The college basketball season for the Atlantic Sun Conference is set to turn over on Jan. 1, 2026, as conference play will commence for FGCU and its respective rivals.
The Eagles men’s and women’s programs enter conference action under .500, with the men at 6-7 and the women at 4-7.
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More: No. 3 South Carolina shows national title contender form in win at FGCU
Here’s what to keep an eye on for both programs as men’s coach Pat Chambers and women’s coach Raina Harmon lead their teams on a quest for ASUN Tournament glory and dreams of March Madness.
FGCU Men look to rebound after weak finish to nonconference
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles guard Rahmir Barno (1) makes a lay up over Oral Roberts Golden Eagles guard Cal Furnish (6) during the second half of a GEICO Coconut Hoops Tournament Tarpon Bay division game at Alico Arena on Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025.
The men closed out their nonconference slate with an 84-43 win over the University of Fort Lauderdale — a program in the National Christian College Athletic Association.
FGCU hasn’t beaten a Division I team in over a month, dating back to Nov. 25 in overtime against Rice. The Eagles went 4-7 in nonconference play against Division I opponents, which included four losses in December to a trifecta of Florida foes in FIU, FAU, and UCF, along with New Mexico.
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Chambers’ team did win four in a row from Nov. 15-25, beating Chattanooga, Samford, Oral Roberts, and the aforementioned Owls from Rice.
Chambers said before the start of the season that he needed production across the board, ranging from transfer portal pieces like J.R. Konieczny to underclassmen like Jordan Ellerbee.
The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles compete against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in a GEICO Coconut Hoops Tournament Tarpon Bay division game at Alico Arena on Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. Jordan Ellerbee pulls up for a shot.
So far, he’s been getting that production, as Konieczny leads all scorers, averaging 14.7 points per game, while Ellerbee is averaging 14.5 points per game despite having played just 13 games as a true freshman. Rahmir Barno has been surgical running the point, entering conference action averaging 12.9 points and 5.2 assists per contest.
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In both the ASUN Coaches and Media polls, the Eagles were picked to finish fourth in conference. In the Coaches Poll, the Eagles received 2 of 12 first-place votes, while in the Media Poll, they received 12 of 51 first-place votes. Queens led the pack in the Coaches Poll, while North Alabama led the Media Poll.
ESPN’s Bracketology has Lipscomb securing the auto-bid in the ASUN, playing as a No. 14 seed against Houston, last year’s national runner-up to Florida.
FGCU 2026 Men’s ASUN openers
The men will be away from Alico Arena on Thursday, Jan. 1 and Saturday, Jan. 3, beginning a two-game road stretch against Central Arkansas and North Alabama.
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Central Arkansas went 5-8 in nonconference play, but played three top 25 opponents in North Carolina, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt, losing those games by 21 or more points. The best win on the Sugar Bears’ resume is Eastern Washington, ranked 262nd by KenPom. Central Arkansas won 92-65.
North Alabama is also sub-.500 at 5-6, truly lacking a quality win outside of San Francisco, ranked 94th in KenPom. Outside of that win, the Lions have beaten Lane College, Northwestern State (304th), UT Southern, and Jacksonville State (220th).
Women optimistic blistering nonconference prepares them for ASUN
FGCU’s Sinai Douglas looks for an opening while driving to the basket. The Florida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball team faced off against visiting University of South Carolina on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at Alico Arena. The lady Eagles were outmatched and lost the game with a final score of 105-43. The USC women’s basketball team is currently ranked #3 in the AP Top 25 NCAA rankings.
Harmon was dealt a tough hand, to say the least, in her first season leading the Eagles.
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Playing South Carolina, Indiana, Columbia, George Mason, and Arkansas State, all NCAA Tournament teams from last season, was no easy feat. The Eagles went 0-5 in those contests, losing by an average of 21 points per game, largely inflated by a 62-point loss to the Gamecocks. Subtracting the loss to Dawn Staley’s team, FGCU lost the other four contests by an average of 16 points per game.
If it weren’t for an upset win over Stanford in Las Vegas during Thanksgiving Break, the Eagles would have one win against a Division I opponent this cycle in FAU. There’s still plenty of questions regarding this team and their cohesiveness heading into conference play, where it’ll aim to continue their longstanding program success.
Nay Staton, #0 of the Florida Gulf Coast University Women’s basketball team drives to the basket during the first offical practice on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025.
The Eagles are a very reliant and balanced unit, lead by Sinai Douglas, who is the lone starter in double figures, averaging 10.5 points per game. FGCU has five players averaging more than 7 points in Nay Staton (8.4), Cerina Rolle (7.9), Karina Gordon (7.5) and Anna Mortag (7.1). Douglas has been the most impactful transfer, coming from Michigan State during the offseason.
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In the ASUN Coaches and Media polls, the Eagles were picked to win the conference with 6 of 12 coach votes and 36 of 38 media votes, but Charlie Creme at ESPN thinks differently. Originally on Central Arkansas at the start of the season, Creme has Austin Peay as his auto-bid from the ASUN, making the tournament as a No. 15 seed.
Central Arkansas was second in both polls, which included three first-place votes in the Coaches Poll. Austin Peay was picked eighth and ninth, respectively.
FGCU Women’s 2026 ASUN openers
The Eagles will begin a two-game homestand at Alico Arena, playing against North Alabama Thursday, Jan 1, and Central Arkansas on Saturday, Jan. 3, with both games tipping off at 2 p.m.
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North Alabama comes in at 5-6, having played Oklahoma (89-61 loss), Missouri (84-57 loss), UT Martin (57-54 win), Jacksonville State (66-54 win), and Samford (68-66 OT win).
Central Arkansas will be an early test for FGCU, entering the year 7-5 having competed against Missouri (78-71 loss), Arkansas (89-77 loss), Georgia State (70-51 win), Arkansas State (81-58 win), and Missouri State (65-61 loss).
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: What to watch in ASUN Conference play for FGCU men’s, women’s basketball
