DUNK CITY, Fla. – Looking to remain in 1st place atop the ASUN standings, the FGCU men's basketball team welcomes Kennesaw State to Alico Arena on Saturday for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Homecoming Weekend.
 
WHAT TO KNOW
Saturday is a Blue Out, with all fans in attendance encouraged to wear blue. The men's game will be the nightcap of a doubleheader featuring the FGCU women against Kennesaw State at 4 p.m.
 
In conjunction with Homecoming Weekend, several former men's and women's basketball players will be returning to campus and playing in an Alumni Game. That contest between Team Blue and Team White is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. at Alico Arena, and the public is encouraged to attend with complimentary admission.
 
Team Blue: Brittany Brown, Stephanie Hass, Jenna Cobb, Chelsea Lyles, Nate Hicks, Darren Wallace, Eddie Murray, Julian DeBose, Mike Anderson, Trevor Montgomery, Chad Lutkenhaus, Nick Goshay and Andy French.
 
Team White: Kelsey Jacobson, Sarah Hansen, Amanda Pierce, Zach Christian, Marcus Blake, Beau Bauer, Doug Kollmer, Roman Brown, Marcus Watts, Ed Rolax, Reed Baker, Leon Woodstock and Chelsea Banburry.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
FGCU will be seeking a bounce-back performance after dropping a rare home ASUN game on Thursday night against Lipscomb, 65-60. The Eagles and Bisons are tied for 1st place in the league, two games clear of a trio of teams tied for 3rd place at 6-4.
 
ASUN STANDINGS (By Current Tournament Seed)
1) FGCU: 8-2
2) Lipscomb: 8-2
3) North Florida: 6-4
4) USC Upstate: 6-4
5) Kennesaw State: 6-4
6) Jacksonville: 3-7
7) Stetson: 2-8
8) NJIT: 1-9
 
The Eagles currently have the tiebreaker on Lipscomb with four regular-season games remaining. The two teams split the regular season, 1-1, so the next tiebreaker is record versus the 3rd-place team. FGCU swept UNF, 2-0, while Lipscomb tied the Ospreys, 1-1. The top seed in the ASUN Tournament receives home-court advantage throughout the championship.
 
OPENING TIP ITEMS
FGCU has won 12-straight games over Kennesaw State – the longest active streak by any ASUN team over another league member. Among current conference members, the 12-game winning streak is tied for the 2nd-longest in ASUN history, bested only by North Florida's 13-game run over Kennesaw State from 2010-16. Jacksonville also defeated Kennesaw State 12 times in a row from 2007-13. FGCU holds a 14-6 edge all-time against Kennesaw State.
 
Kennesaw State ranks 2nd in the nation in 3-point percentage at 42.6. The Owls don't take or make as many 3s as most ASUN members as they average 6.9 makes per game. FGCU leads the ASUN in 3-point percentage defense, limiting foes to 31.2 percent from beyond the arc. Through the first five ASUN games, every opponent shot better than 35 percent from 3-point range against FGCU, but the Eagles have held each of their last five opponents under 35 percent.
 
FGCU continues to lead the nation in points in the paint at 41.7 per game (2nd: Kentucky, 41), and is 5th in the country in field goal percentage at 50.5. The Eagles have out-scored each of their 10 ASUN opponents in the paint so far this year, and have done so by a dominant average of 41 to 25 per game. In their matchup last month, FGCU doubled-up Kennesaw State in the paint, 52-26.
 
Helping fuel that low-post production for FGCU is a re-emergence of Dunk City as the Eagles are averaging 4.6 dunks per game, surpassing the average of 4 per game thrown down by the original Dunk City Sweet Sixteen team in 2012-13. The Eagles already have 120 dunks this year, the most since that iconic 2012-13 squad slammed 148.
 
TWEETABLES
1) FGCU's leading 3-point shooter, Christian Terrell (10.4 ppg), did not play Thursday after rolling his ankle in practice and will be a game-time decision against Kennesaw State.
2) Against Lipscomb, FGCU shot a season-low 35.4 percent from the floor and tied for its fewest points in the paint all year with just 24.
3) Marc-Eddy Norelia (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Brandon Goodwin (16 points, 10 rebounds) both secured double-doubles against the Bisons.
4) FGCU has not lost consecutive ASUN home games since the 2011-12 season.
5) The Eagles bounced back from their first ASUN loss with a dominant 84-point and 53.6-percent shooting performance against NJIT on Jan. 21.
 
