FGCU MBB & WBB vs Stetson Preview: Opening Conference Games

Welcome to the new year and let us begin 2018.

Now that 2017 has come to a close, it doesn't mean basketball at FGCU is finished quite yet. The FGCU men's and women's basketball teams prepare for their opening conference games in a doubleheader against Stetson to start off 2018.

Of course in all conference games, all eight teams in the A-SUN play each other twice, one at home and away each.

Last Time Out for the Women:
The women's team (14-3) concluded 2017 with wins over South Dakota State (87-78) and NAIA Florida Memorial (82-43) to end non-conference play. The Eagles are on a four-game winning streak and are in first place from their overall record and still lead the nation in 3-point field goals made (193) and 3-point field goals attempted (539). As of the end of non-conference play, the Eagles finished 8-0 at home, 4-1 on the road and 2-2 in neutral games (Akron Classic and Play4K Shootout).

In addition with the win over South Dakota State, The Eagles who were ranked #3 in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll at the time, moved up to #1 in the rankings jumping over Green Bay (ranked #2) and South Dakota State (now ranked #3).

FGCU Impactful Players:
Senior Rose Julien remains the teams leading scorer (12.9 points per game). Julien had a strong game against SD State scoring 18 points before deciding to lite down her most recent game against Florida Memorial scoring only six.

Sophomore Tytionia Adderly averages 8.3 rebounds per game. The Jupiter native grabbed nine rebounds against SD State and 12 against Florida Memorial. Adderly currently ranks eighth all-time in offensive rebound for the Eagles (161) and is 23 away from surpassing Courtney Chihil (183) for seventh all-time in career offensive rebounds.

Redshirt senior Taylor Grandijan was given the night off from playing against Florida Memorial due to injury, but during the game against SD State, Grandijan scored 17 points and is averaging 10.8 points per game. Grandijan recently surpassed Katie Schrader (1,062 career points) for seventh all-time and is 69 points away from surpassing former player and current video coordinator Stephanie Haas (1138) for 6th all-time. She has also surpassed Katie Meador (422) for seventh all-time in career rebounds with 433 and is 75 rebounds away from surpassing Kaniesha Atwater (508) for sixth all-time.

FGCU Women's Bench Role:
The main players that provided sparks off the bench are redshirt seniors China Dow and Jessica Cattani and redshirt junior Lisa Zderadicka.

Dow had 17 points against SD State before liting down with five against Florida Memorial. Dow is averaging 9.9 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Cattani, who was limiting between games due to a leg fracture in the beginning of the season, has played a strong role off the bench. The Muskego, Wisconsin native's recent game against Florida Memorial proved to be dominating. Cattani finished with a career-high 23 points (9-for-11 FG, 5-for-7 3FG) off the bench, and her points per game average skyrocketed from 5.9 to 7.1 after her 23 point game.

Zderadicka or Lisa Z, as the ESPN commentators call her, came in clutch making her first start for the Eagles in place of Grandijan against FMU. The Houston Baptist transfer and Vienna, Austria native is averaging 6.8 points per game. Zderadicka had six points against SD State and five points against FMU.

Scouting The Lady Hatters:
Stetsom (9-7) is currently in third place overall standings. The Lady Hatters recently competed in two tournaments: the 30th Annual Hatter Classic and the FAU Invitational. They would beat Richmond 72-67 and Texas State 61-54 and sweep the tournament they hosted, but would fall to the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) by a score of 50-67 before defeating Delaware State 58-43 to conclude 2017 for their season.

Senior Brittany Chambers leads the way in scoring (16.6 points per game). Chambers has bounced back and forth in her games and in the last four games, Chambers did manage to average 12.5 points per game. Chambers only scored nine in the game against Delaware State.

Sophomore Kennedi Colclough is averaging 13.6 points per game and leads the team with 111 total rebounds and 6.9 rebounds per game. In her most recent game, Colclough scored 19 points against Delaware State with eight rebounds. Colclough averaged 17.3 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game in the last four games.

Defensively, junior Mckenna Beach and freshman Megan Vincent lead the way. Beach averages 12.9 points per game and lead the team in steals (22) and steals per game (1.4). Beach had six steals in the game against Texas State and has scored at least 10 points in four straight games.

Vincent averages 3.3 points per game, but leads the team in blocks (22) and averages 1.6 blocks per game. Vincent had four blocks in the game against Texas State.

