Finally, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles gathered around Coach Andy Enfield at midcourt and then quickly reorganized into two lines facing the same basket. Five minutes later, they reminded everyone how they had become the pledges crashing this South Region party of storied basketball fraternities. Lob passes led to tomahawk jams. Ricochets off the glass were finished off as windmill dunks. Even the Eagles’ botched attempts were spectacular, eliciting oohs and aahs. By the time that Chase Fieler tossed a bounce pass toward the hoop, grabbed the ball as he gained momentum, threaded it between his legs and threw down a jarring dunk, Florida Gulf Coast had recaptured the crowd’s imagination. “Dunk City in the house!” someone shouted. The Eagles still embraced the underdog role Thursday, but they looked and sounded as if they had shaken off the stardust from victories over Georgetown and San Diego State as they prepared for Friday night’s game against third-seeded Florida. “We did make history,” guard Brett Comer said. “No 15 seed has done this. We feel like we shocked the world. We’re going to prepare for Florida the same way. We didn’t come just to play one game or two games. We’re coming out to compete and go as far as we can.” After a week in the national spotlight, Enfield said the Eagles were refocused and taking a businesslike approach to their improbable appearance in the Round of 16, as if sharing a stage with elite programs like Kansas, Michigan and Florida were familiar turf. “This is not fluff,” Enfield said. “They are really enjoying themselves; they enjoy being here; they enjoy themselves as teammates. We’ve become more successful, and our players have developed quicker on their skills and confidence because of that culture in the program.” Loose and fun-loving, Florida Gulf Coast was clearly soaking in the atmosphere. Players held mock interviews with one another on the court and turned their smartphone cameras toward the crowd as practice ended, savoring the moment for their scrapbooks. The gigantic video board at Cowboys Stadium caught their attention. The Eagles were already envisioning how they might look on replays and highlights Friday night. “We talked about it already,” Fieler said. “Even if you make the big plays, it’s hard to get a good angle on that TV. You have to stand right on the edge. We’ll have to run more towards the sideline to see it.” No. 1 seed Kansas faces fourth-seeded Michigan in Friday night’s first game, and win or lose, fans of those two teams are expected to jump on the Eagles’ bandwagon. “We want to see the hype,” said LeRoy Aikens, a Michigan fan who stayed after the Wolverines practiced to watch Florida Gulf Coast. “Those guys are like rock stars. A 15 seed in the Sweet 16, that’s history.” The Michigan fan Kevin Morris said of the matchup between Florida and Florida Gulf Coast, “It’s big brother and little brother,” before changing his mind and calling the Eagles a nephew. Still, he said he would root for Florida Gulf Coast if his team did not advance. The Gators have been cast as spoilers, a role they have relished before. In 2006, they ended George Mason’s storybook run to the Final Four en route to winning the national championship. Last year, Florida ousted 15th-seeded Norfolk State, which had upset No. 2 seed Missouri. “I don’t view it that way,” Florida Coach Billy Donovan said. “Florida Gulf Coast would like to advance in the tournament as much as we would. The name of the game right now is to try to survive and move on.” Yet the Gators have been overshadowed to an extent as they make their third consecutive appearance in the Round of 16. They face the pressure of not having broken through to the Final Four in both previous trips. The Eagles, too, have added motivation, having been overlooked as recruits by Florida. “They’re the well-known school, the well-known players and team,” Comer said. “I feel like honestly deep down they might not be taking us seriously, just like other teams, because we weren’t the high recruited guys.”
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