Scouting Report: Florida Gulf Coast

As the Hoyas get set to face an unfamiliar A-Sun opponent, we asked one of our very familiar Big East opponents to help us out with a scouting report for Florida Gulf Coast. With us today is fellow Catholic brother Rumble in the Garden, whose St. John's Redmen (they will never be the Red Storm on these pages) defeated the FGCU Eagles by a mere 11 points earlier this season. Take it away, my boy!

Florida Gulf Coast has some experience. Their top four players (Brett Comer/ Sherwood Brown/ Bernard Thompson/ Chase Fieler) have played together for two years straight, and it shows that can be done with a good coach in Andy Enfield and experience in a defense. The Eagles played a bit of zone against St. John's because it is the right thing to do against a team that thinks it will out-athlete another squad; they got back on defense, gave up jump shots, protected the paint.

It was an excellent plan when the shots were hitting; the Eagles had a 13 point lead on St. John's in Queens. Partly because the Johnnies can't score, but partly because they execute well. Comer/ Brown/ Thompson can get loose for layups and jump shots. Comer is the deft passer who believes too much in his abilities. His turnovers undid the Eagles against the Johnnies late in the first half. (He's the white guy.) Brown is much more of a slasher but doesn't draw fouls. (He's the one with the flowing dredlocks.)

The big men can draw a defense out, and that helps them be successful - it allows the guards to battle for rebounds. Brown is the best at getting to boards, but on the whole, they can be dominated on the glass; even St. John's grabbed offensive boards on FGCU. Forward Eric McKnight is a transfer from Iowa State.

Note that #5 Christophe Varidel takes almost all of his shots from beyond the arc.

Georgetown should have an advantage in that they know how to run an offense against a zone, in the size and rebounding, and in the fact that they have good athletes. FGCU will likely be aggressive on offense, driving and kicking for shots; pay attention to the perimeter and a slashing Brown.

Here was our Game Preview for the game which included a more in-depth scouting report.

Good luck, Hoyas!