FORT MYERS, Fla. - After finishing a 13-2 non-conference slate with a 78-56 victory over Duke, the FGCU women's basketball team has elevated to a top-25 ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
 
The Eagles sit at No. 25, which is the program's first ranking since finishing 25th in the 2017-18 season in the same poll. It is the earliest in program history that a team has been ranked, topping the 2014-15 team that was ranked in both the AP and Coaches Poll on Feb. 16.
 
"We had a really positive non-conference portion of our schedule with a lot of quality wins," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "Now we have to prepare ourselves to play a challenging ASUN schedule."
 
Similar to that 2014-15 team, this year's version of the Green and Blue had a program-best 13-2 non-conference record. Along with the 2011-12 and 2014-15 teams, the 2019-20 Eagles are tied for the second-most wins through a season's first 15 games in the program's Division I era behind the 2010-11 team's 14-1 start.
 
FGCU is 2-1 against Power 5 schools this year, having knocked off defending national runner-up Notre Dame and ACC power Duke. The team's lone two losses this year have come to current No. 24 Princeton and SEC power LSU. They also have wins over reigning NCAA Tournament participant UCF, reigning WNIT participants USF and Houston and defending Sweet 16 participant South Dakota State
 
The Green and Blue will open conference play on Saturday at 4 p.m. against Lipscomb in Alico Arena. Fans are encouraged to wear green.
 

FGCU's History In National Polls
AP Poll
Feb. 16, 2015	No. 22
Feb. 23, 2015	No. 21
March 2, 2015	No. 20
March 9, 2015	No. 20
March 16, 2015	No. 20
Coaches Poll
Feb. 16, 2015	No. 24
Feb. 23, 2015	No. 22
March 2, 2015	No. 21
March 9, 2015	No. 21
March 16, 2015	No. 21
April 6, 2015	No. 21
Feb. 1, 2018	No. 25
April 2, 2018	No. 25
Dec. 31, 2019	No. 25

 

USA Today Coaches Poll (Dec. 31)
Rk.	Team	Record	Votes (1st)	Previous
1	UConn	10-0	787 (22)	1
2	Oregon	10-1	754 (6)	2
3	Oregon State	12-0	739 (4)	3
4	Stanford	11-1	684	4
5	South Carolina	12-1	669	5
6	Baylor	10-1	652	6
7	Louisville	12-1	608	7
8	Florida State	13-0	578	8
9	NC State	12-0	545	9
10	UCLA	12-0	518	10
11	Maryland	10-2	455	11
12	Texas A&M	12-1	434	12
13	Kentucky	11-1	408	13
14	Mississippi State	12-2	380	14
15	Indiana	11-2	335	15
16	Gonzaga	12-1	307	17
17	DePaul	11-2	302	16
18	Arizona	12-0	258	18
19	Missouri State	9-2	208	19
20	Arkansas	12-1	195	20
21	West Virginia	9-1	171	21
22	South Dakota	12-2	118	22
23	Tennessee	10-2	76	24
24	Princeton	12-1	58	25
25	FGCU	13-2	36	NR

 
Others receiving votes: Michigan 35; Minnesota 20; Northwestern 15; Arizona State 15; LSU 13; Miami (Fla.) 9; Texas 6; Rutgers 5; Georgia Tech 3; Colorado 3; Texas Tech 1.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Season and mini-plan packages for the 2019-20 FGCU women's basketball team are now on sale. More information can be accessed by visiting FGCUTickets.com. To purchase tickets, or for additional inquiries, call the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 AM-5 PM.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the women's basketball program, follow @FGCU_WBB on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook at /FGCUWBB.

SUPPORT THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM
Do you enjoy watching or following the FGCU women's basketball program? Would you like to play a role in the growth of the program and help take it to heights never before experienced? If so, you can reach out to Director of Advancement, Matt Ring, about opportunities to make an impact on the experiences of our student-athletes. He can be reached by email at mring@fgcu.edu or by office phone at 239-745-4434.

COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko led the 2018-19 Eagles to the program's fifth undefeated conference regular season since 2011-12, as well as the ninth consecutive season with at least 25 victories. The Green and Blue finished 28-5 overall and 16-0 in ASUN play, capturing the team's ninth ASUN regular season championship and sixth ASUN tournament championship. The team finished the season receiving votes in the final AP Poll and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in eight seasons before falling to host No. 19 Miami in the first round. It was the team's 12th-straight postseason appearance in 12 years of Division-I existence - the only program to ever do such.

Over the past five seasons, Smesko has guided FGCU to three 30-plus win seasons while recording a 149-28 (.841) record overall. That win total ranks eighth-best in the nation over that stretch - the most among all mid-majors and ahead of programs such as Oregon State and Stanford.

Including 2018-19, Smesko has also guided the Eagles to 15-straight 20-win seasons. He maintains a record of 537-121 (.816) overall in his career (third highest winning percentage among active D1 coaches behind only UConn's Geno Auriemma and Baylor's Kim Mulkey), including a 186-16 (.921) mark in ASUN play. Over the past eight seasons (including 2018-19), he has guided FGCU to a 124-4 (.969) record in conference play with five undefeated seasons. The now nine-time ASUN Coach of the Year earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than Auriemma.

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April 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.

ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 80 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just eight seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty consecutive semesters. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--