ESTERO — Ready or not, here they come.
Florida Gulf Coast University's women, 10 of whom are new to Karl Smesko's program, have struggled mightily to digest the Eagles' basketball system, but at least they finally picked up the intensity this week.
That's a good thing because the Eagles host Florida for the first time in program history when the season tips off tonight at Alico Arena at 7.
Smesko, who led the Eagles to 17 wins in their last 19 games after a terribly slow start in last season's first Division I campaign, would love to have had more time to prep for this. As of mid-week, FGCU, which has zero seniors and returns only one starter and two players with any significant experience, still had not formulated an inbounds play against man-to-man defense. The learning curve still is tall. And what he expected to be a bevy of 3-point shooters mostly have been clanging. The newcomers have yet to dress out for a Division I appearance (in fact, their uniforms finally arrived Wednesday) because Smesko opted to go with scrimmages rather than exhibitions to give his players more pointers and court time.
"It would be good to have more time to prepare because I think this team can be pretty good," Smesko said. "But to get ready in a few weeks when there are so many new players has been difficult. We'll get out there and start learning about different players, what they do under game pressure. It's hard for a coach to be comfortable when you go in with a bunch of players you haven't been through games with."
FGCU's tallest player is 6-foot -- in heels.
Asked if FGCU has a shot tonight -- and if so, how -- 5-11 Eagles junior forward Adrianne McNally, the returning starter who averaged 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds last season, shrugged.
"To be honest, I don't know," McNally said. "I really don't."
Smesko scratched his head at the same questions. Eventually, he came around to a 66-52 win at North Alabama, a Division II power of sorts, in 2005, as an example of how strangely things can play out.
"You never know what's going to happen," Smesko said. "Sometimes the kids can surprise you. We had been practicing their stuff and we were not executing at all. But it all came together the day of the game. The things we were defending, we defended it perfectly. Offensive sets, where we weren't looking like we were supposed to look, suddenly we're finding it.
"Will that happen? I don't know. But it's possible. Maybe the kids have learned more than they let on and will be more focused at game time."
FGCU starters tonight will be McNally, sophomore point guard Shannon Murphy, freshman guard Courtney Chilhil, junior guard/forward Emma Beddome, a transfer from Western Nebraska Community College, and 6-0 junior center Chelsea Lyles, also a transfer from Western Nebraska CC.
Florida, which went 19-14 in Amanda Butler's first season, returns four starters, including senior Marshae Dotson, a 5-11 first-team All-Southeastern Conference slection who averaged 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds last season, and guard Sha Brooks, also an All-SEC first teamer. There are four seniors and only one true freshman on the roster.
"Very good team," Smesko said. "There's just a big difference. They're coming in with a team that's full of experienced returners -- only had to throw one or two players into the mix -- where we're replacing four starters, adding all kinds of new players and just trying to teach how we play here at this point.
"Coach Butler had them tremendously improved last year and there's no reason not to expect them to be even more considerably improved this season."
Smesko would know. In fact, he knows the Gators inside and out, since FGCU lost twice at Florida last season -- 78-52 on Dec. 4 and 60-55 in a WNIT second-rounder -- as the Eagles finished with a 22-9 record (12-3 in the Atlantic Sun Conference).
The second game not only helped the Eagles' confidence for this -- although McNally and Smesko are quick to point out this is an entirely different FGCU team -- but it gives FGCU one of its lone advantages because Florida knows few specifics about its foe. But Butler knows FGCU will spread the floor on offense looking for backdoor opportunities and drives, launch a load of 3-pointers from all positions, and clamp down on the Gators defensively.
"They are a tough team to scout because last year they lost a lot of seniors," Butler said. "However, they have a system that is very challenging to defend. They have great balanced players who are very versatile. They have post players that can step out and hit the 3 and can score off the dribble. I really respect the job that Karl does and we know we’ll face a team Friday that fully expects to beat us."
Smesko won't try to trap the Gators -- "their guards are too quick," he said -- because he sees that turning into a layup drill.
Rebounding, a concern, will be key tonight against a team with two 6-4 centers. As will help defense. Offensively,
Smesko wants Florida's bigs to play in space. Ball control also will be critical.
"To have a shot, No. 1, we have to take care of the ball much better than we have in practice," Smesko said. "Turnovers would have to be low. Shooting percentage -- especially from 3 -- would have to be high. We have to compete on the boards. If we get an offensive rebound, it gives us another opportunity to shoot. If they get a rebound, it's usually a foot from the basket, two points."
Murphy, who started 11 games last season, averaging 6.2 points, said this season -- and tonight -- is "up in the air." Like Smesko, she has no idea how the younger players will react to game speed and electricity. Along with McNally, she'll be working not only against the Gators, but to help calm her young teammates. But she does believe the Eagles have a shot.
"It's going to help because we know the personnel, the way they play," Murphy said. "We improved 40 points (against Florida) throughout the year and we could do it this year. Adrianne and I are going to try to keep (the youngsters) poised, and we'll see how it goes.
"We know they use a lot of ball screens and obviously they have 6-4 posts. We have to guard ball screens, keep the ball under control and keep the post in position. Rebounding for our team is always huge. We want them to make tough shots -- spin moves, fade-away jumpers. If we can make some shots, maybe it will be a competition."
Butler's team lost Friday's lone home exhibition, 71-62, against DT-3, a team of former collegians. Florida trailed 40-26 at the half and was outrebounded and out of sync. The lone "bright spot," Butler said, was the play of 5-10 junior guard Steffi Sorensen, who had eight points and six rebounds. Sorensen started as a freshman at FGCU, averaging 14.5 points for a team team that went 34-1 and into the Division II national championship game. As an illustration of Florida's talent, Sorensen doesn't start. But she'll certainly be into tonight's game.
"I think this will be a very emotional game, especially for Steffi Sorensen, who started her career there and now she's with us," Butler said. "There are a lot of different angles to this story that makes this game very interesting."
Butler believes her team will have its hands full.
"I think it’s going to be a tremendous challenge," she said. "I have a ton of respect for Coach Smesko and the way he recruits and the way that he coaches his team. If you’re looking at two teams and evaluating us in terms of momentum, they definitely have the advantage. This is a team that didn’t have a preseason exhibition and is coming off their first season in D-I, which was preceded by going to the national championship game in D-II.
"They had a fantastic D-I debut by ending up in postseason play … they knock off South Florida (67-65 at home in a WNIT first rounder) and play us very close here at home. I fully expect them to give us a huge challenge."
Home-court advantage should help the Eagles (Florida has lost six of nine season openers on the road), especially if a crowd close to Alico Arena's 4,500 capacity shows.
"Maybe the girls won't be as nervous (at home)," Murphy said. "It's quite an advantage because our fans are right there near the floor and a lot of people support us."
Said Butler: "Playing at their place is certainly going to be a challenge. I think their arena holds 4,500 people, and I expect there to be at least 4,500 people there cheering against the Gators. It’s going to be a tough environment and a good test for our kids early on. If you want to be a great team you have to be able to win games on the road."
Smesko relishes having home-court advantage. But he'd like it even more next season.
"I like the fact we've been able to get some big teams in Alico," Smesko said. "I hope we're able to do that again next year. We'll be in the exact opposite position here next year. We don't have a senior on the team. If we could get a big-name school who's going through something like we are this year, a lot of turnover, trying to teach kids a new system, we could make a really special moment."
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