Florida Gulf Coast Basketball: What Eagles Must Do to Continue Run to Elite 8
Alex Ballentine
Mar 29, 2013
Florida Gulf Coast basketball has taken the nation by storm in the rounds of 64 and 32 in the 2013 NCAA tournament. Now they face an even larger task: Taking down the Florida Gators to get to the Elite Eight.
The Eagles fast-paced offensive style has endeared them to college basketball fans across the country. They've made history as the only No. 15 seed to make it to the Sweet 16. But America (well, everyone outside of Gainesville) wants to see the magic continue.
So what do the Eagles have to do to keep the Magic alive?
Read on for three things FGCU has to do to keep dancing closer to the Final Four.
Force Turnovers
The key for any Cinderella team is to force the opponent into making turnovers—the Eagles have mastered the art.
They forced Georgetown into 14 turnovers in the round of 64 and then upped the ante by causing 17 against San Diego State. The Eagles live in the passing lanes and love to put pressure on the ball-handler. The result is an up-and-down game that creates plenty of fast-break opportunities for the Eagles.
The Gators have done a good job of taking care of the ball in the tournament thus far. They only turned it over eight times against Northwestern State and gave it away 14 times against Minnesota. Both were blowout wins.
The Eagles must apply the pressure early on and create fast-break opportunities.
Be Efficient from Downtown
Unlike Cinderella teams of the past, the Eagles don't actually chuck up three-pointers at an alarming rate.
Rather than overwhelming the opposition with a ton of shots from the outside, the Eagles have just nailed the few that they do shoot. They prefer to attack the rim.
The Eagles went 6-of-15 from beyond the arc in their opening game against Georgetown and went 7-of-18 against San Diego State. It may be tempting to start throwing up threes after two straight games of solid shooting, but the Eagles must do what got them here and attack the basket first.
Once they start getting baskets on the inside, they should be open for another good night of shooting from distance.
Contain Erik Murphy
The Eagles have played like an elite team to this point. They've won both of their games by double-digits and even have a win over an NBA draft lottery talent in Otto Porter, Jr.
However, they haven't seen a player like Erik Murphy all season.
Murphy is a 6'10" big man that can dominate the boards, but he also has the shooting touch to be a threat anywhere on the floor offensively. He's a huge X-factor for the Gators in this matchup and the Eagles will need to find an answer for his unique skill set on the defensive end.
Murphy has been held to under 10 points in five of the Gators' seven losses this season—finding a way to minimize his impact on offense makes beating Florida much easier.
If the Eagles are able to double down on him in the post and close out quickly on the perimeter, it could be enough to spring the upset. That would give people what they all really want to see: more Dunk City.
Florida Gulf Coast Basketball: Keys to Victory for Eagles in Sweet 16
Mar 29, 2013
Any hopes bracketologists professional, amateur or clueless had of predicting the 2013 NCAA tournament to perfection were dashed by Florida Gulf Coast's stunning Cinderella run to the Sweet 16.
This is the first time in history that a No. 15 seed has made it to this juncture, but the Eagles will face a stiff test on Friday evening against the Florida Gators in a South regional semifinal.
Due to the surprising athleticism and explosiveness of FGCU's lineup, there is a faint chance for an upset against the defensively stout favorites. Here are the keys to victory for Andy Enfield's captivating squad.
Points in the paint
A big part of this team's success has depended on getting to the rim, and that must happen against the Gators to have any chance. Often, these opportunities come in transition, where the Eagles can utilize their outstanding play in the open court to go on momentum-seizing runs.
The methodical Gators, though, will likely try to slow the pace down at least from the start. Patric Young gives Florida a massive presence in the defensive interior, and he will be particularly difficult for the underdogs to negotiate.
As ESPN points out, though, the Eagles like to push the pace in the second half, scoring 34 of their 47 tournament transition points after the midway point.
Florida is easily the best team that FGCU will have faced to this point, so that transition game will likely need to be established earlier before an insurmountable deficit piles up.
While getting Florida's bigs in foul trouble would be nice, it is also crucial that the Eagles capitalize at the free-throw line. Against Georgetown, they made just 30-of-44 attempts, just 67.7 percent as a team.
Locking down the perimeter
The three guards that Florida has are all dangerous, but Mike Rosario is going to be the most important player to focus on. Rosario poured in 25 points in the dominant win over Minnesota in Round 3, and when he gets hot from the outside, the Gators are nearly unbeatable.
