Glen Miller is ready to make his mark at the Palestra. For the first time in his career, he will hover over the west bench as the Quakers play their home opener against Florida Gulf Coast tomorrow night.
Miller will be searching for his second Palestra victory, having beaten Penn in 2004 while coaching Brown.
"We're very excited to be home, especially myself," Miller said. "It will be a special night; exciting for me, exciting for the team."
And his first home game will not be against a typical Ivy League opponent. FGCU's basketball program is in transition. Next year, the Division II school will make the move to Division I. To help the Eagles prepare for the jump, they will be playing three Divsion I programs this season, including Penn.
FGCU's schedule has to be one of the more unique in the country, regardless of division. It plays six games against schools from Puerto Rico, along with southeastern Division II rivals including Lynn and Palm Beach Atlantic. The Eagles will also face off against Division III programs such as Johnson and Wales, as well as the Apprentice School of Newport News, Va.
FGCU celebrated its first academic year in 1997, started an athletic program in 2000, and will join the ranks of Division I teams in 2007. The significance of games against other Division I programs is not lost on head coach Dave Balza.
"Playing these two games will certainly toughen us up," Balza said. "This is the level we talk about trying to get to over the next couple years, becoming a solid mid-major program."
In their season opener Wednesday night, the Eagles received a wakeup call from Drexel. The Dragons demolished the Eagles, 73-37. FGCU shot 25.9 percent from the floor and committed 26 turnovers.
While not a Division I program, FGCU's roster is filled with transfers from junior colleges and D-I schools, including Ball State, Purdue, La Salle and Marshall. In fact, the roster contains 10 transfers.
However, other newcomers, such as junior guard Rob Quaintance, did have successful careers at lower levels. Quaintance was 14th in the nation in assists and 17th in steals at Yavapai, a junior college.
"They're going to be a lot better than people expect," Miller said. They are "somewhat of an unknown, they'll be more talented than anyone would've imagined."
The Eagles have six returning players on their 13-man roster. Together, they averaged 46.7 points and 19.7 rebounds per game. They are led by 6-foot-4 senior guard Beau Bauer, who averaged 13.5 points per game last season. Their leading rebounder, 6-7 junior Adam Liddell, has also returned.
For the Quakers, the home opener marks the first of four consecutive games in the Palestra. Six of the next seven will be played at home.
While Miller has not had the opportunity to go through normal scouting procedures for the Eagles because of their unique status, he is more concerned about developing his own team at this point.
"It's more about us this time of year," Miller said. "We're more worried about our execution than the opponent's."
