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Atlantic Sun 2013-14 Preview: Dunk City returns plenty for another run

thompson

FGCU Athletics

All month long, CBT will be rolling out our 2013-2014 season preview. Check back throughout the day, as we’ll be posting three or four preview items every day.

To browse through the preview posts we’ve already published, click here. To see the rest of the Conference Previews we’ve published, click here. For a schedule of our previews for the month, click here.

Can Florida Gulf Coast return to postseason glory after last season’s magical Sweet 16 run? That’s the big question in the Atlantic Sun for the 2013-14 season as “Dunk City” will attempt to show that they have more staying power than past NCAA Tournament upset darlings. Thanks to four returning starters, led by the junior backcourt of Brett Comer and Bernard Thompson, and forwards Chase Fieler and Eric McKnight, the Eagles are the returning favorites in the league after last season’s 26-11 campaign that saw 15-seed Florida Gulf Coast upset Georgetown and San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament.

The main competition for Dunk City comes from Mercer. The Bears won the Atlantic Sun regular season crown last season (14-4) and finished 24-12 while beating Tennessee in the NIT. Efficient senior floor leader Langston Hall had a 2.28 assist-to-turnover ratio last season and will lead Mercer in their attempt at revenge after falling to Florida Gulf Coast in last season’s A-Sun Conference Tournament title game.

Versatile wing and A-Sun leading scorer Torrey Craig (17.2 points per game) returns to give USC Upstate a shot at the conference title. The Spartans return all five starters from a 9-9 team in the league and have multiple scoring options, including senior forward Ricardo Glenn (10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds per game).

Guards Keith McDougald (13.1 points per game) and Jarvis Haywood (11.5 points per game) give Jacksonville a formidable returning backcourt, East Tennessee State returns four starters and promising sophomore forward Lester Wilson (13 points, 5.3 rebounds per game) while North Florida, Lipscomb, Stetson and Northern Kentucky played much better during A-Sun play than the nonconference portion of their schedules last season. Kennesaw State looks to turn it around after five games behind ninth place in the league last season.

PRESEASON ATLANTIC SUN PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Bernard Thompson, Florida Gulf Coast

The 6'3" junior shooting guard is the returning leading scorer (14.3 points per game) and second leading returning rebounder (4.4 rebounds per game) for Florida Gulf Coast and was also the A-Sun’s Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore. Thompson ranked second nationally in steals with 102, started all 37 games last season for the Eagles and also shot 38 percent from three-point range.

FOUR MORE NAMES TO KNOW:


  • Torrey Craig, USC Upstate: Versatile wing is former conference player of the year on pace to crack 2,000 career points.
  • Brett Comer, Florida Gulf Coast: Point guard that makes Dunk City go led conference in assists (6.6 per game) and was A-Sun Tournament MVP last season.
  • Keith McDougald, Jacksonville: The 6'1" senior plays much bigger and stepped up in A-Sun play to average 15.4 points per game while accumulating two games of 13 rebounds in conference play.
  • Langston Hall, Mercer: One of the more efficient guards in America, the 6'4" senior averaged five assists a game and shot 84 percent from the free-throw line.

PREDICTED FINISH

1. Florida Gulf Coast
2. Mercer
3. USC Upstate
4. Jacksonville
5. East Tennessee State
6. North Florida
7. Lipscomb
8. Stetson
9. Northern Kentucky
10. Kennesaw State

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