Senior big man Erik Murphy provides the biggest mismatch for the Eagles. Murphy truly is a stretch 4 at 6'11", and he shouldn't be bothered when he ventures out to the three-point line.
The Eagles can make up for the size disparity due to Chase Fieler's explosiveness. Fieler must concentrate on the defensive end of the court in addition to throwing down his highlight-reel dunks, and it will be a true test of conditioning for the junior forward to continually chase Murphy off the three-point line.
It's important that Florida Gulf Coast closes out and contests shots, but it's equally vital to not become airborne. That is when senior slasher Kenny Boynton can create off the bounce for his teammates, which will lead to plenty of clean looks and easy hoops for Florida.
Scottie Wilbekin is capable of doing the same for the Gators, and leads the team with five assists per game. Watch for high-scoring Eagles guard Bernard Thompson on defense, too, as FGCU's Twitter page warns:
A lot of pressure will be on Eagles point guard Brett Comer not only to continue his outstanding distribution (24 assists to five turnovers in two NCAA tournament games), but to man up on defense as well.
Balance on offense
Lone senior starter Sherwood Brown has led the way, but a big key to the Eagles' success has been the balance provided by their prominent contributors.
A lot of credit can be attributed to Comer's wise decisions and judiciousness with the basketball, but Florida Gulf Coast has been executing exceptionally.
In the Georgetown stunner, Brown had 24 points, Bernard Thompson poured in 23, Comer had 11 of his own on top of 10 assists, and forwards Chase Fieler and Eddie Murray had nine apiece.
The victory over San Diego State in Round 3 saw Thompson match his point total from the tournament opener, while Brown had 17. Christophe Varidel netted 11 off the bench, which was matched by Fieler. Comer hit double figures with 10, and Eric McKnight—who didn't score in the round of 64—pitched in nine points of his own.
The guard trio of Comer, Brown and Thompson will be intriguing to watch against the likes of Rosario, Boynton and Wilbekin—especially since Wilbekin is such a challenge to get around.
Brown's superior length will provide him with a slight edge in his matchup, which he must utilize to his advantage if the Eagles hope to have any chance of advancing to the Elite Eight.
FGCU vs. Florida: Eagles' Keys to Keeping Cinderella Run Alive
Mar 29, 2013
The story of the 2013 NCAA tournament has been No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast’s improbable run, but the clock may strike midnight on this Cinderella when it takes on No. 3 Florida.
Andy Enfield’s Eagles shocked No. 2 Georgetown in the opening round, then became the first No. 15 seed ever to reach the Sweet 16 with a win over No. 7 San Diego State.
Now, FGCU faces its toughest test yet against Billy Donovan and the Gators.
Here are the keys to victory for Florida Gulf Coast.
This has been a problem that has plagued FGCU throughout the season. In fact, the Eagles rank 221st in the nation in turnover percentage.
The team is extremely aggressive on offense and shows little reservations about making risky passes. This will hurt Enfield's squad badly against Florida.
Florida is the only team in the country to place in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Gators will punish any mistakes the Eagles make on offense, and they will turn them into points.
Florida Gulf Coast was able to win the turnover battle in both of their previous games, but if the team fails to do so this time around, its tournament run will end.
Push the Tempo
The Eagles are going to have to play a perfect game to beat Florida. The team will have to limit turnovers, but it cannot sacrifice its greatest advantage to do it.
In order to make full use of its athleticism, FGCU needs to get out and run. If this game turns into an up-tempo affair for long stretches, the Eagles will have a chance.
At every opportunity, the team must get the ball into Brett Comer’s hands and start shooting down the floor towards the basket. The Gators will be trying to slow the game down, but the Eagles cannot let this happen.
If this game comes down to who performs better in their half-court set, Florida will cruise into the Elite Eight.
Aggressive Defense
While the Eagles commit plenty of turnovers, they often make up for it on the other end of the floor. FGCU ranks 24th in the nation in steal percentage.
Andy Enfield will have to stress limiting turnovers to his team, but the Eagles’ style makes a handful of errant passes inevitable. In order to pull off the upset, FGCU will need to shoot into passing lanes and be aggressive on defense.
Bernard Thompson had five steals against San Diego State, while Eric McKnight had four blocks. These are the type of plays that lead to opportunities in transition.