LOOKING FOR 20 AGAIN
With a win, FGCU will secure its fifth-straight 20-win season, something that no ASUN team has done since former member College of Charleston from 1993-98. By having played in the postseason and having won 20 or more games each of the past four years, FGCU is one of just 31 teams in the nation (out of 351 Division-I programs) to have accomplished that feat.
 
Additionally, the FGCU women's basketball team (19-7 this year) has won 20 or more games each of the past four years (12 in a row overall). FGCU is one of only eight schools in the nation that has had their men's and women's basketball teams win at least 20 games each of the past four years: Duke, Louisville, Kentucky, Baylor, Connecticut, BYU and Saint Mary's.
 
SERIES HISTORY
While FGCU has the aforementioned 14-6 edge in the all-time series with Kennesaw State – including a program-record 12-game winning streak – the matchups in recent years have been close. Each of the last seven meetings between FGCU and KSU have been decided by 10 points or fewer.
 
EARLIER THIS YEAR vs. KENNESAW STATE
The latest of those close contests came last month outside Atlanta. After a month without playing, Norelia (Orlando, Fla./Tulane/Olypmia HS) returned to the FGCU lineup with a team-best 21 points, Zach Johnson blocked a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final second and the Eagles claimed a 78-75 win at Kennesaw State on Jan. 12.
 
Trailing by seven points midway through the 2nd half, FGCU battled back in front of KSU's largest home crowd of the year and eventually had the contest tied at 68-68 with 5 minutes to play. That's when Norelia – who had missed the previous six games for personal reasons – completed an and-1 finish to give the Eagles a lead they would not surrender the rest of the night.
 
Kennesaw State had a chance to send the game into overtime, but Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) once again stepped up with a huge block off a 3-pointer in the final second. That was the third time the redshirt sophomore has blocked a potential game-tying shot in the final seconds, with the others coming last year against NJIT and in the ASUN Championship opposite Stetson.
 
SCOUTING KENNESAW STATE
^ Kennesaw State has won three games in a row and five of its last six overall after opening ASUN play 1-3.
^ Nick Masterson leads the nation in 3-point percentage as the junior is shooting 51.8 percent (73-141) from beyond the arc.
^ Guard Kendrick Ray is 12th in the country in points per game as the redshirt senior transfer is averaging 21.7. However, Ray did not play in the Owls' win at Stetson on Thursday because of an undisclosed injury.
^ Aubrey Williams rounds out a talented inside-outside trio for KSU as the senior forward is the only player in the ASUN averaging a double-double for the year with 12.8 points and 10.7 rebounds. Williams has 15 double-doubles this season to rank as the 8th-most in the nation.
 
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Despite the loss to Lipscomb on Thursday, FGCU is still 70-14 (.833) at Alico Arena since the start of the 2012-13 season, including an 11-3 mark this year. In ASUN games, the Eagles have been even more dominant, posting a 32-5 (.864) mark against league foes in the regular season in that same timeframe.
 
GOODWIN NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
For the first time in ASUN history, a player has been named Newcomer of the Week five times, and that distinction now belongs to Goodwin (Norcross, Ga./UCF/Norcross HS). The redshirt junior scored a game- and season-high 29 points last Monday against North Florida and followed it up with a game-best 24 points at Jacksonville last Saturday to lead FGCU to a pair of wins. Goodwin averaged 26.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4 assists over the course of the two contests.
 
RECORD-SETTING NUMBERS
FGCU is averaging 78.9 points per game, which would be a single-season D-I program record – nearly two points better than last year's record of 77.2, and way more than the 72.9 averaged by the Sweet Sixteen team in 2012-13.
 
The Eagles are shooting 36.2 percent from 3-point range, which is just shy of the best single-season mark in program history (37.4 in 2011-12). FGCU's 50.5-percent clip from the floor would also be the best all-time, and its rebound margin of +6.4 would be the best in the D-I era.
 
#DEPTHCITY
Last year, FGCU had 10 different players reach double-figure points in a game (tied for the 3rd-most in the nation). Already this year, the Eagles have again had 10 players reach double-figure points (Reggie Reid: 9-point game). Below is a list of players who have scored 10 or more points in a game, how many times they have led (or tied) the team in scoring and their season high.
 
