DUNK CITY, Fla. – With only two regular-season games remaining, the FGCU men's basketball team (16-12, 7-5 A-Sun) enters Saturday's Alumni Weekend and Senior Night game at 7 p.m. against Kennesaw State (10-18, 6-6 A-Sun) just one game out of 1st place in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings.
 
A-SUN STANDINGS (Remaining Games)
1) North Florida: 8-4 (Upstate, @ JU)
2) Jacksonville: 8-4 (NJIT, UNF)
3) FGCU: 7-5 (KSU, @ Stetson)
4) NJIT: 7-5 (@ JU, @ Upstate)
5) Kennesaw State: 6-6 (@ FGCU, @ LIP)
6) Lipscomb: 6-6 (@ Stetson, KSU)
7) Stetson: 3-9 (LIP, FGCU)
8) USC Upstate: 3-9 (@ UNF, NJIT)
 
OPENING TIP
Above are the current A-Sun standings by tournament seed if the season ended today. Four teams – including FGCU – are separated by just a single game at the top of the league ledger. FGCU can still finish anywhere from 1st to 6th place. On Saturday, Jacksonville hosts NJIT, and then next Thursday in the regular-season finale, North Florida plays at Jacksonville as each of the three teams closest to FGCU in the league ledger face each other over the final two games.
 
WHAT TO KNOW
Saturday's presenting game sponsor is Coca-Cola, and the contest is a BLUEOUT with all fans in attendance encouraged to wear blue. FGCU will honor a pair of senior players in Julian DeBose (Washington, D.C./Rice/St. John College HS) and Filip Cvjeticanin (Zagreb, Croatia/American School of Madrid) and senior managers in Michael Urban and Dan Thomas prior to the game, beginning at approximately 6:45 p.m.
 
In conjunction with Alumni Weekend, the public is invited to attend a co-ed reunion basketball game at Alico Arena beginning at 12:30 p.m. Twenty-three former men's and women's basketball players are scheduled to play in the game, and admission is free. For more information, click here.
 
The FGCU-KSU men's game will serve as the nightcap to a doubleheader as the FGCU women (23-4, 11-0 A-Sun) host the Owls at 4 p.m.
 
TWEETABLES
1) FGCU held a 40-29 rebound advantage versus Lipscomb Thursday night, as now 15 of the Eagles' 16 wins this year have come when out-rebounding their opponent.
2)  The Eagles made just one 3-pointer (1-11) Thursday – the first time making one 3 and winning since 2012-13 when they did so twice.
3) The 31 free throws FGCU made (31-39) against the Bisons were tied for the 2nd-most in Division-I program history and most since 30 vs. Georgetown in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
4) FGCU has already scored 80 or more points 13 times this year, the most in D-I single-season program history and more than the last two years combined (12).
5) Reggie Reid (sprained ankle) remains questionable, while Cvjeticanin is doubtful with concussion symptoms after hitting his head on the floor Thursday.

SIMILAR, BUT DIFFERENT APPROACHES
FGCU receives 60.6 percent of its total points from 2-point field goals, ranking as the 4th-highest percentage in the nation, while Kennesaw State ranks 37th in the country at 55.8 percent. Old Dominion leads the country at 63.5 percent.
 
While both teams score a majority of their points from inside the 3-point line, the Eagles rely heavily on scoring in the paint compared with KSU's mid-range game. In their first meeting this year (a 79-74 FGCU win), FGCU finished with a 48-28 edge in the paint as all but four of the Eagles' 52 points from 2-point baskets came in the paint compared with 14 for Kennesaw State.
 
The Eagles also hold a rebounding edge as FGCU leads the A-Sun by corralling 40.5 rebounds per game, while Kennesaw State is last in the conference at 33.7. In the game last month, FGCU out-rebounded the Owls, 39-28, and finished with a +8 advantage in second-chance points.
 
