Basketball: What in the world is wrong with the FGCU men's defense and can it be fixed?

Florida Gulf Coast University's men's basketball team netted the Atlantic Sun regular-season title and improved to 11-0 conference play at USC Upstate on Feb. 10. 

The Eagles won that game despite iffy defense. But since then, that defense, the bread and butter of fifth-year coach Joe Dooley, has spiraled out of control. 

FGCU (20-10, 11-2), which will host throughout the ASUN tournament that tips on Monday after playing at Stetson on Thursday night, is coming off stunning back-to-back home losses against lowly Kennesaw State and a Lipscomb team the Eagles beat in Nashville. 

Worse, the Eagles gave up an average of 93.5 points in those games. That includes 97 points against KSU, which managed just 49 in FGCU's win in Georgia on Jan. 20. 

The difference in those two KSU games?

"We guarded (on the road)," Dooley said. "We guarded very well. We guarded long possessions. We didn't give up easy baskets. We were more alert, more in tune."

After the Lipscomb loss, Dooley harped the Eagles gave up two feet of separation off ball screens. But it's more than that. Lots more.

"Ball screens are a part of it, but it's everything," Dooley said. "We're not guarding like we're capable of. We're not containing the dribble. It's everybody. We're not guarding the post. There's not one little-isolated thing we can fix. We're letting guys catch the ball in the post. In transition, we aren't getting sorted and making sure we have a man. Closing out and guarding the ball. It's a bunch of problems and we've got to get it solved quickly."

FGCU has dominated the ASUN defensively since Dooley took over. And the Eagles still rank first by giving up an average of just 69.1 points and a 41.4 field-goal percentage. In the past, the 3-point defense was rated near the top nationally. It's third in the ASUN at 32.8 percent. 

Last Thursday night, KSU shot 53.8 percent from the field and made 8 of 16 3-pointers. That allowed the Owls to build a double-digit second-half lead, then weather a press-led Eagles storm that almost overtook them. 

It was almost an exact replay on Saturday night against Lipscomb, which shot 56.9 percent from the field and made 8 of 21 3-point tries -- 5 of 11 in the first half when the Bisons built a 38-31 lead and quieted Alico Arena. 

Basketball: FGCU men stunned again at home

Fourth-year starting guard Christian Terrell said before the loss against Lipscomb: "We've got to follow the game plan defensively, buy into that. Have full effort the whole game."

After both losses, FGCU senior All-ASUN guard Brandon Goodwin talked about the Eagles becoming "complacent" after clinching the title. 

"We've been here before," Goodwin said. "We just have to stop putting ourselves in these situations."

That's what drives Dooley crazy. 

"My whole thing is when you have an opportunity to get better, get better," he said. "It's not like you're in the NBA where you have 82 (regular-season) games. We've got only 31 of them, so don't take it for granted.

"I'm not the smartest person, but I always thought if it was working, you stuck with it and continue to get better at it. And we've gotten away from what got us good."

Dooley would love to strictly play man-to-man, but he's used more zone than ever this season, including for about 20 possessions against KSU and for the second half against Lipscomb. The Eagles seem much more active in it. But ASUN teams rely on 3-pointers much more than most bigger programs, so there's a bit of catch-22 going on. 

With the Eagles trying to really cover the 3-point line, trey-heavy Lipscomb poured in 48 paint points.

Basketball: FGCU men stunned at home by KSU

"Lipscomb really hurt us inside," Dooley said. "They threw the ball inside to (forward Rob) Marberry (8 of 12 for 16 points). On the flip side, if you trap it, you're leaving 3-point shooters open."

The full-court press, which the big and fast Eagles appear custom-made for, worked tremendously in both losses. It was just too little, too late. 

"I don't know how long an extended period of time we can do that," said Dooley when asked why the Eagles don't press more.

One reason is sophomore swingman Christian Carlyle has missed four straight games with an ankle injury (FGCU hopes to have him back for the ASUN tourney opener). He's very fast and active and has the wingspan that goes with his 6-foot-6 frame. He's the Eagles' second-best perimeter defender, behind All-ASUN starter Zach Johnson. When Johnson needs a rest, Carlyle takes over for him on the other team's best guard. 

Sophomore forward RaySean Scott, another long-armed defender at 6-7, sat out both losses due to illness. He got back to practice on Monday. 

