FGCU Basketball: Ravaged by injuries, Smesko hopes women thrive on adversity

And four of his 10 players -- including the starting point guard and the team's leading scorer through the first two games -- couldn't even finish the workout.

Here's an indication of just how bad things have become for the Eagles as they embark upon the 2003-04 season:

-- Starting point guard Jennifer Santana tore cartilage in her knee and was declared a medical red shirt, ending her season.

-- Guard Megan Jones suffered a stress fracture in her right leg, which sidelined her for the entire preseason.

-- The team lost Candy Myers for six weeks with an ankle sprain, Ebonie Halliburton for the year with a stress fracture, and then, just as several members of Smesko's team were getting over the flu in time for the season opener, Noreen McCallum and Brandi McGinest sprained ankles during last weekend's Sleep Inn Classic.

All of a sudden, a team that finished 30-1 last year is staring at an 0-2 hole to begin the '03-04 campaign. But Smesko, who said he believed this team was better than last season's before the in jury bug spread, said now he knows this team will be better come January.

That's because these Eagles will have to learn to deal with something that last year's -- who outscored their opponents by an average of 27 points per contest -- never did.

Adversity.

"We're trying to win every game, but we do understand that our best basketball is ahead of us," said Smesko, whose team hosts Puerto Rico-Mayaguez today at 5:30 p.m. at Alico Arena.

"But at the same time, we don't want to go in and give ourselves an excuse not to do well just because we've faced some injuries," Smesko added. I'm hoping that we'll just see a lot of progression from game to game and that we'll look sharper and have less breakdowns. The depletion has created some holes that we need to figure out a way to get filled."

As a result of the injuries, juniors McCallum and McGinest, who would normally be on the blocks alongside center Robyn Swain, have been forced to play more on the perimeter.

The resulting switches, Smesko said, will continue to hurt the team's transition defense and cause more costly turnovers (the Eagles had a combined 46 in their two losses) until players get acclimated to their new roles.

"We're not as quick defensively and we don't have as many ball handlers and shooters on the floor," he said. "There needs to be more teaching to help these players so we don't have so many turnovers. We have to be solid in our communication and in our effort on transition. I told our baseball coach that right now we're making some catchers shortstops.

It's just going to take a little time."

With the graduation of last year's leading scorer, Trish Fleming (19.9 ppg), Smesko said he is expecting "a more balanced attack" in which a number of players should contribute.

Swain, a 6-foot-4 senior, is the returning team leader in points (10.1 ppg) and rebounds (10.3 rpg) and should be a presence inside.

McCallum is leading the team in scoring through the first two games (12.5 ppg, along with 5.5 rpg), and Jones (7.2 points and 4.4 assists last season), who is playing on a bad ankle but should be at full strength by next week, will get more scoring opportunities while leading the team as its point guard.

Newcomers McGinest, Myers and Andrea Clarke will likely make immediate contributions, and Smesko said he expects seniors Swain and Jasmin Lee to provide leadership for the younger Eagles in the locker room.

The team will, however, be expected to deal with lofty expectations, many of which were heaped upon Smesko's squad before the rash of injuries.

Look no further than the university's ambitious marketing campaign. It promises that if either the men's or women's basketball teams lose a home game -- they were a combined 30-0 at Alico last season -- each fan in attendance gets a free ticket to the next home contest while season-ticket holders get 10 percent off the price of a 2004-05 season- ticket package.

"I don't think it's to be boastful, it's just to tell the community that there's a good product here at FGCU," said Smesko, who was consulted prior to the campaign's unveiling. "It's rare to have that sort of season. We were kind of fortunate last year to not lose too many games from players due to injury. I can't guarantee that we'll win any game, but I still think that we're going to put forth that effort. Really, we could use their (fan) support more than ever."

And hopefully, the "guarantee program" won't go down with a sprained ankle in tonight's home opener. It's a game in which a win, following a promising practice earlier in the week, would go a long way toward building some confidence for the Eagles.

"I really thought we left the last game (an 85-74 loss to Northern Michigan on Sunday) with the right attitude," Smesko said. "We realized there were some things we need to clean up immediately and we took that into practice. It would be good if we could show that improvement in a game, and I think that losing would be a big setback." FGGU Women's basketball schedule

Nov. 15 -- lost to Lake Superior State, 70-49

Nov. 16 -- lost to Northern Michigan, 85-74

Nov. 19 -- vs. Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, 5:30 p.m.

Hillmyer-Tremont Classic (Nov. 21-22)

Nov. 21 -- Puerto Rico-Bayamon vs. American International, 2 p.m.

Nov. 21 -- FGCU vs. Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, 6 p.m.

Nov. 22 -- American International vs. Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, 2 p.m.

Nov. 22 -- FGCU vs. Puerto Rico-Bayamon, 6 p.m.

Nov. 24 -- vs. Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 29 -- vs. Lynn University, 7 p.m.

Dec. 3 -- @ St. Leo, 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 5 -- vs. Barry, 7 p.m.

Dec. 6 -- @ Florida Memorial, 7 p.m.

Dec. 14 -- @ Barry, 4 p.m.

Hoop N'Surf Tournament in Honolulu (Dec. 17-18)

Dec. 17 -- FGCU vs. West Virginia Wesleyan, 3 p.m.

Dec. 17 -- Wingate University vs. Holy Family, 5 p.m.

Dec. 18 -- Consolation

Dec. 18 -- Championship

Dec. 22 -- vs. Southwestern (Kan.), 1 p.m.

FGCU Classic Dec. 28 -- Franklin-Pierce vs. Concordia (NY), 5 p.m.

Dec. 28 -- FGCU vs. Cheyney (Pa.), 7 p.m.

Dec. 29 -- Franklin-Pierce vs. Cheyney (Pa.), 5 p.m.

Dec. 29 -- FGCU vs. Concordia (NY), 7 p.m.

Jan. 2 -- vs. Bethel (Ind.), 6 p.m.

Jan. 4 -- vs. Illinois-Springfield, 4 p.m.

Jan. 7 -- @ Puerto Rico, TBA

Jan. 9 -- @ Puerto Rico, TBA

Jan. 11 -- @ Puerto Rico, TBA

Jan. 17 -- @ Warner Southern, 1 p.m.

Jan. 21 -- vs. Flagler, 7 p.m.

Jan. 24 -- @ Florida Southern, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 27 -- @ Flagler, 7 p.m.

Jan. 31 -- @ Florida Memorial, 7 p.m.