SEASON'S FIRST MEETING
On the strength of a career-high 19 points from freshman Rayjon Tucker (Charlotte, N.C./Northside Christian Academy), FGCU staked itself to a double-figure first-half lead and held on for the aforementioned 79-74 win at Kennesaw State on Jan. 21.
 
Tucker made 3 of 4 free throws in the closing 25 seconds and led a quintet of double-figure scorers for the Eagles, who won their seventh in a row overall and matched the 2013-14 team for the best A-Sun start in program history at 4-0.
 
The youthful but talented Eagles had 70 of their 79 points come from non-seniors and 60 of their 79 come from either freshmen or sophomores. FGCU built a 42-32 halftime lead, extended the advantage to as much as 14 on multiple occasions early in the second half and didn't allow Kennesaw State to get closer than four the rest of the night.
 
SERIES HISTORY
FGCU owns an 11-6 lead in the all-time series with Kennesaw State. The Owls held a 6-2 lead in the series until the Eagles started their current nine-game win streak in 2011-12. It is the longest current streak by FGCU over an A-Sun opponent. The Eagles have won seven in a row over Stetson, and FGCU concludes the regular season against the Hatters next Thursday. While FGCU has won nine in a row over KSU, each of the last four games between the two teams has been decided by 10 points or less.
 
SCOUTING KENNESAW STATE
^ Kennesaw State finished last year 10-22 overall and 4-10 in the A-Sun en route to a 6th-place finish in the league. In the A-Sun Preseason Poll this year, the Owls were predicted for a last-place finish along with Stetson as both teams collected 13 points.
^ On the year, KSU is averaging 72.8 points per game (7th in the A-Sun), but in league games the Owls are averaging 80.4 points per contest (3rd in the A-Sun). The Owls' non-conference strength of schedule is ranked 23rd in the country as they played six BCS teams.
^ KSU has won three games in a row and has scored at least 90 points in all of those contests: 101-91 vs. North Florida, 90-69 vs. Jacksonville and 92-82 at Stetson.
^ Yonel Brown and Kendrick Ray are the highest-scoring duo in the A-Sun, combining to average 37.6 points per game. Brown is 2nd in the league at 19.2, while Ray is 4th in the conference at 18.4.
^ Head coach Al Skinner is in his first season at the helm of Kennesaw State. The long-time head coach at Boston College, Skinner – a former National Coach of the Year – has a career record of 395-309 in his 23rd season and has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
HOME-COURT DOMINANCE
FGCU is 56-11 (.836) at Alico Arena since 2012-13. Eight of those 11 losses have come since the start of the 2014-15 season. FGCU is 13-4 at home this year – with the 13 wins being the most among A-Sun schools – was 13-4 last year, went 15-2 in 2013-14 and 15-1 in 2012-13.
 
Versus A-Sun foes during the regular season since 2012-13, FGCU is 28-3 (.903) at The Nest. The Eagles had won 21 straight regular-season games at Alico against A-Sun competition before losing to North Florida in the home regular-season finale last year (other losses: Lipscomb in overtime during the 2012-13 season and earlier this season versus Jacksonville).
 
NOT UNCOMMON WATERS
While FGCU has already lost five A-Sun games – more than all of last year (3) – the Eagles also lost five league games in 2012-13. That year they still won the A-Sun Tournament and went on to become the only 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
 
A-SUN RANKS
In addition to leading the A-Sun in rebounding (40.5), FGCU also paces the league in points allowed (70.9), field goal percentage defense (.414) and 3-point percentage defense (.300).
 
PROTECTING THE ROCK
FGCU has recorded eight single-digit turnover games this year, tying the all-time single-season record set last year. Eight single-digit turnover games is exactly how many the Eagles had in their entire pre-D-I history, spanning five seasons from 2002-07. In 2013-14, FGCU had six single-digit turnover games, as through Joe Dooley's nearly three seasons in charge of the Eagles they have posted 22 of the program's 28 single-digit turnovers games in the D-I era (since 2007-08).
 
