| 11/20/2024 | Men’s Basketball CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team remains in South Carolina to compete in the 2024 Shriners Children’s Hospital Classic, owned by ESPN Events. For the first game, the Owls will take on Oklahoma State on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 2:30 p.m, airing on ESPNU. The winner/loser of the matchup will take on the winner/loser of Miami versus Drake the following day on Friday, Nov. 22, with the championship game scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 24. In addition to Florida Atlantic, the eight-team field features Oklahoma State, Miami, Drake, Seton Hall, VCU, Vanderbilt, and Nevada, a group of programs that include three NCAA tournament teams from the previous season, two final four teams from 2023, and two NIT participants including the champion Seton Hall. FAU last competed in an ESPN sponsored event in 2023 at the ESPN Events Invitational at Walt Disney World, where the Owls swept their way to the tournament championship. Florida Atlantic (3-2) at 2024 Shriners Children’s Hospital Classic Game Details TD Arena, Charleston, S.C. | Oklahoma State: Nov. 21 | 2:30 p.m. Miami/Drake: Nov. 22 | TBD Championship Game: Nov. 24 | TBD Game Coverage Vs. Oklahoma State: ESPNU Vs. Miami/Drake: ESPN2/ESPNU Championship Sunday | ESPN Radio: Fox Sports 640 South Florida Live Stats | Game Notes Florida Atlantic Links News | Roster | Schedule Oklahoma State Links News | Roster | Schedule Tournament Hub Click HERE LAST TIME OUT The Owls split their two games in their second appearance in the Field of 68 Tip-Off, hosted by Charleston and featuring Liberty, with both being hard-fought overtime battles. FAU fell to the Cougars on a last second buzzer beater in double OT despite scoring 116 points, second most in a single game in program history. The very next day, the Owls again went to overtime, but this time was victorious against the Flames, 77-74. ABOUT THE OWLS Head Coach John Jakus enters his first season at the helm of the Owls Florida Atlantic is second in the nation in total points scored at 483. All eight of the team’s players who have logged minutes in their first five games are averaging at least nine points per game. The current scoring leader is sophomore forward Kaleb Glenn at 16.6 ppg Glenn and center Matas Vokietaitis received their first accolades from the American Athletic Conference, with the former being named one of the conference’s weekly honorable mentions and the latter receiving Freshman of the Week. Glenn scored a career-high 27 points against Charleston while Vokietaitis had 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting and six rebounds versus Liberty FAU is the top three-point shooting team in the country, leading the nation with 65 makes from beyond the arc and converting 43.6% of their attempts The Owls are ranked ninth nationally in points per game (96.6), tied for eighth in bench ppg (43.0), fourth in steals per game (14.0), 13th in fastbreak points per game (21.8), and 25th in steals per game (10.8) As a team, Florida Atlantic was ranked fifth in the AAC’s Preseason Coaches’ poll. Graduate guard KyKy Tandy was named to the preseason All-AAC Second Team ABOUT THE COWBOYS With Head Coach Steve Lutz in his first season, Oklahoma State has recorded a 3-0 start to the 2024-25 campaign The Cowboys are led by fifth year forward Abou Ousmane averaging 17.0 points per game Junior guard Arturo Dean, transfer from FIU, is averaging 2.0 steals per game It will be a battle of the reserves with OSU ranking sixth in the nation in bench scoring at 43.3 ppg The series between the Owls and the Cowboys is tied 1-1, FAU’s win came in 1998 UP NEXT Following the conclusion of the tournament, the Owls return to the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena to host Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday, Nov. 30. The game, airing on ESPN+, tips off at 6 p.m. 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 2024-25 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura. |
