What to know about Florida Gulf Coast, UNC's first-round opponent

Following its win over Fairleigh Dickinson in Tuesday’s NCAA Tournament play-in game, Florida Gulf Coast will face the North Carolina men’s basketball team at 7:20 p.m. on Thursday at PNC Arena in Raleigh.

As the No. 1 seed in the East Regional, UNC enters the first-round contest as heavy favorites against the 16th-seeded Eagles.

But Florida Gulf Coast has proven before it shouldn’t be overlooked.

After upsetting second-seeded Georgetown in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, the Eagles became the first-ever No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16. During its run, the team was dubbed “Dunk City” — a nickname it hopes to live up to on Thursday.

Here are three things to note about this year’s Florida Gulf Coast squad.

One-man show

Redshirt junior forward Marc-Eddy Norelia paces the Eagles. His 17.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game lead the team, and his 1.1 steals per game and 54.9 shooting percentage are second on the team.

The Tulane transfer is tied for the 25th most double-doubles in the NCAA this season with 15. He has scored in double figures in 15 consecutive games, and he has scored 20 or more points in eight of the past 12 contests.

In Tuesday’s game against Fairleigh Dickinson, Norelia scored 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting, hauled in 10 rebounds and tallied five assists.

Given Norelia’s success so far this year, UNC’s big men will likely key in on the redshirt junior in the post.

Eagles feast on rebounds

Ranked 13th in the NCAA in rebounds per game, few teams in the nation are as good as North Carolina on the glass. But Florida Gulf Coast isn’t too far behind.

The Eagles boast four players who average at least 5 rebounds per game, which helps the team rank 18th in the country with 40.56 boards per game.

Florid Gulf Coast outrebounded Fairleigh Dickinson 52-33 on Tuesday, as four players pulled in at least six rebounds.

At times this season, the Tar Heels have struggled at hauling in rebounds to end defensive possessions. Being able to make an impact on the offensive boards could help the Eagles stay in the game.

Continuing the streak

Florida Gulf Coast shot 59.6 percent from the field in Tuesday’s win over Fairleigh Dickinson, improving the team’s record to 14-1 on the season when it has shot at least 48.5 percent on field goals.

Since current Southern California coach Andy Enfield left the Eagles following their 2013 NCAA Tournament run, the team is 34-2 under Coach Joe Dooley when it has shot at least 48.5 percent from the field over the past three seasons.

Florida Gulf Coast has shot 48 percent from the floor this season, which ranks 22nd in the NCAA. This figure might be difficult to reach against the Tar Heels, though.

Entering Thursday’s game, UNC has limited 25 consecutive opponents to below 45 percent in field goal percentage and has allowed only one opponent (Maryland) to shoot 50 percent or better from the field this year.

@patjames24

sports@dailytarheel.com