| 3/21/2024 | Men’s Basketball BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Let the madness begin. The Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team heads to Brooklyn, New York for the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64. As the No. 8 seed in the East region, the Owls will take on No. 9 Northwestern at the Barclays Center. The game will be aired nationally on CBS, tipping off at 12:15 p.m. EST. This will be the seventh NCAA tournament game in FAU’s history. They currently own a 4-2 record in such contests, thanks to a Final Four run in 2023 that will be remembered forever as one of only five schools to ever make it to the Final Four despite not having a previous tournament win to their name entering the season. But Florida Atlantic is writing a new chapter for the history books despite much of the same core, coaching staff, and fundamentals intact. In the 2023-24 campaign, FAU proved to be no fluke on their way to a 25-8 record with a 4-2 record against teams who are heading to the Big Dance. 35 of last year’s 68 teams are returning to the tournament; the Owls are one of them and one of just 20 to improve their seeding. Just two of the five programs who made the Final Four without a previous tournament win to their name were able to make it back to March Madness the following season: the Owls are one of them. 2024 NCAA Tournament Round of 64: No. 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern Game Details Friday, Mar. 22 | 12:15 p.m. (EST) | Barclays Center | Brooklyn, New York Game Coverage Live Stats | CBS | Game Notes FoxSports 640am South Florida Florida Atlantic Links Roster | Schedule | News Northwestern Links Roster | Schedule | News Social Media X | Instagram | Facebook LAST TIME OUT With a 14-4 record in their inaugural American Athletic Conference play, Florida Atlantic earned the AAC’s second seed and clinched a bye in the first two rounds. They took on the seventh-seeded North Texas for the third time this season in the conference quarterfinals and achieved their third victory over the Mean Green with a 77-71 victory. Four players scored in double figures, led by junior center Vlad Goldin’s 21 points, also tallying a double-double with 10 rebounds. FAU advanced to the semifinals to take on No. 11 Temple and fell just short by a score of 74-73. Despite not earning an automatic bid, Florida Atlantic’s resume put them well in position for an at-large selection. STATS & NOTES Goldin’s late-season tear continues. Ranked third in the nation in field goal percentage (.670), the Nalchick, Russia native has scored 20+ points in eight of his last 10 games. All 10 of his 20-point outings have come in his career-best 2023-24 season, in which he is second on the team in points per game (15.6) and leads in rebounds per game (6.8) as well as total blocks (52)Junior guard Johnell Davis, the Co-AAC Player of the Year, leads the team in points per game (18.2) and assists (3.0)Florida Atlantic has the nation’s 16th-highest-scoring offense at 82.5 points per game. In their 25 wins, they are averaging 85.6 which would rank sixth in the nation if applied to the whole season When FAU scores, they score quickly with 13.5 fastbreak points per game, ranked 36th nationwide The Owls rank 25th in the nation in field goal percentage (48.1%) and 32nd in effective field goal percentage (.550) FAU and Northwestern have only faced off once before: back on November 21, 2005, the Wildcats defeated the Owls at home by a score of 69-59Entering the Big 10 Tournament as the No. 5 seed, Northwestern fell to No. 4 Wisconsin in the quarterfinals to give them a record of 21-11Northwestern is the fifth-best three-point shooting team in the nation (39.41%) The Wildcats’ offense is led by graduate guard Boo Buie who leads the team in both points per game (19.2) and assists per game (5.1) QUOTABLE Head Coach Dusty May Opening statement “We are extremely excited to bring our group back up to New York where we have a lot of fond memories, especially being in Brooklyn. New York City is the mecca of college basketball, this is going to be a great environment and another memorable experience for our players.”On how the season has gone “I tend to look at everything as the glass half-full, but there have been times where we have been frustrated at our attention to detail when we played teams where we were the prohibitive favorite. We were battling human nature for most of the season, but overall, the big moments and body of work certainly overshadows those bumps in the road and those are part of our experiences which make us, us. We are very excited to be where we are. To earn an at-large bid is extremely difficult for us with the schedule and the games we play. It is a testament and tribute to our guys’ longevity and consistency because it has been a longer season than last, at least it seems.”On playing a slow-paced team like Northwestern “The first thing we said to our team was ‘just think North Texas.’ We are getting ready to play a team that is just a different version of the Mean Green and they do a lot of the same things. They have dangerous guards who can make shots from different spots and angles, they have really good one-on-one players.” Junior Guard Johnell Davis On preparing to play on the March Madness stage “We just kind of just pay attention to all the details so we can be focused for the game tomorrow.”On the biggest difference between this and last season “Last year, I say we were hunting people and now people are coming at us, and we just have to surpass the energy and be better.” Junior Guard Alijah Martin On preparing to play on the March Madness stage “Definitely want to soak in the moment, but also put that switch in and lock in to get the win.”On the difference between this and last season “Comparing the last two years of the regular season, it was more about us. And this year was more so about us, but we knew that the other team was coming for us. And sometimes we’ll try to match their energy, but like he said, we have to surpass their energy and be all about us.” Redshirt Sophomore Guard Nick Boyd On preparing to play on the March Madness stage “Leading up to this moment, getting into the tournament, we are excited. But after that, we just really focused on walking in that locker room, get little chills, you know you’re ready to go and play hard.”On the difference between this and last season “A lot of ups and downs this year. Man, everybody’s after us, after what we did last year. I mean, but it’s going to make the story even more special. We’re just looking forward to, you know, proving ourselves once again under these bright lights.”On returning to his home area for the second March Madness in a row “It’s great. I have a lot of family and friends coming. A blessing to be in the tri-state area again and try to do something special with a great group of guys. I mean, compared to last year, I think we are a little more hungry this year. We didn’t win the regular season. We didn’t win the postseason. So we definitely got something to prove and we got a chip on our shoulder.” UP NEXT If the Owls earn a victory on Friday, they will play the winner of the No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 Stetson matchup on Sunday, Mar. 24 in the Round of 32. TICKETING Florida Atlantic has allocated all of the tickets the NCAA has given out to each institution. FAU fans are encouraged to use the secondary market, specifically Ticketmaster, to purchase tickets. WATCH PARTIES New York Friday, Mar. 22 Dave & Buster’s (625 Atlantic Ave Suite 311, Brooklyn, NY 11217) Pregame Party: 9 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.$20/pp – children 12 and under free Includes breakfast bites and (one) alcoholic beverage ticket for guests 21+2-minute walk to Barclays Center (directly across Atlantic Ave) Sunday, Mar. 24 will repeat location above pending Mar. 22 result South Florida Friday, Mar. 22 FREE Watch Parties: 11:15AM – end of game. Biergarten, Boca (309 Via De Palmas #90) Duffy’s Coconut Creek (4800 Hillsboro Blvd) Duffy’s North Palm Beach (11588 US-1) Sunday, Mar. 24 will repeat locations above pending Mar. 22 result. 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. |
