DUNK CITY, Fla. – Looking to snap a two-game losing streak, the FGCU men's basketball team returns home to host the Homewood Suites FGCU Shootout Friday-Sunday, Nov. 24-26, welcoming Denver, Navy and St. Francis Brooklyn to Alico Arena.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
Each of the four teams will face each other over the course of the three days. All games featuring FGCU will be broadcast on ESPN3, while the neutral-site contests will be streamed via Facebook Live: Facebook.com/FGCUMBB. Tickets for all games are still available and can be purchased in advance at FGCUTickets.com or at the Alico Arena Ticket Office. Schedules and links of how to follow and interact with each game are included above.
 
This weekend also marks the first opportunity for fans to take advance of FGCU's 'Punch Pass' ticket option. During the holiday season, fans can purchase a general admission ticket to one (1) men's game AND two (2) women's games for $15, or three (3) men's games AND four (4) women's games for $30. The games in which the 'Punch Pass' ticket option can be utilized are below:
 
Women's
Dec. 10: Ave Maria
Dec. 20: Harvard
Dec. 21: SIU Edwardsville
Dec. 29: South Dakota State
Dec. 30: Florida Memorial
 
Men's
Nov. 24: Denver
Nov. 25: Navy
Nov. 26: St. Francis Brooklyn
Dec. 29: Florida Memorial
Dec. 31: Florida Tech
 
WHAT TO KNOW
Friday: While not an official blueout, fans are encouraged to Wear Blue.
Saturday: GREENOUT | Wear Green | Military Appreciation Night: All military members – current or former – with a valid military ID are admitted for a discounted $9 rate, in addition to receiving a $10 gift card to Mission BBQ while supplies last, and will be recognized throughout the evening.
Sunday: While not an official greenout, fans are encouraged to Wear Green.
 
OPENING TIP ITEMS
^ Denver, Navy and St. Francis Brooklyn are all first-time opponents for FGCU. In addition, the Eagles will be hosting Webber International as a regional-site game at Alico Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 29, to conclude the four-game Homewood Suites FGCU Shootout.
^ FGCU is coming off a six-day road trip in which it fell at Bowling Green, 83-80, on a 3-pointer with .9 of a second remaining, and dropped a contest at Conference USA preseason favorite Middle Tennessee, 85-72.
^ FGCU is ranked #13 in the CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Poll. Each of FGCU's first four opponents this year have received votes in either the mid-major or Associated Press Top 25 polls.
^ Despite the 2-2 start, FGCU has had eventual success when beginning a season at, or below, .500. Just last year, the Eagles were 1-3 after four games, and in 2012-13 the Green and Blue were 2-2. In both of those campaigns, the Eagles won 26 games – tied for the most in the Division-I era of the program – won the ASUN Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
^ FGCU is 76-14 (.844) at Alico Arena since the start of the 2012-13 season. The Eagles are already 1-0 this year after opening the season with an impressive 98-87 win over the defending co-Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champions in Illinois State.
 
TWEETABLES
1) After leading the nation in points in the paint last year (41.3 per game), FGCU has out-scored each of its first four opponents this season (+62 overall; 44 per game).
2) FGCU scored 80 or more points in each of the first three games of the season for the first time in the D-I era of the program (since 2007-08).
3) Both of FGCU's losses this year have come when the Eagles have been outrebounded: 46-42 at Bowling Green, 37-32 at Middle Tennessee.
4) After shooting 41 percent from 3-point range in its non-conference schedule last year, FGCU is off to just a 26.5-percent rate from beyond the arc this year (22-83).
5) FGCU has led the ASUN in scoring defense in three of head coach Joe Dooley's four years (2nd the other), but has uncharacteristically allowed 80+ points in three of four games this year.
 
MARCHING TO THE STRIPE
FGCU has already made 82 free throws – the 11th most in the nation among teams who have only played four games. The Eagles have made 14 or 27 free throws in each of their games. The 27 makes are tied for the 8th-most in D-I single-game program history and already represent just the second time in program history that a team has made 27 or more free throws more than once in the same season (2012-13).
 
