Florida Gulf Coast at Bradley Tuesday, 11/20, 7:05 pm

[Da Coach]

The 2nd game of the South Padre Island Tournament--
Florida Gulf Coast University is in their first season as a Division I school. They are 1-2 with a win at Bethune-Cookman, and losses at home to Drexel, and at Iowa. They play in the Atlantic Sun Conference and their current RPI is 174--

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_atsun_Men.html

Bradley's RPI is now 111--

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_mvc_Men.html

FGCU website--

http://www.fgcuathletics.com/mbasketball/home/

Schedule/Results--

http://www.fgcuathletics.com/mbasketball/schedule/

They are coached by 5th year coach Dave Balza, and have an Indiana State grad as an assistant, Denny Hinson.
Their roster includes Div 1 transfers from Purdue, Michigan, Ball State, Nebraska, LaSalle, and Marshall, as well as 4 juco transfers. This will be a much better team than the one Bradley played Sunday.
Roster/Coaches--

http://www.fgcuathletics.com/mbasketball/roster/

[real fan]

It appears that they have trouble scoring points so we need to get off to another good start and put 40-45 points up by halftime which should give us at least a 10 or 15 point lead.

[Da Coach]

Here are their team stats after 3 games. They are a poor shooting team, so far. Only 39% overall, and 26% from 3.

http://www.fgcuathletics.com/media/2007-08/mbasketball/stats/teamcume.htm

[Da Coach]

Bradley pregame notes--

http://www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=25965&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=1322023

[Da Coach]

PJ Star pregame article--

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/112007/BRA_BEVPUIUE.071.php

Article from Ft. Myers News-Press--

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071120/SPORTS/711200360/1010

And an article from the Naples (Florida) Daily News--

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/nov/20/eagles_look_rebound_against_bradley/?sports

FGCU's coach Dave Balza thinks Bradley is the tougher of the 2 teams they face on this trip (Iowa and Bradley)--
Tonight's game at Bradley (2-1) in second-round action of the Invitational figures to be the toughest of this Midwest swing. If the Eagles don't do some about-faces from their second-half performance against Iowa, this matchup could accelerate into a mismatch.

"I've got to be honest, I'm real concerned," Balza said. "In watching film of the two teams, I thought Bradley was the superior team. I'm real concerned with the things they do, the quickness of the guards, the 3-point shooting and the ball screens."

The Naples article also says a couple things that are not correct--

"They made a ton of 'em (3-pointers), and they've got their two best shooters back," Balza said.
Fact- Crouch was Bradley's best 3-point shooter, but Ruffin was the 5th best last year, behind Crouch, Warren, Franklin, and Adams.

This season, the Braves -- the bulk of whom returned from last season's 22-13 campaign that ended in the second round of the NIT -- average 8.3 treys, making 34.7 percent of their attempts. They also carry a gaudy 85.5 percent free-throw average into this matchup.
Fact- only 5 of last year's 12 scholarship players return this year. (Crouch, Ruffin, Salley, Warren, and Singh return; Adams, Andrews, Brown, Fears, Franklin, Jasey, and Tauai are gone)

[TheHeemyMonster]

i want to score 100 and win by 30+ tonight, and hopefully we will take care of the ball better and not have 20+ turnovers again

[dogsrus]

[QUOTE=Da Coach;49097]FGCU's coach Dave Balza thinks Bradley is the tougher of the 2 teams they face on this trip (Iowa and Bradley)--


And I'm sure if Iowa was the second game after playing BU THEY would be the tougher of the two......

[houstontxbrave]

Everyone keep in mind that the Atlantic Sun Conference has 3 members who have provided huge upsets already this season both on the road. Belmont beat Alabama last night by 2 and also beat Cinncinnati by 11, Mercer beat USC by 15 and lost to Alabama by only 7 and of course Gardner Webb beat Kentucky by 16.

I really hope we take Florida Gulf Coast very seriously.

[mike radigan]

Just how many college games are there a season that allows a team to lose focus? My goodness, you have to take EVERY team seriously. EVERY TEAM!

[houstontxbrave]

I agree 100% Mike. Our focus was not real good apparently versus Maryland County and Florida Gulf Coast is a name few recognize and we have a Big Ten game on Friday and we are traveling so it might be easy for a young team to lose focus. Our fans though can also lose focus and take this type of team for granted.

[Anthony Parker is my Hero]

I'd like to see Salley get a good offensive game under his belt tonight. I think when Collins is on the court he can do better since he isnt the biggest guy then.

Then again, I am in love with having Collins in the starting line-up.

[BUconnorD]

I'd like to see Salley get a good offensive game under his belt tonight. I think when Collins is on the court he can do better since he isnt the biggest guy then.

Then again, I am in love with having Collins in the starting line-up.

I don't know what's up with Salley lately.
He's playing OK but he's not the Matt Salley from last year that's for sure

right now Collins and Singh are stealing the show.

I'm not saying Salley is playing bad...He's just doing OK right now


I do not mind having all 3 of them playing ok and better though...It makes life ALOT easier on Ruff, JC, TCS and the guards

[bradley09jdubs]

talk about one of the BEST first halves I've seen in a while... and one of the WORST second halves I've ever seen...

i'm still trying to figure what went on...