Series History:
Since their jump to DI, the Eagles are 21-4 against Stetson. In the last series between the two teams, both teams split in the season. The Eagles won the first game at Stetson on January 7, 2017 by a score of 84-71. Stetson would win at FGCU on February 25, 2017 at FGCU's senior night game as they won 67-64. On March 12, 2017, in the A-SUN Conference Championship finals at Stetson, the Eagles won 77-70 and went on to the national tournament.

Last Time Out for the Men:
The men's team (9-8) concluded their non-conference schedule by beating NAIA Florida Memorial 76-42 and edging NCAA D2 Florida Tech 62-54 to end 2017. Currently, the men's team sit second in the overall standings behind Lipscomb. The men ended 2017 with a record of 7-3 at home and 2-5 on the road.

Impactful Players:
Redshirt senior Brandon Goodwin still leads the fray offensively. Goodwin still leads the team with 17.5 points per game. In the games against FMU and Florida Tech, Goodwin had a combined 24 points (11 vs FMU, 13 points vs FIT). Goodwin has scored at least 10 points in 10 straight games.

Redshirt junior Zach Johnson became the ninth player in program history to score 1,000 points after scoring six against FIT. The last Eagle to do so was fellow teammate senior Christian Terrell who got his 1,000th career point against Webber International. Johnson is averaging 13.2 points per game.

Terrell is averaging 12.8 points per game. The last three games, Terrell has come off the bench. The last game against FIT, Terrell scored 10 points in the game.

Despite getting into foul trouble from time-to-time and bouncing back and forth as a starter and a bench role player, redshirt senior Antravious Simmons has progressed a lot better since last season. The Miami native is currently averaging 6.8 points per game and has become a strong factor in both roles.

FGCU Men's Bench Role:
Along with Terrell, the bench players that have made a strong differential were redshirt junior Dinero Mercurius and sophomores Raysean Scott Jr and Christian Carlyle.

Mercurius, who has been a key 3-point specialist, came in clutch the past few games. The Orlando native and triple transfer scored 15 points against FIT off the bench and is averaging 8.4 points per game.

Like Simmons, Scott bounced back and forth between starter and bench role. Scott did not play in the recent game against FIT due to personal reasons, but off the bench he has become a good spark, averaging 5.9 points per game.

Carlyle recently returned after suffering a concussion for a few games. Carlyle is averaging 6.3 points per game and has been a factor on and off the bench as well as a starter.

Scouting The Male Hatters:
Stetson (8-8) recently competed against Nebraska losing by a score of 62-71 and were on a three-game losing streak with losses to not only Nebraska, but to Fort Wayne and UCF, until they barely beat USCAA Florida National by a score of 94-88 on New Years Day, the last game before conference and ended their losing streak. Currently, the Hatters sit third place in the overall standings after beating FNU before conference play.

Players to watch out for our senior Divine Myles, redshirt senior B.J. Glasford and freshman Abayomi Iloya.

Myles leads the way offensively scoring 17.1 points per game and is leaads the team in steals. In the games against Fort Wayne, UCF, Nebraska and FNU, Myles scored 25 points against Ft. Wayne, 14 against UCF, 17 points against Nebraska and 15 against FNU.

Glasford is averaging 11.1 points per game and is second on the team in steals. In Glasford's last four games, he scored 11 against Ft. Wayne, nine against UCF, three against Nebraska and 16 against FNU.

Mainly playing off the bench, Iloya played strongly the last four games as he scored 17 against Ft. Wayne, 10 against UCF, 15 against Nebraska and 12 against FNU. Iloya is averaging 10.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

Series History:
The Eagles for the men are 17-7 against Stetson. In the last series, FGCU swept the Male Hatters three times. The Eagles would win 89-88 on January 7, 2017 at Stetson and 80-70 at FGCU in the season and would eliminate the Hatters in the A-SUN Conference Tournament Quarterfinals by a scored of 87-57. Stetson's last win was on February 25, 2016 where the Hatters won 80-73 when they were ineligible for the NCAA postseason tournament due to their Academic Progress Rate sanctions (APR).

The women's game starts at 4 PM and the Men will start at 7 PM. Both games are dubbed as a White Out, so marketing is encouraging fans to wear white to the game and it is also Faculty Appreciation Night for the professors and employees that come to the games.

Both games will air on ESPN livestream at their respected times.

Link: ESPN.com/watch