It’s been two years since Florida Gulf Coast charmed the country and made a run to the Sweet 16 as a 15 seed, prompting USC to hire Andy Enfield, and in that time new head coach Joe Dooley, a former assistant at Kansas, has finished tied for first and second in the league, but has no NCAA tournament appearances to show for it.
It figures to get even tougher for the Eagles as they lose point guard Brett Comer, who might be the best player in program history, but Florida Gulf Coast still has a lot of talent returning, though a newcomer to the conference might threaten to sneak out an NCAA tournament berth.
FGCU’s Julian DeBose had one of the better summer experiences a player could have, winning a gold medal with team USA at the World University Games. DeBose did not get a ton of playing time with team USA because he was a late addition, but when he did he provided energy, defense, and occasional scoring. He will need to assume a much bigger role for the Eagles next season with Comer and fellow senior Bernard Thompson having graduated.
Defending champion North Florida ran through the league last year, losing just two games and scoring 1.2 points per possession in conference play. The Ospreys look like the prohibitive favorites once again, losing just one player off last year’s team. Dallas Moore looks like a potential player of the year candidate, and also like the best point guard in the league. The junior had a good assist rate in conference play, and scored fairly efficiently inside the arc, though his 3-point shooting left something to be desired. Beau Beech was one of the best scorers in conference play, and was 5th in defensive rebounding. The Ospreys were one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country last year, and as long as that doesn’t collapse, they figure to have a good chance at taking back to back Atlantic Sun titles.
If you’re looking for an Atlantic Sun sleeper, look no further than the newcomers, NJIT. The Highlanders, no longer the nation’s lone independent, bring back four starters from a team that beat Michigan and Yale, and finished 2015 by winning 11 of its last 13 games. NJIT takes and makes a lot of threes, which will lead to a lot of variance in its conference results, but with the talent and experience the Highlanders have returning, they will have a say in the Atlantic Sun race.
Atlantic Sun projected standings
1. North Florida
2. Florida Gulf Coast
3. NJIT
4. Lipscomb
5. Jacksonville
6. USC Upstate
7. Kennesaw St
8. Stetson
Preseason all conference team
1. Dallas Moore, North Florida
2. Chris Davenport, North Florida
3. Julian DeBose, Florida Gulf Coast
4. Michael Buchanan, USC Upstate
5. Kori Babineaux, Jacksonville
