The first inductees of the FGCU Athletics Hall of Fame were officially enshrined on Monday, November 15 as the 2012-13 Dunk City men's basketball team was formally honored in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom. Nearly 225 fans, supporters, staff members, and, most importantly, members of that iconic team gathered to celebrate and remember that history team and season.
This group of Eagles is regarded as one of the most nationally iconic programs in the history of March Madness, as FGCU captured the country's attention becoming the first No. 15 seed to reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Those three March games in 2013 launched FGCU into celebrity status with the program even earning an ESPY for Best Upset of the Year, which highlighted the NCAA win over second-seed Georgetown.
FGCU finished the year ranked No. 25 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll and the moniker Dunk City had been established as a household name in the basketball world. Overall, the 26 wins that year were a program record (tied later by the 2016-17 squad). FGCU became the first team since Florida in 1987 to win its first two NCAA Tournament contests, won the ASUN Tournament in just its second year of Division I postseason eligibility, won 14 of its last 17 games, and had 148 high-flying dunks on the year.
The Eagles won the ASUN Championship title 88-75 at top-seeded Mercer after going 13-5 in league play during the regular season and earning a 63-51 home victory over eventual ACC regular season champion Miami.
Sherwood Brown was named an Honorable Mention AP All-American to go alongside ASUN Player of the Year, ASUN First Team, and NABC All-District honors. Brett Comer earned the ASUN Tournament MVP, Bernard Thompson was tabbed the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, while Chase Fieler was selected to the ASUN Second Team. That year was so special, in fact, that as part of the official announcement on the creation of an FGCU Athletics Hall of Fame earlier in April 2020, it was also released that the committee had unanimously voted for inclusion of the 2013 Dunk City team as part of the first inducted class.
