG) and rebounder (9.3 RPG) Marc-Eddy Norelia will not play as he recovers from a broken left (shooting) hand suffered in practice last month.
2) Beginning with Baylor, FGCU's next four games are part of the Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland tournament (more information below).
3) Despite Norelia not playing against UTA, FGCU still finished with a 37-27 rebounding advantage over the Mavericks, who led the nation in rebounding last year (43 per game).
4) FGCU has shot exactly 8-20 (40 percent) from 3-point range the first two games; in Dooley's first three years the Eagles never shot 40 percent with 20+ attempts versus a non-conference D-I opponent.
5) Zach Johnson and Brandon Goodwin accounted for 65 percent of FGCU's 54 2nd-half points (35) against UTA, shooting 11-16 from the floor and 5-6 from 3-point range.
 
SCOUTING BAYLOR
^ Baylor returns six letterwinners from a team which went 22-12 and made the NCAA Tournament for a program-record third-straight year. All of its losses came to fellow NCAA Tournament teams, with only Iowa State and national title game participants Villanova and North Carolina able to boast that claim.
^ In addition to the win over Oregon, Baylor opened its season with a 76-61 victory against Oral Roberts.
^ The Bears have just one senior on the roster, but BU has five players in their fourth years of college basketball and 11 players overall who are at least 20 years old.
^ Baylor is one of 13 teams to be nationally ranked in each of the last nine seasons entering 2016-17.
^ BU was picked to finish 5th in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll, behind Kansas, West Virginia, Texas and Iowa State.
^ Starting point guard Manu Lecomte was named Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Johnathan Motley was named to the five-player Preseason All-Big 12 Team and is on preseason watch lists for the Naismith Award, Karl Malone Award and Lute Olson Award.
 
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Of FGCU's 13 D-I non-conference opponents, seven finished last year ranked in the top 130 of the RPI, and three were in the top 50. All seven of those teams won at least 20 games and made postseason appearances in 2015-16.
 
The Eagles are halfway through their opening daunting stretch of Florida, UT Arlington, Baylor and Michigan State. Below is a closer look at those four opponents based off last season.
 
vs. RV Florida: 21-15; 45 RPI; NIT
UT Arlington: 24-11; 107 RPI; CIT
@ Baylor: 22-12; 27 RPI; NCAA
@ #13 Michigan State: 29-6; 12 RPI; NCAA
Total: 96-44; 48 Avg. RPI; 4 Postseason Appearances
 
BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS MAINLAND
The Battle 4 Atlantis is a tournament which has taken place in the Bahamas Thanksgiving week every year since 2011. In addition to that eight-team tournament at the Atlantis Resort – which Baylor and Michigan State will be competing in – there is a U.S. mainland component. The outcomes of those games do not have any impact on the tournament games in the Bahamas.
 
Six teams will be playing a "non-bracketed" home game against one of three Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland schools (FGCU plays Michigan State and Baylor, Binghamton plays St. John's and VCU and Long Beach State plays Wichita State and Louisville) before the tournament. In addition, the three schools will play games against each other in the Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland from Nov. 23–25 at Alico Arena (FGCU vs. Binghamton; Binghamton vs. Long Beach State; FGCU vs. Long Beach State).
 
UT ARLINGTON RECAP
UT Arlington dominated the 1st half, but FGCU rolled over the Mavericks in the 2nd half to claim an impressive win at Alico Arena Wednesday night.
 
Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) and Goodwin (Norcross, Ga./Norcross HS) keyed the comeback with a game-high-tying 24 points each as the Eagles erased a 13-point halftime deficit. FGCU shot a gaudy 70 percent (16-23) from the field in the 2nd half while UTA was limited to just 31 percent (10-32) after connecting at a 60-percent rate (18-30) in the 1st half.
 
UT Arlington – the preseason Sun Belt Conference favorite which returns all five starters from a 24-win team a season ago – looked every bit the part of it in the opening 20 minutes. The Mavericks executed inside and out, shooting 54 percent (7-13) from 3-point range and out-scoring the Eagles in the paint, 20-16, to take a 44-31 halftime lead.
 
FGCU – the preseason ASUN Conference favorite which returned four starters from a 21-win team a season ago – looked every bit the part of it in the closing 20 minutes. The Eagles shot an unconscious 88 percent (7-8) from 3-point range, came out of the intermission on an extended 21-6 run and at one point made 10-straight field goals late to ice the game and out-score the Mavericks by 26 points in the second stanza.
 