If Florida Gulf Coast has any chance to get the Gators out of their comfort zone and push the tempo in this game, it will need to create turnovers on defense.
Florida Gulf Coast Basketball: Why FGCU Is the Most Fun Team in America
Mar 28, 2013
Florida Gulf Coast is not only "The Story" of this year's March Madness, but they may be shifting how college basketball teams pursue success.
The No. 15 seed Eagles take winning seriously, but not themselves.
Taking on and defeating some of the best teams in the nation doesn't have to turn them into lifeless zombies.
At the Sweet 16 news conference at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, FGC head coach Andy Enfield stated that he believes that teams play better and players get better if they enjoy what they are doing.
He spoke of having a "culture of fun" where players can be loose and focused at the same time.
It's hard to argue with Enfield's perspective or approach right now after the Atlantic Sun tournament winners have handled No. 2 seed Georgetown and No. 7 seed San Diego State.
The Eagles beat the Hoyas and Aztecs by playing wide open, full throttle hoops with lots of no-look alley-oops and tons of thunderous tomahawk dunks, all of which are regularly worked on in practice.
As FGC prepares to face their in-state rival Florida, they are still carefree and reveling in every minute of their magical ride.
Seeing them first-hand at the Sweet 16 shootaround was priceless.
Some of the Eagles decided that it would be fun to switch practice jerseys before taking the court. Since no one knows them anyway, what's the difference, right?
More than one member of the media was frustrated by the players' playfulness. But this kind of spur of the moment mischief is what fuels this team's camaraderie.
Free-spirit PG/ringleader Brett Comer was being interviewed courtside. Spontaneously taking the microphone, Comer reversed roles, and went from being interviewee to interviewer. Hilarious.
Enfield says his team doesn't have to act like they like each other or act like they're having fun because they genuinely enjoy being around each other and they are having a blast.
The atmosphere was so relaxed on the court at Cowboys Stadium that no one batted an eye when the head coach went and got his young son and held him as he directed the workout.
Make no mistake about it. The Eagles have worked hard collectively and individually to get to where they are today.
Many of these players had serious on-court limitations coming out of high school. But, Enfield believes 100 percent in constantly concentrating on basics like shooting techniques, ball-handling and footwork. Because the Eagles work on these fundamentals on a daily basis, his players are continually developing and improving. As they get better, they truly enjoy the work and the results that comes from the effort.
Even the team’s postseason media guide is fun. When biographical information is listed, fans can also find out each players Twitter handle. Because FGC is also known as “Dunk City,” they list extensive stats on how many dunks they’ve had during the season, including dunk leaders, throwdowns by half and slam superlatives.
Florida Gulf Coast’s upbeat mindset and lighthearted approach to the remainder of the tournament positions them to have further success. They respect Florida, but they are confident about how they can play on any given night.
After all, they aren’t just this year’s Cinderella. The Eagles are the most fun college basketball team in America.
Andy Enfield's Salary Takes Center Stage as FGCU Continues Cinderella Run
Mar 26, 2013
The attention placed on Florida Gulf Coast is well-deserved after a miraculous run to the Sweet 16 in the 2013 NCAA tournament. However, the focus has quickly turned to the business side of college basketball.
Over the past week, head coach Andy Enfield has led his squad to impressive wins over Georgetown and San Diego State, making his Eagles the first No. 15 seed in NCAA history to reach the Sweet 16. While fans loved watching Brett Comer and others have fun on the court, the team's leader has some interesting stories as well.
According to ESPN's Dana O'Neil, Enfield holds the NCAA record for free-throw shooting percentage, he helped start up a software company and he is married to a model.
This already has the makings of one exciting movie.
Still, the latest part of his life to make the news is his salary. Jacob Carpenter of Naples News reports that the FGCU coach is making $157,500 per year and that the school is looking to double that number heading into next season.
According to Carpenter, booster club chairman Brian Rasnick said of Enfield, "I hope that he takes away that we really want him, we want to give him the respect he deserves, and want to try to get him to be the highest-paid coach in the Atlantic Sun."
Doubling the salary to around $300,000 would certainly be a good way to reward the coach after putting the young school on the map. Of course, this is nothing compared to people in similar positions at high-major programs around the country.
Florida Gulf Coast's next game is against No. 3 seed Florida, led by Billy Donovan. The Gators' coach makes an annual salary of $3.5 million after his latest extension. While he has already won two national championships, it is important to note the difference between what the two programs are able to afford.
