DUNK CITY, Fla. – Playing its fifth game in 10 days, the FGCU men's basketball team faces another quick turnaround as the Eagles conclude a frenetic season-opening stretch with a mid-major clash against Long Beach State Friday at 8 p.m. inside Alico Arena.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
^ FGCU will face a stern test against Long Beach State, despite the 49ers' 1-5 record. Like FGCU, LBSU was selected as its preseason league favorite as The Beach was predicted to win the Big West Conference. LBSU has lost five games in a row, but those contests have all come on the road against Wichita State, North Carolina, Louisville, UCLA and Washington.
^ It will mark the second time this year already that FGCU will be facing another team ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. Last Wednesday, the Eagles defeated then-#5 UT Arlington, 85-72.
^ Entering its game against Binghamton on Thanksgiving night, Long Beach State has statistically played the hardest schedule in the nation. Prior to FGCU's game Wednesday evening versus Binghamton, it had the 5th-hardest schedule in the country (20th now).
^ In addition to being installed as their respective league's preseason favorites, both Long Beach State (20-15, NIT) and FGCU (21-15, NCAA) each won at least 20 games and played in the postseason last year.
 
OPENING TIP ITEMS
^ The game is starting at 8 p.m. due to the FGCU women's basketball team playing #5 Ohio State at Germain Arena as part of the Gulf Coast Showcase at 5 p.m.
^ Despite going 1-2 last week, FGCU moved from #23 to #21 in the latest mid-major poll released on Monday. The Eagles began the week by overcoming a 13-point halftime deficit to defeat UTA before falling just short at now-#20 Baylor, 81-72, last Friday and controversially at then-#13 Michigan State, 78-77.
^ The game with Long Beach State will conclude a three-game-in-three day stretch at Alico Arena. In addition to FGCU hosting Binghamton on Wednesday, the Bearcats and LBSU will play a neutral-site contest Thursday evening at 7 at The Nest.
^ The games are all part of the mainland portion of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament (more information later in the release).
 
TWEETABLES
1) Leading returning scorer (17.1 PPG) and rebounder (9.3 RPG) Marc-Eddy Norelia (broken shooting hand) played nine minutes in his first game of the year Wednesday.
2) Long Beach State will be the fifth opponent in the first six games of the year for FGCU which won at least 20 games last season and played in the postseason.
3) Redshirt junior Brandon Goodwin was named the ASUN Newcomer of the Week on Monday after averaging 21.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3 assists in FGCU's three games.
4) FGCU was held below 40-percent shooting from 3-point range against Binghamton for the first time all year, but is still connecting at a 42-percent clip on the season.
5) The Eagles posted season highs in assists (23), points in the paint (42) and dunks (six) versus Binghamton, in addition to securing a season-best 16-point win.
 
SCOUTING LONG BEACH STATE
^ Junior forward Gabe Levin leads the 49ers with 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Evan Payne averages 11.5 points per game as the lone other double-figure scorer for Long Beach State.
^ LBSU has allowed at least 90 points in four of its last five games (exception: 88 at Louisville). For the year, the 49ers are surrendering exactly 90 points per outing.
^ Justin Bibbins is LBSU's lone double-figure assist man with 24 in six games. He was named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List, given at the end of the season to the best mid-major player in the nation.
^ Long Beach State assistant coach Senque Carey held the same position with FGCU last year.
^ LBSU has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances in its history, in addition to eight NIT trips. The 49ers have more than 950 all-time victories, dating back to their first season in 1949.
 
HOME SUCCESS
FGCU is 61-11 at Alico Arena since 2012-13. Eight of those 11 losses have come since the start of the 2014-15 season. FGCU in 2-0 at home so far this year, 16-4 last year, 13-4 in 2014-15, 15-2 in 2013-14 and 15-1 in 2012-13.
 
Versus ASUN foes during the regular season since 2012-13, FGCU is 29-3 at The Nest. The Eagles had won 21 straight regular-season games at Alico Arena against ASUN competition before losing to North Florida in the home regular-season finale at 2014-15.
 
BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS MAINLAND
The FGCU-LBSU matchup is the last of four games for the Eagles which are part of the Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland tournament. 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 are competing in – there is a U.S. mainland component.
 
