Eye on the Eagles: FGCU’s men’s basketball frontcourt is loaded; point guards not so much – Naples Daily News (blog)

Joe Dooley, head mens basketball coach for Florida Gulf Coast University, talks with his team during a time out during the game against Lipscomb University on Thursday, February 9, 2017 at Alico Arena in Estero. (Photo: Katie Klann/Naples Daily News)Buy Photo

Florida Gulf Coast University men's basketball coach Joe Dooley wasn't at all caught with his pants down in the late loss of three underclassmen players, although rising senior Kevin Mickle, a defensive backup forward, did take him back a bit.

Dooley knew soon after the second-semester arrest of CJ Williamson, a rising sophomore swingman from Texas Tech who sat out perNCAA transfer rules last season, wouldn't be around long. Williamson, who admitted to campus police he helped burgle anautomobile in an FGCU parking garage, was dismissed from school.

The apparently mutual decision for sophomore backup point guard Reggie Reid to go elsewhere also had been in the works for awhile.

Mickle's is making a move because he wants more playing time. But he also apparently wants to go to another Division I school, andthat would make his fourth college program and he'd have to sit for a season for the second time in his collegiate career. Heapparently has not real realistic pro aspirations at this point.

Dooley's quite happy with the two recent signees, Daytona State rising junior guard Dinero Mercurius, a real-deal pure shooter, and 6-foot-10 rising sophomore forward Brady Ernst from Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College. Both will be eligible as soon as they finish their semesters.

College basketball: FGCU men sign Daytona State shooting guard Dinero Mercurius

"We feel real good," Dooley said of the late additions.

Mercurius will give the Eagles an extra, much-needed 3-point threat and don't be surprised if he sees lots of action in relief.

And Ernst, who originally signed with Iowa State but was given a release after the coaching staff that recruited him left, is really abig plus.

"The good news is we have a lot of competition up front," Dooley said. "We can go big or we can play a little bit smaller. We're goingto be versatile and interchangeable. Brady can be a four (power forward). He doesn't need to be a five (center). He can play a five,but he can move like a four."

Ernst, whom Dooley said has really nice touch despite being a blue-collar type, joins a frontcourt that next season will include: beefy 6-9 senior Antravious Simmons, a former VCU player who likely would have started his last two seasons for any other ASUN team;6-7 sophomore RaySean Scott, an excellent rebounder and shooter;6-10 junior Ricky Doyle, a transfer from Michigan who sat out last season per NCAA rules;and 6-9, 240-pound freshman power forward Brian Thomasof Marietta, Georgia.

Eye on the Eagles: FGCU signs redshirt freshman forward Brady Ernst; other updates

Also in the practice mix will be 6-10 junior Michael Gilmore, who will sit out the first semesternext season after transferring from Miami.

It's hard to imagine a taller and more powerful and more talented mid-major frontcourt.

Point guard is a bit more dicey, but Dooley's not worried.

Barring a late pickup of a JUCO or high school player, which is entirely possible (the Eagles are leaving all options open), risingsenior Brandon Goodwin, the ASUN Newcomer of the Year who led the Eagles in scoring at 18.5 points per game, will be FGCU's only true, full-time point guard.

Goodwin played an average of 31.6 minutes last season, and Dooley wants to keep him at that range next season to keep him fresh.

The Eagles could have really used Reid's 13.9 minutes per game next season.

But rising junior Zach Johnson can and often does play the point, sometimes in tandem with Goodwin. Rising senior Christian Terrell also handled some point guard duties, particularly late last season.

"We've got some options," Dooley said. "We've got Zach and Brandon, and we played Christian at the point quite a bit last year. Youalways worry about enough players, but you've only got 13 available scholarships.

"You can't have 10 of everything."

FGCU's current two top targets for its one remaining scholarship are rising junior point guard Laquincy Rideau, who is transferringfrom Gardner-Webb, and rising sophomore point Keon Cleregot, who is transferring from Memphis.

Rideau visited FGCU weeks ago and called the Eagles his front-runner. Cleregot will begin his FGCU visit Thursday.

Dana Caldwell is the beat writer for FGCU athletics and can be followed on Twitter at @NDN_DCaldwell

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Eye on the Eagles: FGCU's men's basketball frontcourt is loaded; point guards not so much - Naples Daily News (blog)