Leading that free-throw total is Brandon Goodwin, who has made 32 of 42 (76.2 percent) this year. The 32 makes are tied for the 12th most in the nation. Goodwin (Norcross, Ga./UCF/Norcross HS) made 12 free throws at Middle Tennessee – tied for the 4th most in a single game in D-I program history (he has the D-I program record with 15 this past February at USC Upstate). Incredibly, despite playing in just 38 career games with FGCU, Goodwin is just 10 free throws shy of cracking the program's top-10 list for career makes (currently: 168).
 
Not part of the FGCU free-throw party, surprisingly, is Christian Terrell, who – despite scoring 51 points so far this year and leading the Eagles in scoring twice – has not even attempted a free throw this season.
 
ROAD TRIP RECAP
After winning 10-straight road games dating back to the last year – the 2nd-longest streak in the nation (Gonzaga, 11) – FGCU dropped a last-second road game against Bowling Green on Saturday, 83-80, as the Falcons hit a 3-pointer with .9 of a second remaining.
 
The Eagles continued the trip Tuesday against Middle Tennessee and got off to a slow start offensively. FGCU dug itself a 47-29 halftime deficit – with the 18-point margin at the break representing the largest under Dooley (previous: 14 at Xavier on Dec. 28, 2014) and the biggest in more than five years for the Eagles (22 at Duke on Nov. 18, 2012).
 
Bowling Green was receiving votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25, while Middle Tennessee had received votes in the Associated Press Top 25 the first two weeks. Both Middle Tennessee and FGCU have made the NCAA Tournament three times in the previous five years. Both teams won a game in the tournament in 2016, while the Blue Raiders also picked up a victory last year as a 12 seed over 5th-seeded Minnesota after stunning 2nd-seeded Michigan State as a 15 seed the year before.
 
The game for Middle Tennessee was the last for the Blue Raiders before they return the same-season home-and-home with FGCU and come to Fort Myers to take on the Eagles at The Nest Dec. 2.
 
BIO BLASTS
13 RaySean Scott Jr.: After missing the first two games of the year with a muscle strain in his knee, he returned at Bowling Green before coming off the bench to tally eight points on 2-2 from the floor and 4-5 from the free-throw line at Middle Tennessee.
30 Brian Thomas: The 6-9 freshman fractured his left hand in practice on Nov. 20 and is out indefinitely.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Denver: The Pioneers are 1-2 are the year with losses to UC Irvine (83-69) and Colorado (89-62) and a victory over NAIA Johnson & Wales (91-59) … Denver is led offensively by Daniel Amigo (17.7 points per game), Joe Rosga (16.3) and Elvin Rodriguez (11.7) … Amigo was named to the Summit League Preseason First Team, while Rosga was tabbed to the Second Team … Jake Krafts paces the Pioneers with 7.7 rebounds per outing … Denver has not played since Nov. 16 … Denver was selected to finish 5th in the Summit League Preseason Poll … the Pioneers moved to D-I in 1998.
 
Navy: Navy just played on Wednesday afternoon, defeating D-II Washington College, 110-45 … the Midshipmen opened the year with back-to-back ACC opponents and played their first four games in four different states over the season's opening nine days … Navy defeated Pittsburgh to commence the season, 71-62, before falling at Miami (89-55) and Penn (66-45) and bouncing back at Bryant (79-71) … Shawn Anderson averages 10.8 points per game, while Hasan Abdullah averages 10 per outing … Navy returns four starters and its top five scorers from a team that went 16-16 last season … the Midshipmen were picked 3rd in the Patriot League Preseason Poll.
 
St. Francis Brooklyn: The Terriers are coming off a 4-27 season last year … they opened this season with losses at Duquesne (80-70) and Manhattan (80-79, OT), but bounced back with a victory at home over Brown (77-74) … Rasheem Dunn averages 19 points per game to lead St. Francis Brooklyn, while Jalen Jordan adds 13.7 and Darelle Porter rounds out the trio of double-figure scorers at 10.3 … Porter leads the Terriers in rebounding at 7.7 per contest … St. Francis Brooklyn was selected 10th (last) in the Northeast Conference Preseason Poll … the Terriers are one of just four original D-I schools never to play in the NCAA Tournament (Army, William & Mary, Citadel) since it began in 1948.
 