This run by the Eagles is certain to turn some heads around the country. It would not be at all surprising to see Enfield's name come up as schools look to fill job vacancies.
While it is unlikely that he makes a jump to a program like UCLA after one noteworthy tournament run, there will be plenty of other options as the coaching carousel turns. If one of these schools offers a much larger starting salary, it might be difficult for Enfield to say no.
It is unknown how open the coach is to a change, but there is little doubt that this will be discussed in the coming weeks.
For now, however, we should simply enjoy the moment. A group of kids with no experience of playing on the big stage are having fun and winning huge games in the process.
Hopefully, the talks about salary and coaching changes do not take too much attention away from the players and the fantastic Cinderella story that has occurred this March.
Andy Enfield Joining Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens as Next Elite Coaches
Mar 25, 2013
In the illustrious history of the NCAA Tournament, perhaps no story has been as riveting as that of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. Led by head coach Andy Enfield, the Eagles are the first No. 15 seed in NCAA history to reach the Sweet Sixteen.
As a result of this legendary feat, Enfield is approaching the active legacies of VCU's Shaka Smart and Butler's Brad Stevens as the nation's next elite coaches.
For those unfamiliar, Florida Gulf Coast is currently on one of the most magical runs in NCAA history. The No. 15 Eagles started their run by upsetting No. 2 Georgetown—a team that won the regular-season Big East championship and boasts a Naismith Award finalist in Otto Porter Jr.
They followed that win up with a victory over No. 7 San Diego State—a team led by NBA prospect Jamaal Franklin and legendary head coach Steve Fisher.
Behind their success has been Enfield, a 43-year-old head coach in his second year with the team. Prior to taking over the Eagles, Enfield had been an assistant coach for two NBA franchises and the Florida State Seminoles.
Never had he been a head coach.
In his first year with the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, Enfield led the team to a record of 15-17 overall and 8-10 in conference play. That was an improvement of five wins over the previous season.
One year later, Enfield is making history with a Florida Gulf Coast team that is 26-10 overall, 13-5 in conference and currently a member of the Sweet Sixteen.
If that sounds familiar to you, it's probably because you've heard a similar story before. That most likely came from the schools Butler and Virginia Commonwealth.
The universities where Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart reside.
Today, Stevens is one of the most respected coaches in the entire country. Not only is this impressive due to the fact that he's 36-years-old, but because he too is in his first career head-coaching gig.
Stevens was an assistant for Butler from 2001 to 2007 before taking over as head coach when Todd Lickliter left to coach Iowa.
In that time, Stevens has led the Bulldogs to two National Championship game appearances and three conference titles. He's compiled a record of 166-49.
To say Enfield is approaching his stature would be an overwhelming complement to the Florida Gulf Coast head honcho.
Smart, meanwhile, is the 35-year-old head coach at VCU. He too has taken his mid-major team to the Final Four, doing so with no prior head-coaching experience.
Enfield may have some work to do before truly reaching their status, but he's done one heck of a job so far.
For all of the hype that individual players may garner, it's the coach that has risen to power in today's college game. With an abundance of one-and-done freshmen, the task of constructing a successful team has been daunting.
Enfield, however, has managed to get the job done.
Much like Smart and Stevens, Enfield has built his name by taking experienced players to NCAA Tournament success. More importantly, he's led an underdog squad to upsets of national powerhouses.
Miami, Georgetown and San Diego State have already fallen to Enfield's crew—the only question is, can he join Smart and Stevens as Final Four alumni?
Florida Gulf Coast Basketball: Anatomy of Eagles' Cinderella Run to Sweet 16
Mar 25, 2013
Historical records will tell some future version of you that the 2012-13 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles were the first-ever NCAA tournament team seeded 15th or lower to make the Sweet 16.
Based on that fact alone, you'd necessarily place the Eagles alongside VCU, Butler, George Mason and the like in your personal pantheon of Cinderella greatness. You'd fete them with the proper "firsts." You'd acknowledge the proper precedent.
And frankly, you'd be selling FGCU short.
What makes the Eagles such a phenomenon is not that they've won two NCAA tournament games they were expected to lose, but rather that they won those games in such absorbingly conclusive fashion (both on the scoreboard and to the aesthetic eye).
