Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
As the years go by, the ASUN title drought continues for the FGCU men’s basketball team.
The Eagles came up short in the ASUN title game in 2018, lost in the first round in 2023 and 2024, lost in the quarterfinals in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2025, and lost in the semifinals in 2021. It’s far short of what the expectation became after FGCU’s Dunk City run in 2013, winning just two ASUN Tournament titles in a dozen years since.
FGCU remains determined to snap the drought under Pat Chambers, who enters his fourth year at the helm. Chambers is 50-48 in three seasons with the program, and had his best campaign at 19-15 last season.
“… I’m very pleased (so far),” Chambers said. “There’s a lot of unknowns still, but I like where this group is headed. Seven new guys. Somehow, some way, we’ve got to get connected quickly. If you’re watching football right now, you can see it in some teams, the teams that have a lot of transfers and new guys. They’re not finding success like some other teams.”
The Eagles entered the preseason KenPom rankings as the No. 1 team in the ASUN, ranked 184th in Division I. They eked out Eastern Kentucky for the top spot, as the Colonels are ranked 189th. In the ASUN Preseason Media and Coaches Polls, FGCU was picked fourth in the conference, with Queens, North Alabama, and Eastern Kentucky ahead of the Eagles in both polls. It also marked the first time since 2019 the Eagles failed to land a Preseason All-ASUN Selection, ending a five-year run of having at least one player make the team.
Getting acclimated quickly isn’t the only thing Chambers wants to do faster this year. He wants to push the tempo on offense, starting with Rahmir Barno at the point. The Eagles were 290th out of 364 Division I teams last year in adjusted tempo by KenPom, averaging 65.5 offensive possessions per 40 minutes. That mark was the lowest among teams in the ASUN, with North Florida ranking 10th nationally at 72.4 possessions.
If the offense can find efficiency fueled by Barno at the point, expect the Eagles to be in good position to make a run into March Madness. FGCU was towards the top of the ASUN in defensive efficiency (109 points per 100 possessions), behind Lipscomb (103.5), Jacksonville (104.4), and North Alabama (106.9).
“We’re gonna really try to push, throw some lobs,” Chambers said. “And have a really fun style of play that I think the fans are gonna love. The style of play last year, we did what we needed to do to win games. Thirteen (wins) in the conference, finished second. That’s a great step.
“Now with a guard-heavy team, now it’s time to take that focus to the backcourt and see what Rahmir Barno and all the guards can do for us moving forward.”
When Barno was on the floor last year, he averaged 8.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game over 28.3 minutes per contest. A hand injury sidelined him for nine games a season ago, with the Eagles going 5-4 in his absence during that stretch.
“I’m super hungry for this year,” Barno said. “I can’t wait to get started and go to war with these guys.”
Chambers mentioned that his sophomores will need to take on a larger role, specifically Darren Williams and Jack Reddick in the backcourt, as well as Tristan Guillouette in the front court. Williams and Reddick played around 200 minutes a season ago, garnering a lot of experience when Barno went down with a hand injury.
Guillouette’s plate is a lot bigger, having to replace All-ASUN First Teamer Keeshawn Kellman, who averaged 13.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks. As a freshman, Guillouette logged 242 minutes, averaging 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds with four starts in 33 games.
“We’ve got a youthful group,” Chambers said. “We have four freshmen and four sophomores. The sophomores need to take a big jump.”
Having returning veterans in Michael Duax (7.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG) and Rory Stewart (6.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG) will be key for the young group, especially when play in a handful of nonconference battles against Illinois, FAU, Chattanooga, Oral Roberts, Samford, and former ASUN foe Kennesaw State.
“We’re blessed to have Rahmir back, and Rory, and Mike,” Chambers said. “Those guys really have to lead the sophomores and the freshmen on what we do, our culture, how we do things, the standard that we’ve set here. If they can set the tone early, which they’ve done in the summer and in the fall, presents a great challenge but also puts us in a good position.”
Season schedule
Nov. 3 — vs. New College of Florida
Nov. 7 — at No. 17 Illinois
Nov. 11 — vs. Georgia Southern
Nov. 15 — vs. Chattanooga
Nov. 19 — at Samford
Nov. 24 — vs. Oral Roberts
Nov. 25 — Rice
Nov. 26 — vs. Kennesaw State
Dec. 3 — at FIU
Dec. 7 — vs. FAU
Dec. 14 — at New Mexico
Dec. 28 — vs. University of Fort Lauderdale
Jan. 1 — at Central Arkansas
Jan. 3 — at North Alabama
Jan. 8 — vs. Austin Peay
Jan. 10 — vs. Lipscomb
Jan. 15 — vs. Queens
Jan. 17 — vs. West Georgia
Jan. 22 — at Austin Peay
Jan. 24 — at Lipscomb
Jan. 29 — vs. North Alabama
Jan. 31 — at Jacksonville
Feb. 5 — at Eastern Kentucky
Feb. 7 — at Bellarmine
Feb. 11 — vs. North Florida
Feb. 14 — vs. Stetson
Feb. 18 — vs. Jacksonville
Feb. 21 — vs. Central Arkansas
Feb. 26 — at North Florida
Feb. 28 — at Stetson
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
