| 4/9/2024 | Men’s Basketball BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team has concluded their 2023-24 campaign, which will be remembered as the second-best season in program history. Entering a season under a national spotlight for the first time following the legendary 2023 Final Four run as well as moving up in conferences to the American, the Owls remained one of the best teams in the nation on their way to a 25-9 record, second most wins in team history, and an AP Top 25 ranking that lasted 16 consecutive weeks, 10th longest in the nation at the time. For the second straight season and for just the third time in school history, Florida Atlantic qualified for the NCAA Tournament. FAU was one of 35 teams from the previous year’s tournament to return to the Big Dance, and one of 20 to improve their seeding position. Basketball at the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena was a sight to see as one of the best home court advantages in the nation. Florida Atlantic posted a 13-1 record at home and were one of just 14 teams nationwide to sell out every one of their games. The Owls were one of the best offenses in the country, scoring 82.0 points per game (ranked 18th in the nation) on 47.83% shooting from the field (24th) and .547 effective shooting (33rd) with 13.03 fastbreak points per game (39th). NON-CONFERENCE PLAY Florida Atlantic undertook a daunting non-conference schedule to open up the season, facing 10 teams that made the NCAA Tournament within the previous five years. The Owls were ready to prove that last season was no fluke, and they did just that with a 10-3 record while ranking as high as No. 7 in the nation. Opening their season on the road at the Barstool Sports Invitational in Chicago, FAU took down Loyola Chicago by a score of 75-62, behind the first of many career games this season from junior center Vlad Goldin, tying his career high of 19 points to go with 10 rebounds, five blocks, and four steals. Just one week later, Florida Atlantic hosted Eastern Michigan for their home opener that resulted in a rousing 100-57 victory with six players scoring in double figures on a combined 35-for-45 shooting from the field. Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Owls won three games in four days to become champions of the eight-team ESPN Events Invitational at Walt Disney World, concluding with a decisive 84-50 victory in the title game over Virginia Tech. Junior guard Alijah Martin was named MVP after averaging 18.3 points per game to go with 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals and was named the AAC Player of the Week. The Owls then returned to the Elly to host the three-team Field of 68 Tip-Off event, recording double-digit victories over both Liberty and Charleston to extend their win streak to five. On Dec. 23, Florida Atlantic traveled to Las Vegas for the Desert Classic where the No. 4 ranked Arizona Wildcats (ranked at No. 1 the previous week) awaited. In a game that will go down in history, the Owls battled back from a 14-point deficit to pull off a 96-95 win in double overtime behind a legendary performance from junior guard Johnell Davis and his 35-point performance. FAU and Davis racked up several honors, with the team being named AP Team of the Week and Davis receiving AP Player of the Week, AAC Player of the Week, and Oscar Robertson Trophy Player of the Week. With 10 wins on hand, Florida Atlantic entered 2024 ready for their first conference schedule with the AAC. CONFERENCE PLAY FAU opened conference play at home with a comfortable 79-64 win over ECU with twenty-point outings from both Davis and Martin. On Jan. 21, the Owls scored 112 points, their second most in a game in program history to defeat UTSA in overtime after a 21-point explosion in the extra period. Davis had another 30+ point outing with 34, while Martin added 26. Senior guard Brandon Weatherspoon provided a spark off the bench with an Owl career high of 21 points. In a matchup against the number one scoring defense in the country in North Texas, the two teams held a tied 63-63 score at the Elly on Jan. 28. With 20 seconds remaining, the ball ended up in the hands of Davis, who hoisted up and sunk the game winning three-pointer with just 0.4 seconds on the clock to seal the 66-63 victory, just three of his 28 points. The Gary, Indiana native Davis scored in double figures for 21 straight games from the beginning of December to the end of February. He received national recognition along the way, being named a top 10 finalist Jerry West Award, given to the top shooting guard in the nation, a top 20 finalist for the Wooden Award, a member of the top 30 Naismith Player of the Year midseason team, and was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy and All-America watch list. On Feb. 3, the Owls reached the century mark for the third time of the season in a 102-70 win over Tulsa, led by 82 combined points between the starting five. FAU was tested in overtime yet again on Feb. 11 in a 95-82 win over Wichita State that saw the Owls score 21 points in the bonus five minutes. The day marked the beginning of a dominating stretch for Goldin. His 20-point afternoon was the first of eight 20+ point performances in the final 11 games of the season, also adding three double doubles along the way. On the whole season, he converted 67.3% of his attempts from the field, which ranked third in the entire nation. The eventful regular season closed at the Elly on Mar. 9, in a national game on CBS against rival Memphis, their 2023 NCAA Tournament opponent that was the first a run for the ages. Prior to tipoff, the thunderous crowd gave a standing ovation to the team’s three departing seniors: Weatherspoon, Jalen Gaffney and Bryan Greenlee. The trio expressed their thanks with performance to remember, combining for 36 points. Greenlee, the longest tenured Owl of the three, led the way with 21 points in the 92-84 win. POSTSEASON PLAY The Owls racked up major conference awards. Davis was named the AAC Co-Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-AAC First Team selection, while Goldin and Martin earned Second Team. Florida Atlantic finished the regular season with a 24-7 record, 14-4 in conference play, to enter the American Athletic Conference tournament with the number two seed. Clinching a bye for the opening two days, the Owls returned to action in the tournament’s quarterfinals to take on North Texas for the third time of the season. Like the first two matchups, this one ended in an FAU victory. In the 77-71 win, Goldin registered a 21-point, 10 rebound double double as the Owls completed a second-half comeback.In the conference semifinals, the Owls of Florida Atlantic held a 33-25 halftime advantage over the Owls of Temple, but the No. 10 seeded Temple fought their way back and eeked out a 74-73 victory, sending FAU back to Boca in position to secure an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.It did not take long for Florida Atlantic to hear their name announced on Selection Sunday. The Owls earned the East region’s eight seed with a Round of 64 matchup in Brooklyn, New York awaiting. Facing the No. 9 seed Northwestern, the Owls battled their way back from a nine-point deficit with under four minutes to go. The two teams found themselves tied in regulation, sending FAU to their fifth overtime game this season. Unlike in previous games, FAU could not find their shot in the extra five, ending their season with a 77-65 defeat, but not taking away from a remarkable two-season stretch with 60 wins (fourth most in the nation) a 30-1 record at home (tied for best win percentage in the nation) and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. FOLLOW THE OWLS To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.Florida Atlantic’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura. |