Given the right breaks, any 15th seed can win a game or two. I know that sounds preposterous, but basketball is a funny game. Winning consecutive games in the NCAA tournament can be—and often is—a simple statistical anomaly.
Florida Gulf Coast, however, is undressing elite teams, beating them in ways that should make us question the very power structure of modern college basketball.
At no point have the Eagles dabbled in circumstance or even appeared over-matched. They've looked quicker, bouncier and altogether more capable than their opponents. They've looked, in sum, like a team beating teams they're supposed to beat.
Consecutive 10-point victories tell part of that story—FGCU is the only team seeded 13th or lower to win back-to-back games by double digits—but the tactical and programmatic brilliance driving those margins may be more revealing still.
Here's how they're doing it.
The Dunks
Public reaction to FGCU's run has predictably coalesced around the Eagles' athleticism, in particular their penchant for aerial theatrics.
On one hand, the "dunk city" moniker threatens to obscure all the other things Florida Gulf Coast does well (pass, shoot, play defense, etc.). On the other, it drives at the collective physical attributes that make FGCU such a thoroughly modern basketball phenomenon.
Throughout college basketball history, there have always been rare athletic outliers who fall through the recruiting cracks and end up elevating some backwater program to relevance. Larry Bird wound up at Indiana State. Santa Clara lucked into Steve Nash. Lord only knows how tiny Guilford College landed World B. Free.
But the Eagles aren't one athletic outlier. They're a team of athletic outliers.
And in that way, they aren't really an outlier at all.
Three decades ago, a program of FGCU's station—founded in 1991, fully minted D-I in 2011—wouldn't have been able to attract a roster full of high-flying athletes.
Yet the Eagles have—not because coach Andy Enfield and his predecessor, Dave Balza, necessarily recruited over their heads but because the abundance of basketball talent now exceeds our capacity to harvest it.
In other words, FGCU landed the caliber of recruits you would expect FGCU to land. The difference is the depth of quality recruits now available to lower-tier programs.
According to ESPN's prospect database, FGCU's top-rated recruit over the last six years is current point guard Brett Comer, a 2-star athlete out of Winter Park, Fla. Leaper Chase Fieler garnered only one star. Leading scorer Sherwood Brown doesn't even have a profile.
As fast as the basketball recruiting industry has grown, it would appear that it hasn't been able to keep pace with the influx of prep talent.
Part of the reason for that is basketball's growing popularity abroad, as well as the burgeoning democratization of high school recruiting.
It's considered something of a given in college basketball circles that AAU and other high-exposure youth leagues have ruined the game by emphasizing individual skill, disincentivizing team play and inflating young egos well out of proportion.
What we fail to acknowledge is how these networks flatten the recruiting playing field, allowing athletes to market their skills to a wider range of coaches and allowing coaches to scout players from other parts of the country (and world) that they otherwise wouldn't have seen.
The result is that a branch campus school with zero basketball history like FGCU can recruit players from West Virginia (Fieler), Georgia (Bernard Thompson), Maryland (Leonard Livingston) and Central Freaking Europe (Christophe Varidel, Alexander Blessig, Filip Cvjeticanin).
In fact, only one player on the FGCU roster, North Fort Myers native Eddie Murray, is actually from Florida's Gulf Coast.
Look around D-I at every level, and you'll see similarly constructed programs. Even the smallest schools are no longer bound by geography in their recruiting patterns.
That combined with the quickening pace of basketball's popularity ensures that almost every roster will have its share of highlight-reel athletes.
So yes, the FGCU Eagles can dunk. In that way they are both remarkable and tellingly emblematic.
The Offense
Whenever evaluating a Cinderella's performance, the first question we often ask is, "How many threes did they hit?"
The answer in FGCU's case is, "Not as many as you'd expect."
In both frequency of attempts and success rate, the Eagles were an average three-point shooting team this season.
They ranked 195th nationally in three-point percentage at 33.4 percent, and 135th in three-point attempts as a ratio of overall field-goal tries (34.6 percent).
In tournament play, FGCU has shot a better percentage from beyond but has actually taken fewer three-point shots than usual, and in each case the differences are incremental.
So far during the postseason, the Eagles have taken just 30.1 percent of their shots from three and hit a modest 39.4 percent of those attempts. The fact that FGCU hasn't faced a large deficit in either tournament game accounts for some of that data.
What it doesn't account for is why the Eagles are building and maintaining leads in the first place. And if it isn't the three ball, then what is it?
