FORT MYERS, Fla. – Three games in the 2022 Gulf Coast Showcase at Hertz Arena in nearby Estero, Fla., await the FGCU men's basketball team this week, beginning with a 7:30 p.m. Monday tip against Northern Kentucky. All games in the Gulf Coast Showcase are available via webcast at FloHoops.com. Monday's decision determines the Eagles' next opponent.
 
The winner of the FGCU-Northern Kentucky game faces the winner of Drexel vs. UT-Arlington in the Gulf Coast Showcase semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Teams not advancing to the finals participate in the consolation bracket for fifth place at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. 
 
Now a Horizon League competitor, Northern Kentucky is 2-1 this season after a 64-51 home victory against Cincinnati on Nov. 16. The Norse downed UC-Clermont 89-49 on Nov. 12, and lost to Kent State 79-57 on Nov. 7. Marques Warrick leads NKU in scoring at 18 points per game. 
 
FGCU has dominated Northern Kentucky throughout history, going 6-0 all-time against the Norse. The teams played home-and-away series for three years from 2013-15 when Northern Kentucky was an ASUN member. The Green & Blue notched its biggest win against the Norse – 92-72 – on March 1, 2014. 
 
FGCU participated in the 2014 and 2018 Gulf Coast Showcases, going 2-1 in 2014 with victories against Marist and San Francisco before losing to Green Bay in the final. The Eagles went 0-3 in 2018, losing to Colorado State, Toledo, and UTSA. 
 
Junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) is tied with junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) for the team lead in scoring with 13.5 points per game. Senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue) is close behind at 11.5 points per game. Anderson leads all FGCU rebounders at 7.5 boards per outing, and graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) has dealt a team-best 15 assists. 
 
Johnston was selected as the season's first ASUN Player of the Week for his performance over FGCU's first three outings. He averaged 18 points for the Eagles against USC, San Diego and Ave Maria, leading the team with 20 points in the 74-61 season-opening win at USC. Johnston poured in 23 points and connected on five triples at San Diego. Johnston capped the week against Ave Maria with 11 points, three rebounds, and three steals in a victory in the team's home opener. 
 
Last Wednesday night found the Eagles on the short side of an 81-50 road decision at No. 17 Tennessee and the Vols' stifling defense. Anderson led the Green & Blue with 11 points against the Vols, which held FGCU to 30.4 percent (14 of 46) shooting from the field and 5 of 24 successful 3-point attempts (20.8 percent). 
 
For complete coverage of FGCU men's basketball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_MBB and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU men's basketball and other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.   
 
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS, MINI PLANS AVAILABLE
Tickets for the 2022-23 FGCU Basketball season are on sale now and can be purchased by going online to www.FGCUTickets.com or calling 866-FGCU-TIX. Group tickets can also be purchased for 10 or more people – making a memorable evening for families, businesses, or other organizations.
 
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
 
COACH CHAMBERS
Pat Chambers was officially introduced as the fifth FGCU men's basketball head coach in March 2022 bringing a wealth of experience in college basketball highlighted by head coaching stints at Penn State and Boston University. Chambers spent nine years leading the Penn State (2011-20) program and two years as head coach at Boston University (2009-11). He has 192 career victories in that span including four 20-plus win seasons. Part of his career as a head coach was highlighted by leading the Nittany Lions to a No. 9 national ranking in 2019-20 which tied the program's best-ever ranking set in 1996. Prior to becoming a head coach, he spent five seasons as part of the Villanova staff helping the Wildcats to a Final Four (2009), two Elite Eight, and three Sweet Sixteen appearances during his tenure.
 
#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 93 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 46 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men's golf team became the first program to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as four of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green & 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 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 26 consecutive semesters. The past six semesters (Fall 2019 – Spring 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative team GPA. 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.
 
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