DUNK CITY, Fla. – Looking to extend its winning streak to four in a row, the FGCU men's basketball team hosts its fourth home game in six days, concluding the Homewood Suites FGCU Shootout on Wednesday at 7 p.m. when the Eagles welcome Webber International to Alico Arena.
 
OPENING TIP ITEMS
^ FGCU is 79-14 (.849) at Alico Arena since the start of the 2012-13 season. The Eagles are already 4-0 this year, and are coming off three victories in three days inside The Nest Friday-Sunday (Denver: 79-71, Navy: 70-54, St. Francis Brooklyn: 75-51).
^ After uncharacteristically allowing 80+ points in three of its first four games this year, FGCU has posted two-straight stellar defensives performances. On Sunday, the Eagles held St. Francis Brooklyn to 36.5 percent from the floor and 51 points – the fewest FGCU has allowed all year – and on Saturday they limited Navy to 34.5 percent shooting and 54 points. The only better performances in each category this year came at Siena (30.2 percent; 53 points).
^ The Eagles led the nation in points in the paint last year, and they have picked up this season right where they left off 2016-17. FGCU has out-scored each of its first seven opponents in the paint:
 
Illinois State: 48-34 (+14)
@ Siena: 50-16 (+34)
@ Bowling Green: 44-32 (+12)
@ Middle Tennessee: 34-32 (+2)
Denver: 35-32 (+3)
Navy: 36-32 (+4)
St. Francis Brooklyn: 48-24 (+24)
Total: +93 / +13.3 Per Game
 
TWEETABLES
1) Christian Terrell is eight points shy of 1,000 for his career. He would be just the 8th player in program history (2002-03) to reach the miletone mark, and only the 6th in the Division-I era (2007-08).
2) This is the first time in the D-I era and just the second time in program history that FGCU has scored 70+ points in each of its first seven games to start a season (2003-04, 12 straight).
3) In the four games it has out-rebounded its opponent, FGCU has done so by at least a +15 margin (4-0 record in those games). In the three games they have been out-rebounded, the Eagles were -4, -5 and -6 (1-2 record).
4) After not shooting better than 30 percent from 3-point range in any of the first four games of the year, FGCU has connected at rates of 37.5, 38.9 and 42.9 percent in the last three games.
5) Sunday was just the second time that Brandon Goodwin (5 points) and Zach Johnson (8 points) both did not reach double-figure points in the same game. The other occurred on Nov. 23, 2016 versus Binghamton – and both times the Eagles won by double-figure points.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) ranks 16th in the nation in total steals with 17 … Goodwin (Norcross, Ga./UCF/Norcross HS) is 28th in the country with 38 made free throws … among guards, Terrell (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence HS) is 8th in the country in field-goal percentage at 61.5 … as a team FGCU is 31st in the nation with 123 made free throws and 37th with 281 total rebounds.
 
#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 had eight players reach double-figure points in just seven games. 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 (2)
Brandon Goodwin: 21 (3 – 1 tie)
Christian Terrell: 20 (3 – 1 tie)
RaySean Scott Jr.: 15
Antravious Simmons: 15
Dinero Mercurius: 14
Christian Carlyle: 11
Ricky Doyle: 11
 
In a further testament to the depth, every scholarship player for FGCU has a positive plus/minus ratio on the year – one season after every single player on the roster finished with a positive plus/minus ratio (while a player is on the court, the points scored by FGCU compared with the opponent).
 
ODDS & ENDS
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) … 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 … Brian Thomas (Kennesaw, Ga./Kell HS) has missed the last four games with a fractured left (non-shooting) hand … Dinero Mercurius (Orlando, Fla./Daytona State/UTRGV/USF/Faith Baptist Christian HS) injured his shoulder seconds after checking into the game against Denver and has not played since, remaining day-to-day … under head coach Joe Dooley, the Eagles are 73-5 when leading at the half and 41-6 when scoring at least 80 points … the win over Siena on Nov. 13 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).
 
SCOUTING WEBBER INTERNATIONAL
^ Webber International is an NAIA member (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). The contest will count toward FGCU's overall record and statistics, but does not have any affect on the Eagles' RPI. The game will be an exhibition contest for Webber International.
^ Webber International is 3-2 on the year entering a home contest on Tuesday night against Florida College. The Warriors have already played two ASUN members this year, falling in a close game at Stetson (98-89) and at Jacksonville (88-70).
^ FGCU and Webber have met one previous time – a 104-59 FGCU win at Alico Arena on Jan. 5, 2016. The 104 points for the Eagles were tied for the 4th most in a game in the D-I era, and tied for the 10th most in program history.
^ Johnathan Childs leads a trio of double-figure scorers for the Warriors at 14.3 points per game, while Osandai Vaughn adds 13.5 and Nikita Orap averages 13.3.
^ Webber International is in the same conference (The Sun Conference) as Naples-based and former FGCU opponent Ave Maria.
 
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.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
FGCU had won 10-straight road games dating back to last year – the 2nd-longest road winning streak in the country before losing on a last-second 3-pointer at Bowling Green on Nov. 18. Last year's national runner-up Gonzaga has the longest current road winning streak at 11 in a row. The next longest road winning streak is six straight by six different teams.
 
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: 290-197 (10 More Wins For 300)
All-Time Record In D-I Era: 176-158 (24 More Wins For 200)
All-Time Record At Home: 195-60 (5 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, Bowling Green and Navy are receiving votes. Each of FGCU's first four opponents this year was ranked or receiving votes in either the mid-major or AP polls.
 
In the Associated Press and/or USA Today Coaches Poll, Wichita State is ranked #8 in the country, while UT Arlington and Rhode Island (both 2017-18 FGCU opponents) are both receiving votes.
 
Additionally, in Joe Lunardi's latest ESPN Bracketology, FGCU is predicted as a 14 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. Along with the Eagles, Lunardi also has Wichita State (3 seed), Rhode Island (9), Middle Tennessee (12) and UT Arlington (12) 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 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. 28)
 
1) Florida: 105
2) FGCU: 96
3) Miami: 95
4) Florida State: 90
5) North Florida: 78
6) UCF: 65
7) Jacksonville: 58
8) FIU: 53
9) Bethune-Cookman: 46
Stetson: 46
11) USF: 41
12) FAU: 39
13) Florida A&M: 31
 
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 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 40 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: 5-2, 0-0 ASUN
D-I Total: 176-158, 91-81 ASUN
Last 5 Years: 122-59, 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 and face Middle Tennessee (4-1) on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. The Eagles and Blue Raiders – who have both won NCAA Tournament games the previous couple of year – faced each other on Nov. 21 in Murfreesboro, with Middle Tennessee claiming an 85-72 win.
 
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 153-100 (.605), and in his 4+ years with FGCU is 96-48 (.667). 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.