The Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team is in the midst of a historic 2022-23 campaign. The Owls enter a big Conference USA clash at UAB riding a 20-game winning streak – which is the longest in the nation and tied for third-longest in conference history. FAU has risen all the way to No. 19 in the AP poll and No. 20 in the USA Today Coaches poll, which are both the highest mark in school history. One more Owl win will set the FAU record for the most in a single season at 22.
FAU and UAB met in Boca Raton exactly four weeks ago, when the Owls pulled out an 88-86 victory. Johnell Davis went off for the Owls, scoring a career-high 36 points off the bench on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor, 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range and 10-of-11 from the free throw line. Davis closed out the win for FAU, scoring the final 10 points for the Owls over the last 2:43. Davis’ 36 points doubled his previous career-high and are only three shy of the FAU single-game record. Davis is leading FAU in scoring with 13.2 points per game, and that number increases to 16.6 per game in C-USA action, which is also a team-high.
The Owls are one of only two one-loss teams (Purdue being the other) in the nation, and those two squads are tied for the top record in Division I. FAU is also an undefeated 11-0 in conference play, as they are one of only six teams left who are undefeated in conference action
The Owls’ success this season has propelled them to the nation’s top in several statistical categories, led by the No. 1 ranking in bench points with an impressive 38.1 points per game
FAU is also ranked No. 11 in the nation in scoring margin (+13.9 ppg.), No. 13 in defensive rebounds per game (28.5), No. 14 in made 3-pointers per game (9.8), No. 17 in rebounding margin (+6.6), and No. 27 in field goal percentage defense (40%)
In the win over the Hilltoppers on Saturday, the Owls were hot from beyond the arc on their way to 13 3-pointers, which is one shy of their season-high of 14 (vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 12/7)
Brandon Weatherspoon and Nick Boyd led with three 3-pointers each, while Bryan Greenlee, Davis and Michael Forrest knocked in two each. On the flip side, WKU only went 2-of-13 (15.3%) from the 3-point line
Davis has led the Owls in scoring in six out of the last nine games, all which have been Conference USA contests. His average of 16.6 points per game in C-USA action ranks sixth in the league
Davis has reached double figures in 13 games this season, and he has also recorded two double-doubles (Florida, 11/14, FIU, 12/17) Davis is ranked second on the team in rebounding with an average of 5.2 boards per game