Another road challenge awaits the FGCU men’s basketball team Wednesday night, as the Eagles (2-1) travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers. Tip-off from Thompson-Boling Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
FGCU aims to continue its positive attitude in the coach Pat Chambers era on the heels of a 105-61 victory over Ave Maria on Sunday at Alico Arena. The Eagles set a school record with 17 3-pointers against the Gyrenes, with junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka) scoring a game- and career-high 22 points and senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Purdue) adding 21.
Eagles junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Stetson) was named ASUN Player of the Week after his performance over FGCU’s first three games – averaging 18 points for the Eagles as the Green & Blue went 2-1.
In the season-opening victory over USC in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, Johnston led the team with 20 points while shooting 7-of-14 from the field, including four three-pointers, as the Eagles took down former FGCU head coach Andy Enfield and the Trojans, 74-61. Johnston upped that performance against San Diego on Wednesday night, pouring in 23 points and shooting 5-for-10 from behind the arc, before contributing 11 points, three rebounds, and three steals against Ave Maria.
Tennessee (1-1) has split its first two games of the season, defeating Tennessee Tech 75-43 in its opener at home and falling to Colorado 78-66 in Nashville. Much like FGCU, Tennessee is pumping up treys at a torrid pace – as 63.3 percent of the Vols’ shot attempts this season have been 3-pointers (the highest percentage among all Division-I teams).
Chambers is 2-7 against SEC programs, notching both wins when he was at the helm at Penn State, including a 75-60 victory against Mississippi State in the NIT Semifinals on March 27, 2018, en route to winning the Championship, and nipping Alabama 73-71 on Dec. 14, 2019. FGCU is 0-9 against current SEC programs (0-1 vs. Arkansas, 0-5 vs. Florida, 0-1 vs. Ole Miss, 0-1 vs. Mississippi State, 0-1 vs Texas A&M), all in road or neutral matchups.
The Vols and Eagles have never met, but Tennessee is 19-1 all-time against current members of the ASUN. Tennessee is also 8-0 at home against teams from the state of Florida during coach Rick Barnes’ tenure.
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