Courtesy of FGCU Athletics
DUNK CITY, Fla. – FGCU men’s basketball senior Filip Cvjeticanin will undergo back surgery and miss the 2014-15 season, head coach Joe Dooley announced on Monday.
Cvjeticanin, a native of Croatia, will have the surgery later this week in Europe and utilize a medical redshirt season before returning to FGCU as a redshirt senior for the 2015-16 campaign.
“Filip’s back has plagued him for some time. He hasn’t been able to lift weights and has missed valuable practice time,” Dooley said. “This procedure will hopefully fix those issues. It gives him some time to get stronger and continue to develop. We’re looking forward to having him rehab here at FGCU following the procedure and expect him to contribute significantly during the 2015-16 season.
A 6-9 forward, Cvjeticanin led FGCU in 3-pointers made during the 2013-14 season with 55 and ranked 10th in the Atlantic Sun Conference in 3-point percentage at .401. For the year he averaged 6.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, appearing in all 32 contests and making six starts. The American School of Madrid product increased his 3-point percentage by .15 from 2012-13 (.255) while also logging a career-high 22.4 minutes per outing.
Despite Cvjeticanin missing the upcoming season, the Eagles will still return eight letterwinners in 2014-15, while four transfers will also be eligible in Dooley’s second season at the helm. True freshman and 6-7 forward Logan Hovey (Orlando, Fla./Paul J. Hagerty HS) sat out the 2013-14 season following surgery to repair a stress fracture and he will have four years of eligibility beginning next year as a redshirt freshman. In addition, Dooley and his staff will have two incoming freshmen – guards Zach Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland HS) and Christian Terrell (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence HS) – and welcome 6-11 sophomore center Eric Moeller (St. Louis, Mo./Central Florida (JUCO)/Missouri/DeSmet HS) to bolster what will be one of FGCU’s deepest teams in program history.
FGCU finished 2013-14 with a 22-13 record following the program’s first-ever A-Sun regular-season championship courtesy of a 14-4 league mark. The Eagles participated in the NIT for the first time in program history as FGCU’s 22 wins marked the second-straight 20-win season and were the second-most in the Division-I era (2007-08).
2014-15 men’s basketball season tickets are already selling quickly. Fans can renew and reserve their seat(s) by visiting the Alico Arena Ticket Office, calling 239-590-7145 or logging on to FGCUAthletics.com/Tickets.
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the men’s basketball program, follow @FGCU_MBB on Twitter and Instagram, and “Like” us on Facebook at /FGCUMBB.
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