FGCU MBB vs South Dakota State Preview

The FGCU men's basketball team (1-2) return home Friday for an 8 PM tip to take on South Dakota State (3-0) in one of the premier mid-major matchups of the 2018-19 season.

Last Time Out:
The Eagles wrapped up a three game in six day stretch on Sunday as they took on #10 Michigan State on the road in East Lansing.

FGCU got off to a hot start against the Spartans, jumping out to a 10-6 lead, but Michigan State roared back with a 16-0 run and the Eagles never recovered.  MSU led it 59-35 at the half before the Green and Blue played them even in the second half for the game to finish 106-82 in favor of Sparty.

In the loss redshirt sophomore Troy Baxter Jr. and junior Christian Carlyle both had career nights for the Eagles. Baxter got off to a hot start with seven points in the first 2:15 in route to a career best 20 points while Carlyle did his damage in the second half, scoring 20 of his own, 18 coming in the final period, to set a new career high for himself.

The Eagles 82 points scored against the Spartans marked their highest point total against a ranked opponent in program history.  It topped their 80 point effort in the NCAA Tournament against Florida State in 2017.

Success at Home:
FGCU is 90-20 at home in Alico Arena in their past 110 games.  After a win eight days ago in the home opener against Southeastern, the Eagles have won nine straight home openers in the friendly confines.

Tough Road:
FGCU will play one of the tougher mid-major non-conference schedules in the country in 2018-19.  Each of their first five opponents of the year (Illinois St., Southeastern, Michigan State, South Dakota St., and Toledo) either won their regular season conference championship or played in their conference championship game last season. Both of their opponents this week, Michigan State and South Dakota State, played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Journey to 1,000:
One current Eagle has already reached the 1,000 point mark as senior transfer Schadarac Casimir has 1,153 career points, most of those coming at Iona where he transferred from.

Redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius is the next closest, as he is just over 100 points away from reaching the mark.  His 895 career points have come between stops at USF, Daytona State, and now at FGCU.

Despite playing just five games during his junior season at Marquette, Haanif Cheatham (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Marquette/Pembroke Pines HS) also has the century mark in his crosshairs.  Cheatham sits at 738 for his career and would need to average approximately eight points per game the rest of the season to reach 1,000.

Milestones:
As a program, the Eagles are currently 195-170 as a Division I member.  With five more victories, they will join the 200 win club.

Scouting the Jackrabbits:
South Dakota State comes to Fort Myers as one of the most formidable mid-major programs in the country, checking into this week's CollegeInsider.com poll at #3, behind only Gonzaga and Buffalo.

The Jackrabbits are coming off of yet another NCAA Tournament appearance after going 28-7 a season ago, winning both the Summit League Regular Season and Tournament Championships.

SDSU is led by star senior Mike Daum who has been named to the Wooden Watch List, the NABC Player of the Year Watch List, the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List, and the Lute Olson Player of the Year Watch List.  The two-time reigning Summit League Player of the Year and AP All-American is averaging 23.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game going into Friday night's contest.

The Jackrabbits are 3-0 after wins over Grand Canyon, Alabama State, and Bemidji State to open the year last week. The trip to Alico Arena will mark SDSU's first road trip of the 2018-19 campaign.

Series History:
The Eagles and the Jacks have met just twice all-time with the road team winning each of the first two matchups.  Their first meeting came in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2014 where the Eagles came away with a 71-58 victory fresh off of their Sweet Sixteen run a year prior.  Last time the two hooked up, it was the Jacks coming away with a 56-52 victory here in Fort Myers in a defensive struggle in 2015.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available and will air on ESPN+. The commentary at FGCU will be led by play-by-play commentator Tom James and color commentator J. Webb Horton.

Promotions:
The following promotions are as listed:
- GREENOUT- Fans are encouraged to wear green to show their FGCU spirit.
- FANSGIVING- Fans bringing at least five canned goods or a new, unwrapped toy, will be entered in a drawing to win FGCU prizes throughout the game.
- WBB RING CEREMONY- The 2017-18 Women's Basketball team will receive their NCAA Tournament rings at halftime.

Livestats Link:
http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=238812

Livestream Link:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/cb61b113-a22f-4829-af14-f4f33b3dd5c1/south-dakota-state-vs-florida-gulf-coast