Brandon Goodwin (14 – includes 3 ties): 29
Demetris Morant (3): 25
Zach Johnson (4 – includes 2 ties): 24
Rayjon Tucker: 23
Marc-Eddy Norelia (2): 21
Christian Terrell (4): 20
Christian Carlyle: 19
Antravious Simmons (2 – includes 1 tie): 18
RaySean Scott Jr.: 14
Kevin Mickle: 13
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Of FGCU's 13 D-I non-conference opponents this year, seven rank inside the top-110 in the RPI. FGCU is currently 92 in the RPI – the only ASUN team in the top 150. The Eagles have already played three top-50 RPI opponents (Baylor (1), Florida (7) and Michigan State (50)) and four more ranked from 51-105 (UT Arlington (60), La Salle (90) and twice against Georgia Southern (107)). FGCU is 2-2 against that group with a win over UT Arlington, a narrow road loss to La Salle (84-80), and a win and a loss against Georgia Southern.
 
FGCU was down just one point with under 3 minutes to play at previously #1-ranked Baylor before falling short, 81-72, lost to #17-ranked Florida despite holding a five-point lead with 15 minutes remaining and overcame a double-figure 2nd-half deficit to defeat UT Arlington – one of only two teams (#1 Gonzaga) to have beaten #20-ranked Saint Mary's – convincingly, 85-72. Additionally, FGCU controversially lost, 78-77, at Michigan State (more info later in this release).
 
ROAD WARRIORS
FGCU is 8-3 on the road this year, and a perfect 5-0 in ASUN contests. The Eagles have won seven in a row away from home, tied for the 3rd-longest streak in the nation (Belmont, 10 straight; Gonzaga, 9 straight). FGCU has already tied its program record for the most road ASUN wins in a single season (done multiple times), and has tied for the most road victories overall in a single campaign (2002-03).
 
ASUN RANKINGS
Several FGCU players rank among the top-10 performers in the ASUN:
 
Points Per Game
Brandon Goodwin: 7th, 17.2
 
Rebounds Per Game
Demetris Morant: 4th, 8.2
 
Assists Per Game
Brandon Goodwin: 4th, 4.0
 
Blocks Per Game
Demetris Morant: 1st, 1.7
 
Field Goal Percentage
Demetris Morant: 1st, .748
Brandon Goodwin: 8th, .516
 
Free Throw Percentage
Brandon Goodwin: 9th, .773
 
Assist/Turnover Ratio
Christian Terrell: 4th, 2.2
Reggie Reid: 5th, 2.1
 
MARC-EDDY NORELIA
Norelia missed the first four games of the year with a broken left (shooting hand) before playing the next seven games. He then missed the next six games for personal reasons. Norelia did not travel with the team or partake in practice from Dec. 14-28, but rejoined practice on Dec. 29. He sat on the bench versus Florida Tech on Dec. 31, but did not dress; did dress at Stetson on Jan. 7; returned on Jan. 12 at Kennesaw State. The forward is a Preseason All-ASUN Conference selection and team's leading returning scorer (17.1) and rebounder (9.3) from a season ago.
 
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, Norelia was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Conference Team, 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.
 
YOUTHFUL EAGLES
FGCU is getting the job done again this year with a youthful group as 80 percent of its total points, 70 percent of its rebounds and 93 percent of its assists have come from non-seniors.
 
ON RECORD PACE
Through the first 26 games of the season, Goodwin has totaled 446 points – 25 more than what Norelia had at the same juncture last year when he set the program's single-season scoring record with 597 points.
 
Norelia also set the single-season program record with 234 made field goals last year. Through 26 games this year, Goodwin has 160 made field goals – just five fewer than what Norelia had at the same juncture last season.
 