ODDS & ENDS
Under Dooley, the Eagles are 70-5 when leading at the half and 41-6 when scoring at least 80 points … the win over Siena last Monday marked Dooley's 150th career victory … the 33-point road win (86-53) was tied for the largest victory away from home in D-I program history, and was tied for Siena's largest home defeat in its D-I history (since 1976-77).
 
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
FGCU will play six non-conference games against teams that finished in the top 40 of the RPI last year. Each of those teams won at least 25 games and played in the postseason:
 
Nov. 11: vs. 39 Illinois State (28-7, NIT) | W, 98-87
Nov. 21: @ 34 Middle Tennessee (31-5, NCAA) | L, 85-72
Dec. 2: vs. 34 Middle Tennessee
Dec. 9: @ 40 UT Arlington (27-9, NIT)
Dec. 22: @ 29 Wichita State (31-5, NCAA)
Dec. 27: @ 31 Rhode Island (25-10, NCAA)
 
Each of those NCAA Tournament opponents won a March Madness game last year, and the other two claimed three total victories in the NIT. Those opponents went a combined 142-36 (.798 winning percentage) last season and posted an average RPI of 34.
 
#DEPTHCITY
In each of the previous two years, FGCU has had 10 different players during the season score double-figure points in a game. Already this year, the Eagles have six players who have reached double-figure points. Below is a list of players who have scored 10 or more points in a game this season, how many times they have led (or tied) the team in scoring and their season high.
 
Zach Johnson: 27 (1)
Brandon Goodwin: 21 (2 – 1 tie)
Christian Terrell: 18 (2 – 1 tie)
Dinero Mercurius: 14
Christian Carlyle: 11
Ricky Doyle: 11
 
ROAD WARRIORS
In addition to the aforementioned road winning streak being snapped at Bowling Green on Saturday, overall FGCU was a program-best 10-3 away from Alico Arena last season, with all three losses coming by single digits.
 
The Eagles finished a program-best 7-0 on the road in the ASUN last year, surpassing the previous single-season record for wins of five. FGCU is the first ASUN institution to go undefeated on the road in conference action since former league member Samford went 8-0 in 1998-99.
 
HEAD COACH JOE DOOLEY
Dooley has guided the Eagles to at least 20 wins and postseason appearances in each of his first four campaigns with the team. Last season, he became the first coach in program history to be named ASUN Coach of the Year, and was also tabbed as the NABC District 3 Coach of the Year. Under his guidance, FGCU was statistically the 4th-best team in the country in scoring on possessions immediately following timeouts last season, averaging 1.059 points per possession.
 
MILESTONE TRACKER
FGCU is well within reach of several milestone victory marks this season.
 
All-Time Record: 287-197 (13 More Wins For 300)
All-Time Record In D-I Era: 173-158 (27 More Wins For 200)
All-Time Record At Home: 192-60 (8 More Wins For 200)
All-Time Record vs. ASUN Opponents: 91-81 (9 More Wins For 100)
 
RANKINGS RUNDOWN
FGCU is ranked #13 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. They are joined in the poll by UT Arlington at #4, while Illinois State and Bowling Green are receiving votes. Siena was receiving votes in the initial poll when the Eagles and Saints met last Monday.
 
In the Associated Press and/or USA Today Coaches Poll, Wichita State is ranked #6 in the country, while UT Arlington and Rhode Island (all 2017-18 FGCU opponents) are both receiving votes.
 
Additionally, in ESPN's Joe Lunardi's preseason Bracketology, FGCU is predicted as a 14 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. Along with the Eagles, Lunardi also has Wichita State (2 seed), Rhode Island (9), Middle Tennessee (12) and UT Arlington (13) all included in his initial Bracketology.
 
ASUN PRESEASON FAVORITES
The Eagles are the defending ASUN regular-season and two-time defending tournament champions. FGCU is installed as the preseason ASUN favorites, predicted to return to the NCAA Tournament for a third-straight year and fourth time in the past six seasons. Goodwin was named the unanimous ASUN Preseason Player of the Year, while Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) joined him on the league's preseason all-conference team.
 