RECORD-SETTING SEASON
Marc-Eddy Norelia (Orlando, Fla./Tulane/Olympia HS) has set the FGCU record for double-doubles in a season, is 2nd in the A-Sun in rebounding at 9 per outing, 4th in field-goal percentage (.542) and 6th in scoring with 16.5 points per game. The redshirt junior recorded his 11th double-double of the year on Thursday with 25 points and 12 rebounds against Lipscomb. The previous single-season program record for double-doubles was nine by Robinson Tisme in the program's first season in 2002-03. Additionally, Norelia has missed a double-double on five other occasions by just a single rebound each time.
 
The southpaw is also closing in on several D-I and all-time program single-season records:
 
Points Per Game: 16.5 – Would match the best in D-I history along with Casey Wohlleb in 2007-08.
Field Goals Made: 179 – Currently 6th all-time, with the record of 210 held by Sherwood Brown in 2012-13 (37 games).
Rebounds Per Game: 9 – Would be the best in program history, well ahead of Adam Liddell's 8.3 mark in 2006-07.
Total Rebounds: 251 – Currently the 3rd-most in program history, closing in on the record of 274 held by Liddell in 2006-07.
 
PLAYER QUICK HITS
^ Reid (Harlem, Ga./Harlem HS) ranks 3rd among all freshmen nationally in assist rate at 33.3 percent – the percentage of field goals made by a team that a player assists on while in the game. In his last outing, Reid scored eight points at NJIT after totaling eight points in the previous seven games.
^ Fellow freshman point guard Zach Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) issued a career-high seven assists Thursday night, while also going a season-best 7-9 from the free-throw line.
^ Redshirt junior Demetris Morant   (Miami, Fla./UNLV/Bishop Gorman HS) has 70 career blocks, just 10 shy of moving into 2nd place on the program's all-time list. Chase Fieler (2010-14) owns the all-time record with 134 rejections. Morant returned to the FGCU lineup four games ago after missing the previous seven contests with a muscle bruise in his right leg. He has scored 25 points and grabbed 25 rebounds in those four games.
^ DeBose became the 7th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points on Feb. 6 against North Florida. He entered the game against the Ospreys needing just five points to reach the mark and now has 1,034 for his career.
^ Cvjeticanin is tied for 3rd on the program's all-time 3-pointers made list with 178, and is tied for 2nd among all D-I players. The D-I record is held by 2015 graduate Bernard Thompson with 219. Ryan Hopkins (2002-05) holds the all-time record with 355.
 
BREAKOUT SEASON
After averaging just 3.3 points per game last year, sophomore Christian Terrell (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence HS) has catapulted to 12.6 per game this year – an increase of 9.3 – and has led the Eagles in scoring seven times. Not only is the 6-5 Terrell getting the job done on the offensive end, he also enters Saturday's contest with the 2nd-most rebounds on the team this year with 134.
 
RE-TWEETS
1) FGCU has already played four overtime games, setting a single-season program record. In its entire pre-D-I history (2002-06), FGCU played three total OT contests.
2) Eight times this year FGCU has had a game decided by five points or less. The Eagles are 4-4 in such games, and 7-10 in games decided by 10 points or less.
3) The 17 games decided by 10 points or less is just three shy of matching the D-I single-season program record of 20 in 2011-12.
4) Johnson has reached double-figure points 12 of the last 15 games, and is 2nd on FGCU in scoring in A-Sun games at 13.7 per contest.
 
A-SUN SUCCESS
Since the start of the 2012-13 season, FGCU boasts a 45-17 (.726) record in A-Sun games – seven more wins than any other team in the league (North Florida, 38).
 