Obviously FGCU's open-court athleticism has been critical. So too is Florida Gulf Coast's excellent offensive spacing and timely use of backdoor cuts, the latter of which was particularly effective against Georgetown (of all teams).
But when I browse the statistics, what stands out is the turnovers, or, in this case, FGCU's lack of turnovers.
On most accounts, the Eagles had a good offense this year. They shot a great percentage from inside the arc (52.4 percent), rebounded at a decent clip and posted an excellent effective field-goal percentage (51.6 percent).
And yet Andy Enfield's team finished just 114th in adjusted offensive efficiency. As you might imagine, turnovers were the main culprit.
The Eagles turned the ball over on 20.7 percent of their possessions this year, a mark that left them 220th nationally in ball security.
So far in the tournament, though, that mark has dropped to somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 percent (hand calculation). That may sound like a small dip, but it's significant when you consider that FGCU hasn't abandoned its freewheeling style of play in the process.
And really any drop in turnover rate for a double-digit seed facing a team like Georgetown (which ranked 47th nationally in defensive turnover percentage) is impressive, regardless of circumstance.
Since regular season turnover rates aren't adjusted for competition, we generally expect underdogs to turn the ball over more frequently than normal in games against higher-tier competition. For lower-seeded teams that do fall into that pattern, usually the only way out is an exemplary shooting performance.
In FGCU's case, the exact opposite has been true. The Eagles have actually become stronger with the ball, thereby eliminating the need to shoot more than usual from the perimeter.
The Defense
In addition to their gripes with AAU ball, college basketball nitpickers also like to prattle on about how zone defenses muck up the game.
And it's true. Zone defenses often damage college basketball's visual appeal. Believe me, no one ever mistook a Syracuse game for a night at the theater.
But zones are also a fantastic equalizing agent that (a) give lesser teams a means to defend superior athletes and (b) add wonderful layers of tactical complexity to an otherwise straightforward game.
Former Penn player Stephen Danley, writing for Sports Illustrated, penned a fascinating post on the way FGCU switched in and out of different defensive alignments during the San Diego State game.
Danley in particular noted a 1-3-1 formation the Eagles used during their decisive second-half spurt, a defense that Danley says was decidedly different from the usual 1-3-1 and palpably unfamiliar to the Aztec players.
He writes:
Assistant coach Kevin Norris described the zone as “a simple matchup” with a wink and a smile, insisting he needed to “keep it under wraps” because there were more games to play. But the zone was anything but typical. A standard 1-3-1 defense is designed to extend to half court and trap in the corners.
Instead, FGCU used it to pack the paint, with forward Chase Fieler serving as a center fielder and roaming the foul-line area. Norris insisted the goal of the defense was to mix and confuse opponents. At its best “it may look like a 1-3-1 and end up being a 1-2-1-1.” That type of disguise of the base configuration of the defense makes it harder for an offense to figure out what to run.
I will admit that Danley's understanding of the Xs and Os is beyond anything I can truly comprehend.
But the assistant coach's response to Danley's observation tells me that Florida Gulf Coast is indeed massaging some foreign elements into its game plan. And it appears the Eagles have caught a couple of generally well-coached teams off-guard.
Whether any of this will hold against Florida in the Sweet 16 is a debate for another space.
The Gators will have more prep time than San Diego State and more game tape than Georgetown. They've also been one of the best teams in the country this year, and their athleticism on the perimeter will be a challenge for FGCU's guards.
Then again, Florida has lost 15 times in the NCAA tournament.
The Eagles never have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWvqqVOpkKk
Note: All advanced statistics courtesy of KenPom.com
Florida Gulf Coast, a No. 15 seed in the 2013 NCAA tournament, stole my heart—and that of almost every other basketball fan as well—with its freewheeling takedowns of No...
Florida Gulf Coast Basketball: Keys to Victory vs. Florida in Sweet 16
Mar 25, 2013
The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles have been the surprise of the 2013 NCAA tournament. The No. 15-seeded team in the South region has improbably soared to a Sweet 16 appearance.
It’s the first time in history that a program with a seed this high—and expectations so low—has made a run to the tourney’s fourth round, but don’t assume the Eagles will be ready to rest on their laurels.
This squad has the talented players, brilliant coaching staff, motivation and drive required to advance to the Elite Eight—and possibly even further with the right mix of skill and luck.