OPENING TIP ITEMS
^ FGCU is predicted to return to the NCAA Tournament where it posted a record 31-point win, 96-65, in the First Four this past March over fellow 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.
^ The Eagles will be looking for their fifth postseason appearance in only six years of D-I eligibility: 2013 NCAA, 2014 NIT, 2015 CIT, 2016 NCAA. FGCU is believed to be the only D-I team in NCAA history to make four postseason appearances in its first five years of eligibility.
 
LOADED RETURNING GROUP
FGCU returns 83 percent of its points, 87 percent of its rebounds and 86 percent of its assists this season after losing just two players to graduation last year.
 
ASUN PRESEASON FAVORITES | Complete Poll And Teams
The Eagles received six of eight 1st-place votes in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll and garnered 62 points to finish 12 ahead of 2nd-place North Florida, which collected the other two 1st-place votes. NJIT was picked 3rd, just three points behind the Ospreys, while Lipscomb was slotted 4th. Stetson, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State and USC Upstate rounded out the poll in spots 5-8, respectively.
 
In addition to the team honor, redshirt senior Norelia (Orlando, Fla./Tulane/Olympia HS) was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Conference Team, redshirt sophomore Johnson was also a preseason team pick and redshirt senior Demetris Morant (Miami, Fla./UNLV/Bishop Gorman HS) was tabbed as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
MID-MAJOR POLL | Complete Poll
In addition to FGCU ranking #23 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, the ASUN has another representative as North Florida is receiving votes. The Eagles also have home games against a pair of other teams ranked in the poll (#15 Long Beach State, Nov. 25; #22 Siena, Dec. 9), in addition to a home-and-home series this year with Georgia Southern (Dec. 13 at home) which is receiving votes in the poll.
 
MOST WINS IN FLORIDA
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, FGCU has the 3rd-most wins among D-I schools in the state of Florida:
 
1) Florida: 75
2) Miami: 71
3) FGCU: 66
4) North Florida: 64
5) Florida State: 60
6) FIU: 45
7) Jacksonville: 40
8) UCF: 39
9) Bethune-Cookman: 34
10) Stetson: 32
11) USF: 31
12) FAU: 27
13) Florida A&M: 24
 
As FGCU has moved among some of the preeminent teams in the state, it has done so with Florida talent. Of returning team members from last year's squad, Florida natives were responsible for 68 percent of FGCU's points and 70 percent of the Green and Blue's rebounds.
 
RECAPPING 2015-16: 21-15 Overall; 8-6 ASUN, T-2nd
^ FGCU finished tied for 2nd in the ASUN with Jacksonville and NJIT at 8-6, but earned the 4th seed in the conference tournament.
^ The Eagles defeated 5th-seeded Kennesaw State at home in the quarterfinals, 74-64, went on the road and destroyed top-seeded North Florida, 89-56, and won the title at home against 7th-seeded Stetson in overtime, 80-78.
^ The ASUN Championship was the second for FGCU in four years. The Eagles have played in the title game in four of the five seasons they've been D-I postseason eligible.
^ FGCU received a 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament and played the opening game of March Madness in the First Four against Fairleigh Dickinson, posting the aforementioned record 31-point win, 96-65.
^ The Eagles went on to face top seed and eventual national-runner up North Carolina and trailed by just one point at halftime before falling, 83-67, in Raleigh. The one-point halftime margin was the smallest lead the Tar Heels had at intermission all NCAA Tournament.
 
POSTSEASON NUMBERS
With the win over FDU, FGCU secured its third NCAA Tournament victory in four years. The Eagles are the only current ASUN member which has won an NCAA Tournament game, and are responsible for three of the league's seven all-time NCAA Tournament victories, dating back to the ASUN's initial appearance in March Madness in 1981.
 
Additionally, FGCU is one of only two teams all-time with three wins in just five NCAA Tournament contests, with the other being Cleveland State. The only schools with more than three NCAA victories all-time have played at least nine games to get those four wins.
 
IN THE TOP 10 PERCENT
FGCU is one of just 31 teams in the nation to have won at least 20 games and played in the postseason each of the last four years, ranking the Eagles among the top-10 percent of clubs in the nation.
 
Furthermore, FGCU is one of just eight schools in the country to have its men's and women's teams win at least 20 games in four-straight seasons: Duke, Louisville, Kentucky, BYU, Baylor, UConn and Saint Mary's.
 
BAHAMIAN SUMMER
FGCU spent Aug. 5-10 at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, playing three exhibition games and bonding as a team off the court. The Eagles won their three games by scores of 92-89, 113-58 and 87-69. In their first game, because of foul trouble and an injury-shortened bench, the Green and Blue finished the contest with just three players (watch).
 