BY THE NUMBERS
FGCU has the following records under the direction of Dooley:

Leading At The Half: 47-3 (.940)
Holding Opponent Below 40% FG: 36-4 (.900)
Scoring At Least 80 Points: 22-3 (.880)
Grabbing More Rebounds: 50-8 (.862)
Scoring At Least 70 Points: 40-8 (.833)
 
ON RECORD PACE
FGCU is on pace for several D-I and all-time program records this year:
 
Points Per Game: 77 – Would shatter the D-I record of 72.9 set by the Sweet Sixteen team in 2012-13.
Rebounds Per Game: 40.5 – Would set the D-I record, besting each of the previous two years (38.1 in 2014-15 and 36.6 in 2013-14).
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.1 – Would be the best all-time, just ahead of the record of 46.7 percent in 2013-14.
Blocks Per Game: 4 – Would break the best mark all-time as no team has ever even averaged 4 blocks per game in a season.
Scoring Margin: +6.1 – Would match the best in D-I history along with the 2012-13 team.
 
YOUNG, TALENTED AND DEEP
FGCU has just two seniors on its roster, and so far this year 82 percent of its scoring, 87 percent of its rebounding (excluding team rebounds) and 88 percent of its assists have come from non-seniors.
 
Not only are the Eagles young and talented, but they are deep as this year 10 different players have reached double-figure points in a game. The only teams in the nation with more are Boston University (12) and Georgia Southern (11). Below is a list of players who have already scored 10 or more points in a game, their season high and how many times they've led (or tied) the team in scoring.
 
R-Jr. Norelia (14 – includes a tie): 34
R-Fr. Johnson (5 – includes two ties): 26
So. Terrell (7 – includes a tie): 25
R-Sr. DeBose (2): 20
Fr. Tucker (1): 19
R-Sr. Cvjeticanin (1): 18
Fr. Reid: 18
R-So. Antravious Simmons: 17
R-So. Kevin Mickle: 14
R-Jr. Morant: 12
 
In a further testament to the youthful and talented group, Reid leads all A-Sun freshmen in assists per game (3.5), Johnson is 3rd among all A-Sun freshmen in scoring (10.7), Terrell is 2nd among all A-Sun sophomores in points per game (12.6), Simmons is 2nd among A-Sun sophomores in rebounds per game (4.6) and Norelia is 2nd among A-Sun juniors in rebounds per contest (9).
 
CHALLENGING NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
FGCU played a challenging non-conference schedule as all but two of FGCU's seven non-league losses came against top-115 RPI teams, including two losses to top-30 teams (#22 Texas A&M, 75-65; #28 Florida, 70-50) and three to top-50 teams (#47 South Dakota State, 56-52) – and two of those three losses came by 10 points or less. FGCU also dropped an 85-75 decision at #77 Ohio, and a 66-63 contest to #112 Louisiana Tech.
 
MILESTONE MARK
FGCU won its 250th all-time game with an 85-56 decision over USC Upstate on Jan. 16. The Eagles enter Saturday's game with an all-time record (since 2002-03) of 254-185 (.579).
 
GOLDEN SUMMER
DeBose won a gold medal as part of Team USA at the World University Games (WUG) last summer in South Korea ... was one of only two players (SMU's Nic Moore) on the team not from Kansas University ... finished the tournament averaging 4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 10.8 minutes per contest ... scored a team-high 18 points in the USA's final group-round game against Switzerland ... connected on 50 percent (13-26) of his shots from the floor during the WUG, including 3-8 from 3-point range ... added nine offensive and nine defensive rebounds, with the nine offensive boards representing the second-most by any guard on the roster  ... also contributed six steals and a block as Team USA won its games by an average of 20.3 points.
 
NEXT UP
FGCU will conclude the regular season at Stetson next Thursday, Feb. 25, 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 third year with the Eagles in 2015-16 and coached six all-conference selections during his first two seasons. He guided FGCU to its first Atlantic Sun Conference Regular-Season Championship and first trip to the NIT in 2014, and in 2015 he led the Eagles to their third-straight 20-win season and third-straight postseason appearance with 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 seventh season overall as a head coach and has a record of 117-88 (.571), and in his 2+ years with FGCU is 60-36 (.625).
 
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.