"We're playing four guards right now with Carlyle being out," Dooley said. "When we get Christian back and RaySean back, that changes the dynamics of what we can do a little bit because they add depth and versatility."

Basketball: Why FGCU's teams have eclipsed the ASUN

But even in the press, the Eagles were burned -- especially after they tightened things up dramatically on the scoreboard -- for easy baskets on the other end. 

"We were able to turn them over and turn them into easy baskets," said Dooley after the Lipscomb loss during which the Eagles had 19 steals, their most ever in an ASUN game. "We made some shots -- a couple of 3s which obviously turned some things. Sometimes when you have a lead like that, you play a little bit more conservative. We also gave up a couple that we shouldn't have given up. We talked about, 'Don't let them get behind you.' And we had guys getting behind us a couple of times."

With the departures of All-ASUN forwards Demetris Morant and Marc-Eddy Norelia, FGCU's inside defense has been pretty soft. Both were fantastic, energetic athletes. The 6-9 Morant, who transferred from UNLV after his freshman season and makes his living playing overseas, is particularly missed. He finished second all-time at FGCU with 122 shot blocks. He altered probably 10 times that. Last season, he led the ASUN with 48 shot swats. 

"Although we don't block shots, we've got to be better positionally," Dooley said. "We've got to guard the ball. We've got enough bodies that we should be able to guard and get around in the post."

Against shorter, slower Lipscomb, the Eagles had just three blocked shots.

"We had times where guys in the paint didn't even try to block shots," Dooley said. 

Brian Thomas, a similar athlete who stands 6-9, was expected to jump into Morant's alteration role. But mostly due to an early-season broken hand, Thomas has played in just 14 games and averages only 9.1 minutes.

"I do think we'll see more Brian as we go forward," Dooley said. "He's getting back conditioning-wise."

Junior Ricky Doyle (6-10), who's eligible after transferring from Michigan last year, has struggled a bit inside. But Dooley said that due to injuries he practiced only about 30 percent of the time last season and because of the same reasons has missed 39 practices this season. 

"When you're not in great shape, you can't be a great player," Dooley said. 

Like KSU, Stetson is a lower-tier ASUN team. But the Hatters have averaged 81 points in their last three games. Thursday's game at Stetson doesn't matter to the ASUN standings or seedings, but it's a huge matchup because the Eagles must get the defense in gear before tipping off in the conference tournament that will determine the ASUN's lone NCAA tourney berth. 

"Energy finds the ball and we've got to play with energy and obviously do some things with ball screens we need to make sure we're on track with," Dooley said. "We've got to get our heads and minds right."

Florida Gulf Coast University men (20-10, 11-2) at Stetson (12-18, 4-9)
When: 7 p.m., Thursday
Where: Edmunds Center, DeLand
Online: ESPN3 
Series: FGCU leads 18-7
3-Point Shots: 
1) Get into it. Since notching their second straight ASUN regular-season title with a comeback win at USC Upstate on Feb. 10, the Eagles just have not seemed to be into it. They fell behind by double digits to Kennesaw State and then Lipscomb, both at home, before making furious rallies that fell just short. They gave up an average of 93.5 points in those games. Yes, you read that correctly. The Eagles have the best talent and size and experience in the ASUN. They need to play like it again in this last tune-up for the all-important ASUN tournament that top-seeded FGCU begins at home against eighth-seeded USC Upstate on Monday. 
2) Defend. Defense is fifth-season coach Joe Dooley's main thing. That's in your face, man-to-man, tough-guy stuff. It seemed in the
last third of this season, the Eagles were set here. But they've just fallen apart the last two games (and in the first half at woeful USC Upstate, where they gave up 44 points). It's taken full-court pressing to get FGCU back into the last two games. Dooley doesn't like to do that or play zone much. As the Eagles have said after both of the last two losses, it's time for them to get their "identity" back.
Plus, Stetson has averaged 81 points in its last three games. 
3) Don't let Miles drive. Stetson senior guard Divine Miles goes just 5-8, but he loves to drive downhill. He's extremely quick, shifty and salty (fourth-year starter). He can also pop 3-pointers, so you have to play him honestly. Miles averages 17.1 points, which is third-best in the ASUN. The Eagles need to stop him from going off or they could back into the ASUN tournament on the heels of three straight losses. 

-- Dana Caldwell