Four Reasons FAU Can Make Another Final Four Run
Coach Dusty May and the team celebrating Final Four berth in 2023 / Photo by @shotbycuh on instagram
The 2023-24 season for the Florida Atlantic University Men’s basketball team has been poles apart from any other season in program history.
The Owls faced a treacherous non-conference schedule that saw the likes of Pac-12 powerhouse Arizona, top-ranked Illinois, and, at the time, a 12th-ranked Texas A&M squad.
They’ve dealt with the departure of fifth-year senior and second-all-time leading scorer in FAU history, Michael Forrest.
They’ve moved to a new, stronger conference, and oh, yeah – they’ve had an enormous blue and red target on their backs the entire time.
Nevertheless, the Owls find themselves sitting at no. 22 in the AP poll, tied with Charlotte at the top of the American Conference standings, and in a respectable position to make the 68-team bracket this March, earning a shot at another run.
The Owls can lock in a bid as an automatic qualifier by winning the American Conference tournament in March – but that’s never a given.
The Owls need to finish the remainder of their conference schedule strong, a sheet that includes two meetings with Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers, last year’s American Conference tournament champions. Not only are the 19th-ranked Tigers one of the strongest teams in the nation, but they’re out for blood.
After what transpired in the first round of last year’s March Madness tournament, when FAU’s Nick Boyd hit a last-second layup that sent the Owls to the round of 32 and sent Memphis home, the Tigers are sure to give FAU a run for their money.
With that being said, If the beach boys do continue their strong play and get that highly sought-after bid, here are four reasons they can make it to the final weekend in Phoenix:
1. Johnell Davis is Playing Like the Rent’s Due
After finishing last season as FAU’s leading scorer, averaging 13.8 points a game, guard Johnell Davis has taken the next step.
Davis has become an absolute hell-raiser in the American Conference with his explosive speed and shooting talent. Mix that with his ability to play either guard spot and defend 3-4 positions, and you have an AAC Player of the Year candidate.
Johnell Davis on the court Thursday against Wichita State / Photo by @shotbycuh on instagram
With the departure of guard Michael Forrest, Davis has seen a significant increase in minutes this season, averaging 31.5 minutes a night compared to last year’s 26. While his increase in scoring was to be expected with extra time on the floor, the surprise has been his efficiency.
Davis is shooting a ridiculously high 47.4% from the 3-point line, more than a 10% increase from last season.
Davis currently leads the Owls in scoring with 18.4 points per game on his 50% shooting from the field. In addition to his shooting, both Davis’s free-throw percentages and rebounding numbers are higher than last season.
“If I can describe him in one word, it’s hooper,” said coach Dusty May after Davis’s season-high 35-point outing against Arizona – one of three times Davis has scored at least 30 points this season.
If a guard like Davis gets hot in March, send your prayers to any defense standing before him.
2. All Five Starters Have Done it Before
Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis declared for the 2023 NBA draft while keeping their NCAA eligibility after the 2022-23 season. Following the pre-draft process, the duo decided to stay in Boca Raton for at least one more year.
Martin’s and Davis’s decision means that, permitting the Owl’s make it to this year’s March Madness tournament, they will be one of the most experienced teams in the field of 68, retaining all five starters from last year’s Final Four squad.
Seniors Jalen Gaffney and Bryan Greenlee have now played a combined 277 games at the Division I level, solidifying themselves as veteran leaders with plenty of knowledge to share with the younger guys.
With the five March Madness tournament games last season and the Power-5 filled non-conference schedule this season, this entire FAU roster knows what it’s like to play tournament-caliber teams and, more importantly, they know how to beat them.
“I’m trying to be on the biggest stage,” said Martin in an interview with WPTV this offseason, “I’m trying to win a national championship.”
Although the team tries to steer clear of the “Run it Back” narrative, this team has made a deep tournament run together and is back with the experience and skills to do it again.
3. Dusty May is Still Here
It’s not uncommon for coaches to leave mid-major programs after storybook performances in March, like Tobin Anderson, ex-head coach of Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Anderson made the move to Iona University the season after his 16th-seeded FDU Knights took down a Goliath in No. 1 seed Purdue in the first round of the 2023 March Madness tournament.
For a while, there was speculation that one of the most coveted coaches from last year’s tournament, FAU head coach Dusty May, might look to take his success elsewhere. May put an emphatic end to that conversation when he signed a 10-year contract with the university shortly after their late tournament exit.
The decision not only made May a wealthy man but also made a bold statement about loyalty to his players, showing that he wanted to win with the same group of guys – which could be part of the reason that none of the Owl’s players were tempted by the ever-so-popular transfer portal and the possibility of playing for a power five school.
4. The Owls Know How to Score… a lot
This one shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as 90% of FAU’s scoring from the 2022-23 season returned this year, and last year’s team was great at making shots.
Of the 351 division one basketball teams in the nation, FAU is tied for 18th in scoring, posting 84.1 points per game. Not only can they knock down shots, tied at 19th in the country in field goal percentage at 49%, but the Owls know how to play fast.
Guards like Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin are lethal getting down the court in transition, leaving little to no time for defenses to get set. The speed of their gameplay has helped provide the Owls with an impressive 12.68 fast break points a game, including 22 in Sunday’s outing against UTSA.
The Owl’s defense is tallying a sufficient 7.4 steals a game and is shifting those turnovers into points at an elite level. They scored 20 points off turnovers against UTSA, while the roadrunners only scored three in that category.
Since their early season loss to Bryant, in which the Owls put up a measly 52 points, their scoring has been relatively consistent, and most importantly, it’s remained high as we inch closer to March. The Owls are averaging 92.25 points a game throughout their current four-game win streak.