PAINT EMPHASIS
Since Dooley has taken over the FGCU program, the Eagles have had a big emphasis on scoring in the paint. In addition to finishing last year ranked 4th in the nation by having 61.1 percent of its total points last year coming off 2-point baskets, the Eagles scored 50 paint points or more on four occasions last year. In FGCU's entire pre-D-I era (2002-07), that happened just two times. FGCU out-scored its opponent in the paint 26 times last year, including 19 of its final 22 games.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
FGCU has the following records under the direction of Dooley:
 
Leading At The Half: 50-4 (.926)
Holding Opponent Below 40% FG: 38-4 (.905)
Grabbing More Rebounds: 55-10 (.846)
Scoring At Least 70 Points: 45-9 (.833)
Scoring At Least 80 Points: 26-3 (.897)
 
MORE NUMBERS
The Eagles scored 80 or more points last year 16 times. In Dooley's first two years at the helm, FGCU reached that mark just 12 times total. They overcame two 2nd-half double-digit deficits in the same season for the first time in program history. Additionally, the 58 points scored off the bench on Nov. 23 against Bowling Green were the most in the program's D-I history.
 
RE-TWEETS
1) FGCU is the only D-I team in the state of Florida which has posted three-straight 20-win seasons (four-consecutive for the Eagles).
2) FGCU set D-I single-season program records last year in points per game (77.2), rebounds per game (40.6) and field-goal percentage (47.9).
3) The Eagles played five overtime games last year, setting a single-season program record. In its entire pre-D-I history, FGCU played three total OT contests.
4) Ten times last season FGCU had a game decided by five points or less. The Eagles were 6-4 in such games.
 
THE GROWTH OF FGCU
After starting their D-I transition with five-straight losing seasons, the Eagles have now posted four-consecutive 20-win seasons. After not finishing higher than 6th place in the ASUN the first five years, FGCU has finished no worse than a tie for 2nd each of the past four seasons.
 
2007-08: 10-21, 6-10 ASUN (T-8th)
2008-09: 11-20, 7-13 ASUN (9th)
2009-10: 8-21, 5-15 ASUN (T-10th)
2010-11: 10-20, 7-13 ASUN (7th)
2011-12: 15-17, 8-10 ASUN (T-6th)
2012-13: 26-11, 13-5 ASUN (2nd)
2013-14: 22-13, 14-4 ASUN (T-1st)
2014-15: 22-11, 11-3 ASUN (2nd)
2015-16: 21-13, 8-6 ASUN (T-2nd)
2016-17: 1-1, 0-0 ASUN
D-I Total: 146-149, 79-79 ASUN
Last 4 Years: 92-50, 46-18 ASUN
 
NATIONAL RANKS
FGCU finished in the top 25 in the nation in a trio of key categories last year: 3-point percentage defense (12th, 30.4), rebounds per game (14th, 40.6) and field-goal percentage (23rd, 47.9).
 
RECORD-SETTING SEASONS
Norelia broke the program's single-season double-double record last year with 16. He established program single-season records in points (597), rebounds (325) and field goals made (234). Norelia led FGCU in scoring and rebounding, ranking 6th in the ASUN in points per game, 2nd in rebounds per game and 4th in field-goal percentage (54.5).
 
Johnson established the program's single-season record for points by a freshman with 387. He came on strong after the turn of the calendar to 2016 as the scoring point guard totaled 65 percent (252 of 387) of his points after conference play began.
 
PLAYER QUICK HITS
0 Brandon Goodwin: Averaged 10.2 points and a team-high 4.2 assists per game at UCF as a sophomore in 2014-15 … started all 30 games, with his scoring average ranking 22nd in the American Athletic Conference and his assist average ranking 4th in the league.
1 Reggie Reid: ASUN Newcomer of the Week (Nov. 23) … played in 34 games, making 14 starts … 106 assists were the 2nd-most among all ASUN freshmen (Johnson, 115) … 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio was the 3rd-highest in the league and best by a freshman.
3 Rayjon Tucker: ASUN Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 14) … appeared in all 35 games, making one start (Stetson, Jan. 9) … reached double-figure points eight times.
10 Kevin Mickle: Averaged 2.1 points and 2 rebounds per game … appeared in 31 games and logged a total of 323 minutes … emerged as a valuable defensive presence … grabbed five or more rebounds on four occasions.
11 Christian Terrell: FGCU's 2nd-leading scorer and 3rd-leading rebounder in terms of total boards (177) … led the team in steals (1.2) ... increased his scoring by 9.4 points per game from 3.3 as a freshman … grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds against Youngstown State (Nov. 21), one shy of matching the D-I program single-game record.
13 RaySean Scott Jr.: Ranked as the nation's 22nd-best small forward in his high school class by ESPN, which also tabbed him as a 3-star recruit ... as a senior he averaged team highs of 18 points and 12 rebounds per game … Second Team All-State selection and First Team All-Conference pick.
21 Demetris Morant: Injury-plagued season which saw him miss 12 games early in the year and again at the beginning of the conference slate … played in 23 games, making 18 starts … rebound average was the 2nd-best on the team.
23 Christian Carlyle: Finished his high school career with 2,112 points … as a senior he was named Florida Class 5A Player of the Year and Florida Times Union Player of the Year … averaged 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in leading his team to the state championship final and a 27-5 record.
32 Antravious Simmons: His 178 total rebounds were the 2nd-most on the team … posted a pair of double-doubles … nearly averaged a double-double with 12 points and 9.7 rebounds in three ASUN Championship games … posted career highs with 21 points and 12 rebounds in the ASUN Final in only 23 minutes against Stetson (Mar. 6).
 
