Florida Gulf Coast vs Kennesaw State Picks and Odds (Jan. 13)

Odds as of January 12th, 2022.

Michael Fly’s team got 24 points from leading scorer Tavian Dunn-Martin, while fellow senior Kevin Samuel finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Jacksonville. The Dolphins scratched out a three-point victory in the closing seconds to defeat the Eagles.

Meantime, Amir Abdur-Rahim’s club eclipsed the century mark for the second time this season and set new school records for best field goal percentage and most assists in a game in the demolition of the NAIA’s Screaming Eagles.

Fly Boys

While the legacy of the 2013 Dunk City squad will be forever etched into college hoops fans’ memory, the 2022 group of Fly Boys hopes for a similar Big Dance run. With leaders like Dunn-Martin (who just recorded his ninth game of at least 20-or-more points this season) and Samuel (who is now just three points shy of 1,000 in his career), the sky’s the limit.

Kevin Samuel & Tavian Dunn-Martin of @FGCU_MBB are up for the ASUN Facebook Fan-Voted Play of the Week🏀

To vote for the FGCU duo visit our Facebook page and use the 😠 emojihttps://t.co/Aexo9WUjsz#WingsUp🤙 | @Kevinloopy23 | @nolimitTDM_11 pic.twitter.com/XeDrCx8hmQ

— ASUN Men's Basketball🏀 (@ASUN_MBB) January 11, 2022

Dunn-Martin, a 5-foot-8 jitterbug, is Fly’s quarterback. He averages 19.9 points per game (good for second in the conference) and a league-best 6.1 assists. Meantime, Samuel is a TCU transfer who leads the ASUN in rebounds after leading the Big 12 in blocks last season. The 6-foot-11 post was the preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

FGCU is the third-best rated team in the ASUN by KenPom at 191st overall and — not surprisingly — is rated in the top-70 of several offensive categories. That includes 45th in offensive adjusted field goal percentage, 59th in offensive 2-point field goal percentage and 69th in offensive 3-point field goal percentage.

Something else to consider: this is an experienced roster, returning nearly two-thirds of its minutes played last season to the 2021-22 group.

Wise Ones

Sure it came against an NAIA program two weeks ago, but the Owls were just two points shy of having a season-high six players finish in double-figures against Toccoa Falls and saw two players hit 20+ in the same game for the first time this season. Senior guard Jamir Moultrie led the way with a career-high 23 points. Fellow senior Spencer Rodgers had a stellar night, collecting his second double-double of the season with 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds

What a find from @spence0G to @Maysonq15 👀#BONE | #DoMore | #OneKS 🦉 pic.twitter.com/qo6olmKVMP

— Kennesaw State MBB (@KSUOWLSMBB) December 31, 2021

Of course, all these superlatives came against vastly inferior competition. In fact, only one of KSU’s victories (Charleston Southern) came against a Division I school. Prior to the 57-point win on Dec. 30, Abdur-Rahim’s crew lost to Nebraska 88-74 eight days prior.

Three players average in double-figures for the Owls, led by sophomore guard Chris Youngblood’s 14 points per game. He’s joined by Terrell Burden (12.3 ppg) and Rodgers (12.1 ppg). Moultrie’s scorching 58.3% from beyond the arc leads the ASUN. And one more bright spot for the club: KSU’s 78.6 points per game ranks 49th out of 358 D-1 programs.

The Pick

Even though the home team can score in bunches, I’m not sure the Owls will be able to handle the dazzling inside-out game the Eagles bring to the table.

Dunn-Martin is one of the better players in the league, while Samuel is an absolute presence in the paint.

FGCU is legit — and KSU has yet to prove it is. That’s why I like the road team in this spot.

Pick: Florida Gulf Coast -3 (-115)