RECAPPING 2016-17
^ FGCU claimed its first outright ASUN regular-season title (12-2) and second overall. The Eagles set a program D-I regular-season record with 23 wins and tied the all-time victory mark of 26, finishing one triumph shy of matching the program's all-time mark.
^ Additionally, the Green and Blue recorded the first single-digit loss season in the D-I era (since 2007-08). FGCU set D-I program single-season records in points per game (79.4), rebound margin (+5.4) and field goal percentage (.499) – 5th-best in the nation.
^ The Eagles made their third NCAA Tournament appearance in five years (six seasons of eligibility) and earned a program-best No. 14 seed. Despite losing its leading rebounder and shot blocker in Demetris Morant early in the 2nd half with an ankle injury, FGCU went on to fall to 3rd-seeded Florida State – the second-tallest team in the nation – by just six points, 86-80.
 
MEN'S & WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SUCCESS
FGCU is one of only seven schools in the country which have had its men's and women's teams win at least 20 games in five-straight seasons, joining: Duke, Louisville, Kentucky, Baylor, BYU and Saint Mary's.
 
Additionally, with both the men's and women's teams winning at least 26 games last season, FGCU is one of only three non-Power 5 schools in the nation to boast that claim along with Gonzaga and Bucknell. In total, only nine schools had both its men's and women's basketball teams record at least 26 victories a year ago: Duke, Notre Dame, Michigan, South Carolina, Baylor and Florida State.
 
BUILDING A TRADITION
FGCU is believed to be the only men's D-I program in NCAA history to make five postseason appearances in its first six years of eligibility (2013: NCAA; 2014: NIT; 2015: CIT; 2016: NCAA; 2017: NCAA).
 
The Eagles are also one of just 23 teams in the nation to have won at least 20 games and made postseason appearances in each of the past five seasons. Of those 23 teams, only six are mid-major schools, as FGCU joins Vermont, Belmont, New Mexico State, Iona and UC Irvine to hold that distinction.
 
62 INCHES
At just 5-foot-2-inches, freshman Darnell Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Believe Prep/ Shiloh HS/Indian Land HS) is by far the smallest Division-I player in the nation. The next smallest player is Mount St. Mary's Junior Robinson at 5-5.
 
Rogers is believed to be the smallest scholarship D-I men's basketball player in history. While not confirmed due to many teams not being able to verify early-year rosters, only one player has been confirmed as smaller than 5-2, and that was Dayton's Keith Braswell at exactly 5 foot. However, Braswell was a walk-on during his one season with the Flyers in 1994-95.
 
More recently, Malcolm Reid – a 5-2 walk-on at Southeastern Louisiana in 2015-16 – matched Rogers' height, but he once again was also a walk-on. Darnell's father, Shawnta, stood at 5-4 and put together a heralded career at George Washington, ultimately culminating in him winning Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year in 1999.
 
MOST WINS IN FLORIDA
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, FGCU has the 2nd-most wins among D-I schools in the state of Florida (entering games on Nov. 20)
 
1) Florida: 103
2) FGCU: 93
     Miami: 93
4) Florida State: 88
5) North Florida: 77
6) UCF: 64
7) Jacksonville: 55
8) FIU: 53
9) Bethune-Cookman: 44
10) Stetson: 43
11) USF: 39
12) FAU: 38
13) Florida A&M: 30
 
FGCU is the only D-I team in the state of Florida which has posted four-straight 20-win seasons (five-consecutive for the Eagles). As FGCU has moved among some of the preeminent teams in the state, it has done so with Florida talent. Last year, Florida natives were responsible for 80 percent of FGCU's points and 75 percent of the Green and Blue's rebounds and assists.
 
This season, eight of FGCU's 13 scholarship players hail from the Sunshine State, and including walk-ons there are 11 total players from Florida on the 2017-18 roster.
 
LOW-POST FORCE
FGCU led the country in points in the paint per game last year at 41.3. Included in that average were a pair of D-I program record performances of 68 points in the paint versus Ave Maria and Florida National.
 
