Basketball Tips Off At Florida Gulf Coast University

>> ITS WINGS OFF AT FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY AS THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAMS RETURN TO THE COURT FOR THEIR FIRST PRACTICES OF THE SEASON. TIPOFF IS JUST OVER A MONTH AWAY. AND THIS YEAR THE EAGLES ARE LEANING ON FAMILIAR FACES IN THEIR QUEST FOR SUCCESS. WGCU’S JORGE MURILLO GETS THE BALL ROLLING WITH THIS REPORT. >> WHEN IT CAME TO OFFSEASON PRIORITIES. >> PLAYER ATTENTION WAS TOP OF MIND FOR BOTH MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TEAM COACHES. >> THE NCAA TRANSFER PORTAL ALLOWS PLAYERS TO LEAVE SCHOOLS AND TRANSFER TO OTHER UNIVERSITIES EACH YEAR. THAT CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR VETERAN OR EVEN NEW COACHES NAVIGATING THE PORTAL LANDSCAPE. >> I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOME SORT OF RETENTION TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE. WHAT WE DID IS UNHEARD OF. >> REINA HARMON IS ENTERING HER SECOND SEASON AT THE HELM OF THE FGCU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM AND SAYS HER GROUP OF RETURNING PLAYERS. IT'S A SIGN OF STEADY PROGRESS. >> WE'RE TRULY BLESSED TO BE IN THAT SITUATION WHERE THEY CAME BACK WITH. THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP AND DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY. >> 7 WOMAN'S PLAYERS AND 8 MEN'S PLAYERS FROM LAST SEASON'S SQUAD RETURNS FOR THIS UPCOMING SEASON. A 5TH YEAR HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH PAT CHAMBERS SAYS THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. >> REALLY PROUD OF WHAT THE STAFF. >> WAS ABLE TO DO. YOUR TOP OF THE LIST IS RETENTION. >> I THOUGHT WE DID AN AMAZING JOB. I THINK WE'RE TOP 4 IN OUR LEAGUE IN THAT. >> JUST A GREAT FEAT RIGHT THERE. DAN WILLIAMS, A JUNIOR GUARD WHO AVERAGED MORE THAN 6 POINTS A GAME LAST SEASON, REALLY SQUASH CONTINUITY, SOMETHING THE EAGLES CAN USE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE ON THE COURT. >> I THINK THAT DEFINITELY GIVES US A LEAD HAVING THAT ON AND OFF THE COURT LIKE A NATION WILL BE SOMETHING THAT THOSE TURTLES IN A ROW DURING A GAME, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, I THOUGHT WE COULD GET TO A LITTLE BIT EASIER BECAUSE JUST AS BEING TOGETHER FOR SO LONG >> UNDER HEAD COACH CHAMBERS, THE EAGLES REACHED THE SEMIFINALS OF LAST SEASON'S ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT. IF WE CAN STACKED GOOD DAYS, WE CAN CHASE THOSE GREAT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE REPS. THEN IT WILL HAPPEN AND WE MIGHT NOT SEE IT RIGHT AWAY. FOR CONSISTENT OF WHAT WE DO AND FINES. >> CARMEN, LET THE WOMEN'S TEAM TO A 16 16 OVERALL RECORD AND THEN 11 7 RECORD IN THE SIGN. THE EAGLES POSTSEASON INCLUDED A TRIP TO THE WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT. AFTER A FOUR-YEAR OF EXPERIENCE BEHIND OR HARMON SAYS SHE FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE POINT SECOND SEASON. >> YOU KNOW, WITH OUR TEAM, WE'RE ALL SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE NOW. AND SO I FEEL A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE GOING INTO IT. >> LIKE YOUR HEAD COACH JR SON DIED. DOUGLAS IS ALSO GOING INTO HER SECOND SEASON WITH THE PROGRAM. SHE LED THE WOMAN SEEN IN SCORING LAST YEAR AND IS AIMING TO RAISE THE BAR EVEN HIGHER THIS UPCOMING SEASON. >> I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO A BETTER YEAR BUILDING OFF OF LAST YEAR. YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE WENT WHERE WE WANT TO GO, BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS YEAR, LIKE I SAID, WE JUST HAVE A LOT MORE UNDER OUR BOAT. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US ARE SOFTWARE IS NOW A JUNIOR YEARS. AND I JUST FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE TO FIND OURSELVES. NOW. >> BACK TO THE NCAA TRANSFER PORTAL. THE EAGLES ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT AS WELL. THE MEN'S TEAM ADDED 4 FRESHMAN AND 4 PLAYERS FROM THE PORTAL. WHILE THE WOMEN'S TEAM BROUGHT IN TO FRESHMAN AND FOR TRANSFERS. CHAMBERS SAID HE'S EXPERIMENTED WITH NEW STYLES OF PLAY EXPLAINING THAT THIS YEAR'S MEN'S TEAM IS MORE ATHLETIC AND FEATURES MORE 3 POINT SPECIALIST. IT'S NEVER HAT REALLY ATHLETIC. GOT GREAT SPEED. >> MORE SHOOTERS THAT I'VE EVER HAD, INCLUDING MY 2020 TEAM AT PENN STATE FOR THAT'S WHAT THE FANS CAN LOOK FORWARD TO. I THINK THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO LIKE IT. AND AGAIN, WE HAVE GOT A SYSTEM. NOT CONCEDING CITY ALL THE WAY BUT CLOSE, RAINING THREES ON ONE SIDE, MAYBE DUNK CITY AS NOTES. >> THE WOMEN'S TEAM ISN'T HOLDING BACK EITHER. HARMON SAYS THIS YEAR'S SQUAD SHOW SIGNS OF A CLOSE KNIT GROUP. THEY'RE GONNA COMPETE. >> THEY PLAY WITH JOY. I THINK LAST YEAR WE PLAYED WITH EACH OTHER THIS YEAR. THEY'RE STARTING TO PLAY FOR EACH OTHER AS WE START TO DELVE INTO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR WHY DID YOU CHOOSE FGCU WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT. >> WHILE IT'S A NEW SEASON FOR THE EAGLES, THE GOAL REMAINS THE SAME. >> WE WANT TO WIN THIS YEAR LIKE WE WANT TO BE A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM. >> THE SEASON TIPS OFF IN NOVEMBER WITH THE MEN'S TEAM STARTING NOVEMBER SECOND AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA AND THE WOMEN'S TEAM OPENING AGAINST INDIANA ON NOVEMBER. 3RD, MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON WTC YOU THOUGHT OR FOR WGCU NEWS WITH PHOTOGRAPHY FROM AMANDA INSCORE WHITTAMORE I'M JORGE MURILLO., WITH, SAMUEL BRUCKER.