Dunk City is back in the tournament! Florida Gulf Coast pulled out an overtime victory over Stetson to win the Atlantic Sun, putting them in the Big Dance for the first time since 2013, when they became the first 15-seed ever to make the Sweet 16. What can FGCU do this time around? Here's everything you need to know about the Eagles:
Resume:
Record - 20-13 (8-6 in A-Sun)
RPI - 216
Strength of Schedule - 285
Starting Lineup:
G Zach Johnson (Fr.) – 11.0 ppg, 3.2 apg
G Christian Terrell (So.) – 12.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg
G Julian DeBose (Sr.) – 8.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg
F Demetris Morant (Jr.) – 5.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg
F Marc Eddy Norelia (Jr.) – 17.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg
Key Player:
Marc Eddy Norelia
Norelia is FGCU's leading scorer and rebounder, and the offense runs through him in the post. A reliable scorer (53.8 percent shooting) with a respectable mid-range jumper, Norelia is the kind of guy that can take over a game at a moment's notice. He's also dominant on the glass, posting 14 double-doubles this season.
Biggest Strength:
Rebounding
Even though FGCU starts a three-guard lineup without a true center, they are excellent on the glass, grabbing 40.2 rebounds per game to rank 22nd in the country. Four players average over 4.5 rebounds per game.
Biggest Weakness:
Lack of outside shooting
FGCU works the inside more than almost any other team in the country, getting nearly 61 percent of their points from inside the three-point line. The problem? That's because they're awful shooting from behind the arc. The Eagles shoot just 36.2 percent from long range as a team, and no one in their usual 10-man rotation shoots over 40 percent from distance.
Outlook:
Florida Gulf Coast is happy to be back in the tournament again, but this isn't Dunk City 2.0. They don't have the kind of firepower they need to pull off an upset.