2016-17 Points In The Paint Leaders
1) FGCU: 41.3
2) Utah: 41.1
3) North Carolina: 39.9
4) VCU: 38.2
5) Kentucky: 37.3
 
#DUNKCITY
Helping fuel that low-post production was FGCU finishing 3rd in the nation with 159 dunks – 11 more than the original Dunk City Sweet Sixteen team in 2012-13.
 
2016-17 Team Dunk Leaders
1) Florida State: 183
2) Kentucky: 179
3) FGCU: 159
4) USC: 154
 
2016-17 Individual Dunk Leaders
1) Tacko Fall (UCF): 106
2) Bam Adebayo (Kentucky): 101
3) Demetris Morant (FGCU): 97
 
BY THE NUMBERS
4: FGCU hit four game-winning shots/free throws in the final 35 seconds last year: Terrell (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence HS) had one, and Goodwin had the other three.
16: FGCU erased a 16-point 1st-half deficit in its home opener last year against UT Arlington en route to an 85-72 win. It marked the largest comeback in the program's D-I history; one point shy of tying the all-time mark of 17 set in 2005-06.
66: The Eagles set a D-I program record by scoring 66 points off the bench last year against Ave Maria.
98: FGCU's 98 points against Illinois State were the most in a season opener in program history. The previous high was 90 in the program's first-ever game in 2002-03 versus Puerto Rico-Bayamon.
 
LOCKING IN ON D
Since Dooley took over FGCU in 2013-14, FGCU has held 38 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 three of Dooley's four years with FGCU and finished 2nd in the other season. Last year, the Eagles paced the conference by holding opponents to just 69.3 points per game – exactly six points better than any other team.
 
FAMOUS LINEAGE
FGCU has a pair of players related to Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers in Michael Gilmore (Jacksonville, Fla./Miami/VCU/Rickards HS) and walk-on Ryan McAdoo (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews HS). Gilmore is the nephew of Artis Gilmore, a six-time NBA All-Star, while McAdoo is the son of Bob McAdoo, a five-time NBA All-Star and NBA MVP in 1975.
 
2016-17 RE-TWEETS
1) The Eagles won 11 non-conference a season ago – the most in program history.
2) FGCU had two separate 4+ game winning streaks in D-I non-conference history for the first time.
3) FGCU won three games by one point for the first time in a single season, and it had a record four games decided by a single point.
4) Incredibly, all 15 of FGCU's players had a positive plus/minus ratio, and every scholarship player was at least +40 on the year.
5) FGCU recorded three 100+ point games last season, marking the first time in single-season D-I history that occurred.
 
THE GROWTH OF FGCU
After starting their D-I transition with five-straight losing seasons, the Eagles have now posted five-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: 21-14, 8-6 ASUN (T-2nd)
2016-17: 26-8, 12-2 ASUN (1st)
2017-18: 2-2, 0-0 ASUN
D-I Total: 173-158, 91-81 ASUN
Last 5 Years: 119-59, 58-20 ASUN
 
GOODWIN'S RECORD-SETTING 2016-17
Goodwin was the unanimous ASUN Newcomer of the Year, in addition to being named ASUN First Team, ASUN Tournament MVP and setting a league record by securing six ASUN Newcomer of the Week honors. He was also named to the NABC All-District First Team after setting a program record by scoring 629 points. He hit three game-winning shots and led FGCU in scoring (18.5) and assists (4.1).
 
HOME RECORD INFO
In addition to the aforementioned overall home success, in ASUN games FGCU has been even more dominant, posting a 34-5 (.872) mark against league foes in the regular season since 2012-13.
 
NEXT UP
FGCU will remain at home to conclude the Homewood Suites FGCU Shootout on Wednesday, Nov. 29, against Webber International at 7 p.m.
 
IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.
 
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 5th season with the Eagles in 2017-18 and has coached eight all-conference selections in that time. He has led FGCU to 20+ win seasons and postseason appearances in all four years: 2014 NIT; 2015 CIT; 2016 NCAA; 2017 NCAA. Dooley was named the 2017 ASUN Coach of the Year and the 2017 NABC District 3 Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to a D-I program record 26 wins. In 8+ seasons overall as a head coach, Dooley has a record of 150-100 (.600), and in his 4+ years with FGCU is 93-48 (.660). 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.
 
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.