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, 24.9 percent of FGCU's total points have come off 3-pointers.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
FGCU has the following records under the direction of Dooley:
 
Leading At The Half: 63-4 (.940)
Holding Opponent Below 40% FG: 48-5 (.905)
Grabbing More Rebounds: 68-14 (.829)
Scoring Between 70-79 Points: 51-11 (.823)
Scoring At Least 80 Points: 35-4 (.897)
 
RE-TWEETS
1) FGCU posted its largest comeback in the program's D-I era against UT Arlington on Nov. 16 as the Eagles erased a 16-point deficit (one shy of matching the all-time mark set in 2005-06).
2) The Eagles posted D-I program records in points (120), field goals made (47), field goal percentage (67.1), assists (29) and win margin (60) in its 120-60 victory over NAIA member Ave Maria on Nov. 29.
3) Morant pulled down the 4th-most rebounds in single-game D-I program history (most in a regulation game) with 17 against Georgia Southern on Dec. 13.
4) The 11 non-conference wins were the most in program history, and the three 100+ point games already marks the first time in single-season D-I history that has occurred.
5) FGCU had two separate 4+ game winning streaks in D-I non-conference history for the first time.
6) FGCU has already won three games by one point for the first time in a single season, and it has had a record four games decided by a single point already this year.
7) Incredibly, all 15 of FGCU's players has a positive plus/minus ratio, and every scholarship player is at least +25 on the year.
8) The Eagles' first four ASUN games were decided by a total of 10 points – the smallest differential for a four-game stretch at any point in program history.
9) FGCU has three different winning streaks of five or more games in a single season for the first time in program history.
 
FLORIDA NATIONAL PERFORMANCE
During its game against Florida National on Dec. 22, FGCU set a single-game D-I program record with 30 assists (tied again a game later versus Florida Tech), and matched a record with 68 points in the paint set earlier this year versus Ave Maria. Additionally, FGCU's 107 points were the 3rd-most in the program's D-I era and 2nd-most in a regulation game. The Eagles also connected at a 66.7-percent clip (44-66) from the floor, the 2nd-best performance in a game in D-I program history.
 
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 Feb. 10):
 
1) Florida: 92
2) Miami: 85
3) FGCU: 84
4) Florida State: 79
5) North Florida: 73
6) Jacksonville: 53
7) UCF: 52
8) FIU: 49
9) Stetson: 40
10) Bethune-Cookman: 38
11) USF: 36
12) FAU: 35
13) Florida A&M: 29
 
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). 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.
 
GAME-WINNERS THIS YEAR
FGCU has already hit four game-winning shots this year. The first came on Nov. 25 when Terrell (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence HS) hit a contested layup with 2.4 seconds left in overtime to give the Eagles a 68-67 win against Long Beach State.
 
The second came on Dec. 20 when Goodwin hit a floater in the paint with 12 seconds remaining to hand FGCU a 79-78 win at Louisiana Tech. LA Tech entered the contest with a dominant record of 71-2 at home since February of 2012 – with the .973 winning percentage over that time being the best in the nation.
 
Goodwin then hit three free throws with .6 of a second left to give the Eagles an 89-88 win at Stetson at Jan. 7. FGCU trailed by eight points with just under 70 seconds remaining before mounting an incredible comeback.
 
The most recent game-winning effort came on Jan. 25 when Goodwin again won it for the Eagles, knocking down a baseline 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to break an 80-80 tie at North Florida en route to an 86-82 triumph.
 
LOCKING IN ON D
Since Joe Dooley took over FGCU in 2013-14, FGCU has held 35 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. This year, the Eagles are again leading the ASUN, holding opponents to just 69 points per game.
 
RECAPPING MICHIGAN STATE
With 1.6 seconds remaining in a 78-77 game on Nov. 20 at Michigan State, Terrell threw an in-bounds pass from under the Spartans' basket to 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.
 
The head referee Bo Boroski, Big Ten officials, ASUN 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.
 
ANOTHER DANCE?
^ FGCU posted a record 31-point win, 96-65, in the First Four last March over fellow 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.
^ The Eagles will be looking for their 5th 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.
 
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.
 
BAHAMIAN SUMMER
FGCU spent Aug. 5-10 of last summer 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).
 
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: 21-14, 8-6 ASUN (T-2nd)
2016-17: 19-7, 8-2 ASUN (T-1st)
D-I Total: 164-155, 87-81 ASUN
Last 4+ Years: 110-56, 54-20 ASUN
 
NEXT UP
FGCU will hit the road for the final time in the regular season when the Eagles head to NJIT (Thursday, Feb. 16) and USC Upstate (Saturday, Feb. 18).

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 141-97 (.592), and in his 3+ years with FGCU is 84-45 (.651).
 
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.