LOCKING IN ON D
Since Dooley took over FGCU in 2013-14, FGCU has held 29 teams to 60 points or fewer. The Sweet Sixteen team in 2012-13 held 13 opponents to 60 points or fewer, but prior to that – in five seasons of D-I history – FGCU teams had only held opponents to 60 points or fewer 20 times.
 
The Eagles have led the ASUN in scoring defense in two of Dooley's three years with FGCU and finished 2nd in the other season.
 
PROTECTING THE ROCK
FGCU set the single-season program record with nine games of single-digit turnovers last year, surpassing the previous record of eight from 2014-15. Eight single-digit turnover games is exactly how many the Eagles had in their entire pre-D-I history. In 2013-14, FGCU had six single-digit turnover games. Under Dooley, the Eagles have posted 23 of the program's 29 single-digit turnover games in the D-I era.
 
#DEPTHCITY
FGCU had 10 different players reach double-figure points in a game last year. The only teams in the nation with more were Boston University (12) and Georgia Southern (11) – which FGCU will play on Dec. 4 and 13. Below is a list of returning players who scored 10 or more points in a game, their season high and how many times they led (or tied) the team in scoring.
 
Norelia (18 – includes a tie): 34
Johnson (5 – includes two ties): 26
Christian Terrell (9 – includes a tie): 25
Antravious Simmons (1): 21
Rayjon Tucker (1): 19
Reggie Reid: 18
Kevin Mickle: 14
Demetris Morant: 12
 
In a further testament to the youthful and talented group, Johnson led ASUN freshmen in assists per game (3.3) and finished 3rd among league freshmen in scoring (11.1), Terrell (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence HS) was 2nd among ASUN sophomores in points per game (12.7), Simmons (Miami, Fla./VCU/South Miami HS) paced ASUN sophomores in rebounds per game (5.2) and Norelia was 2nd among conference juniors in rebounds per contest (9.3).
 
ASUN SUCCESS
Since the start of the 2012-13 season, FGCU boasts a 46-18 (.719) record in ASUN regular-season games – six more wins than any other team in the league (North Florida, 40).
 
NEXT UP
FGCU heads to Michigan State to battle the #13 Spartans on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. The game will air nationally on the Big Ten Network. MSU is 0-2 heading into a home game with Mississippi Valley State on Friday night, but the Spartans have lost to Arizona in Hawaii as part of the Armed Forces Classic and Kentucky in New York City as part of the Champions Classic.

SOCIAL CENTRAL
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the men's basketball program, follow @FGCU_MBB on Twitter and Instagram, Like us on Facebook at /FGCUMBB and watch us on Snapchat at FGCU_MBB.
 
COACH DOOLEY 
FGCU is led by head coach Joe Dooley, who is in his 4th season with the Eagles in 2016-17 and has coached eight all-conference selections over his first three campaigns. Dooley guided FGCU to a 4th-straight 20-win season and 4th-consecutive postseason appearance in 2015-16 as the Eagles claimed the ASUN Tournament Championship and won their First Four NCAA Tournament game in 31-point record-setting fashion. He led FGCU to its first ASUN Regular-Season Championship and first trip to the NIT in 2014, and in 2015 he led the Eagles to a berth in the CIT. Prior to arriving in SWFL, Dooley spent 10 seasons as an assistant at Kansas under head coach Bill Self. During those 10 seasons, Kansas produced 300 wins, nine-straight Big 12 regular-season titles, six Big 12 Tournament championships, six NCAA Sweet 16s, five NCAA Elite Eight appearances and two Final Fours, including the 2008 National Championship. Dooley is in his 8th season overall as a head coach and has a record of 123-91 (.575), and in his 3+ years with FGCU is 66-39 (.629).
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE 
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.