Six teams played "non-bracketed" home games against one of three Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland schools (FGCU played Michigan State and Baylor, Binghamton played St. John's and VCU and Long Beach State played Wichita State and Louisville) before the tournament.
 
3-POINT IMPROVEMENT
Last year, just 20 percent of FGCU's total points came from 3-pointers – ranking 344th in the nation out of 351 D-I teams – as the Eagles shot 35.3 percent from long range. So far this season, 34 percent of FGCU's total points have come off 3-pointers as the Eagles are shooting 41.8 percent from beyond the arc.
 
FGCU opened the year with four-straight performances of 40 percent or better from the 3-point line – the first time at any point of a season that has occurred in the program's non-conference history against D-I opponents. It was just the fourth time ever that FGCU had posted four-straight games of at least 40-percent shooting from 3 (2011-12, 2013-14 and 2014-15).
 
RECAPPING MICHIGAN STATE
With 1.6 seconds remaining in a 78-77 game Sunday night at Michigan State, Christian Terrell (Jackonsville, Fla./Providence HS) threw an in-bounds pass from under the Spartans' basket to Antravious Simmons (Miami, Fla./VCU/South Miami HS) at the FGCU free throw line. However, despite the ball not being touched by any player, the game clock hit zero just as Simmons touched the ball.
 
The play was designed for him to take a dribble and attempt a game-winning layup, but when he heard the horn as soon as he caught the ball – after time had already expired – he threw the ball toward the basket and did not make the shot.
 
FGCU coaches were told by the referees that the play could not be reviewed with video to see if the clock started early, and only to see the time related to a made or missed shot. However, on pages 101 and 102 of the official NCAA Men's Basketball Rule Book for 2015-16 and 2016-17 (Rule 11-C-2), the rule appears to state that video replay could have been utilized to correct a timing mistake:
 
"Determine whether the shot clock malfunctioned or a timing mistake occurred in failing to properly start, stop, set or reset the shot clock" (shot and game clock are the same with less than 30 seconds remaining).
 
The head referee Bo Boroski, Big Ten officials, ASUN Conference officials and FGCU Athletics officials all issued statements regarding the incident, with the Big Ten acknowledging an on-court official started the clock too early; however, the final score of 78-77 would remain.
 
View all statements by clicking here.
 
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Of FGCU's 13 D-I non-conference opponents this season, 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 just wrapped up 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
 
FGCU posted its largest comeback in the program's D-I era against UT Arlington last Wednesday as the Eagles erased a 16-point deficit (one shy of matching the all-time mark set in 2005-06).
 
The stretch doesn't get much easier for the Eagles as six of their first nine opponents won at least 20 games and played in the postseason (upcoming: Long Beach State, Nov. 25; Siena, Dec. 9).
 
ANOTHER DANCE?
^ FGCU is installed as the preseason ASUN favorites, 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 Zach Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) was also a preseason team pick and redshirt senior 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 #21 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, the ASUN has another representative as North Florida is receiving votes. The Eagles also have home games remaining against a trio of other teams ranked or receiving votes in the poll (#19 Long Beach State, RV Siena and RV Georgia Southern, Dec. 13)).
 
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 (entering games on Nov. 22):
 
1) Florida: 77
2) Miami: 72
3) FGCU: 67
4) North Florida: 65
5) Florida State: 62
6) FIU: 46
7) Jacksonville: 42
8) UCF: 40
9) Bethune-Cookman: 35
10) Stetson: 32
11) USF: 32
12) FAU: 29
13) Florida A&M: 25
 
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: 51-4 (.927)
Holding Opponent Below 40% FG: 39-4 (.907)
Grabbing More Rebounds: 56-11 (.836)
Scoring Between 70-79 Points: 45-11 (.804)
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: 2-3, 0-0 ASUN
D-I Total: 147-151, 79-79 ASUN
Last 4 Years: 93-52, 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.
 
LOCKING IN ON D
Since Dooley took over FGCU in 2013-14, FGCU has held 30 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
Terrell (9 – includes a tie): 25
Simmons (1): 21
Rayjon Tucker (1): 19
Reggie Reid: 18
Kevin Mickle: 14
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 was 2nd among ASUN sophomores in points per game (12.7), Simmons 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 will enjoy a few days between games before returning to Alico Arena to face local NAIA member Ave Maria on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m.

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 124-93 (.571), and in his 3+ years with FGCU is 67-41 (.620).
 
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.