Let’s take a look at how the Eagles can knock out the perennial powerhouse from the Sunshine State, the Florida Gators, and keep dancing during March Madness.
Control the Pace
The Eagles are at their best when the tempo is cranked way up. These players love to run and gun and no player has been more instrumental to FGCU’s success than point guard Brett Comer.
This 6’3” sophomore has put up double-digit assist numbers in the opening two games of the tournament, dropping 12 points, 10 assists and six rebounds against Georgetown, followed by a 10-point, 14-assist, two-rebound performance against San Diego State.
Comer isn’t afraid of dishing dimes in style, either. Florida Gulf Coast has earned the moniker “Dunk City”—after the Los Angeles Clippers' “Lob City”—for its tendency to throw alley-oops and constantly create highlight plays.
As long as this team is pushing the break and creating opportunities in transition, it has a legit chance against UF in the Sweet 16.
Take Efficient Shots
One of the main reasons the Eagles have become the Cinderella of this tourney is their shot selection. Obviously, the dunks and fast-break layups are going to be high-percentage looks, but the FGCU players have also been smart about their attempts that don’t involve flushing down an alley-oop.
Against the Hoyas, the Eagles buried 42.9 percent of their attempts from the field and 40 percent from behind the three-point line—an area this underdog surprisingly hasn’t been reliant upon.
Georgetown also challenged them at the charity stripe, but the Eagles answered by sinking 30 of 44 from the line.
FGCU followed this performance up by shooting a whopping 55.9 field-goal percentage against the Aztecs, while utilizing the three-pointer effectively, but not often—hitting 7 of 18 from deep.
If this program can maintain its discipline in the face of a ferocious Florida defense, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see the Eagles in the Elite Eight.
Stay Loose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX1qGr-xKbk
Perhaps the greatest quality of this special Florida Gulf Coast squad is its “swagger.”
As a No. 15 seed, there were no expectations coming into the Big Dance and the players were able to relax on the court. Because no one believed the Eagles would beat Georgetown and then had no chance against San Diego State, it gave the players the proper motivation to band together and do nothing more than try their best.
Even coach Andy Enfield confirmed that his squad is just trying to enjoy the moment, telling the Associated Press: "We don't take ourselves too seriously. We try to have fun, get serious when we have to.”
As long as the Eagles are on the same page, running up and down the court, making highlight plays and taking efficient shots, this team looks unbeatable. Expect Florida to have its hands full and work cut out when it matches up against FGCU in the Sweet 16.
Florida Gulf Coast Is Officially Everyone's Favorite College Basketball Team
Mar 24, 2013
Florida Gulf Coast University was a relatively unknown institution until this past week, as they have stormed into March Madness and effectively taken over as the main attraction.
The school was not established until 1991, didn't hold its first class until 1997 and is only in its second year of NCAA tournament eligibility. It has an enrollment of 12,683, nestled in the suburbs around Fort Myers, Fla., on a beautiful campus on the beach.
The team generated a little interest when it was revealed that head coach Andy Enfield's wife was supermodel Amanda Marcum of Maxim, Elle and Vogue fame. But this was only seen as a little fun fact for a team that was just happy to be included.
Ranked as the 15th seed in the South region, FGCU had a matchup with No. 2-ranked Georgetown and was thought to be an easy victim for the powerful Hoyas, who had just won the Big East. The pride of the Atlantic Sun Conference would not bow out easily, however.
The FGCU Eagles shocked the world, playing with Georgetown in the first half and outplaying them in the second. But it was the way they did it that really impressed everyone. Their fast-paced, high-flying style and contagious energy made them a joy to watch.
They became only the seventh No. 15 seed to advance, drawing San Diego State in the third round. They showed their win over Georgetown was no fluke as they handled the Aztecs with relative ease.
And they were back playing that electric style, with a number of huge dunks and a relentless energy that persisted from start to finish.
Their loose style and penchant for shooting three-pointers and throwing down massive slam dunks really have captured the attention of the nation.
Then they did the chicken dance on the bench, and that just brought everything to a whole new level. Also, in regards to their incredible dunks against Georgetown, this video is hilarious and awesome at the same time and is just one more reason to love this team.
They are more than just a Cinderella team this year; FGCU is a legitimately lovable underdog who wins in style and seems to have a blast doing it. If there's any team to get behind this year, it's the Eagles.
