FORT MYERS, Fla. — Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball tips off the 2023-24 season Monday in Providence, Rhode Island, against Brown University. The season opener will air on ESPN+ at 7 p.m.
FGCU is coming off a 33-4 season a year ago which saw the Eagles win the program's 13th ASUN Conference regular season title, 10th ASUN Tournament crown and fourth NCAA Tournament victory.
Brown posted a 11-15 effort and 4-10 campaign in the IVY League last season. Monday will mark just the second-ever meeting between the two programs. FGCU won the first meeting 89-75 at Alico Arena on Dec. 28, 2022. Returners to this year's squad made an impact in that game as Maddie Antenucci dropped 13 points, Brylee Bartram added eight and preseason ASUN All-Conference Selection Uju Ezeudu produced six.
The Eagles continued to etch their names into the NCAA record book last year by winning their third game as a 12 seed – the most in tournament history – defeating fifth-seeded Washington State 74-63. FGCU finished the year with 425 3-pointers, just six 3s behind their own all-time record of 431 in 2017-18. The Green & Blue has led the nation in made 3s per game for four consecutive seasons.
FGCU also closed No. 24 in the final USA Today/Coaches Top 25 poll. The Eagles are the only mid-major with four straight Top 25 rankings and enter the 2023-34 season No. 2 overall in the CollegeInsider.com's mid major top 25 poll.
Legendary head coach
Karl Smesko returns for his 22nd season at the helm of the Eagles. Smesko has directed FGCU to 147 wins in the past five seasons, ranking fifth most among all active Division I women's basketball head coaches. Smesko trails Connecticut's Geno Auriemma and 2023 National Champion Louisiana State's Kim Mulkey in that span by just six wins.
