Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Wednesday, November 8
Chicago, Ill.
7 p.m. EST | 6 p.m. CST
Florida Atlantic
vs
Loyola Chicago
No. 10 Owls Begin the Season in Barstool Sports Invitational
11/7/2023 11:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CHICAGO, Ill. – The No. 10 Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team will open their highly anticipated 2023-24 campaign on Wednesday night against Loyola Chicago as part of the Barstool Classic Invitational.
Florida Atlantic's 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
The game will be hosted and aired exclusively by Barstool Sports, with some of the company's biggest personalities such as Dave Portnoy, Dan "Big Cat" Katz, Caleb Pressley, and Jake Marsh on the call.
Played at Chicago's Wintrust Arena, this marks the first of seven neutral site games for the Owls currently on the schedule.
With a national spotlight on the Owls for the first time, Florida Atlantic entered the big dance as the East region's No. 9 seed, where they proceeded to take down No. 8 Memphis in a thrilling last-second victory, No. 16 FDU, No. 4 Tennessee, and finally a win over No. 3 Kansas State that gave them the east regional championship and left them as one of the last four teams standing in the nation.
In the Final Four for the first time and playing in front of over 74,000 fans in Houston's NRG Stadium, with an additional 12 million watching on television, the Owls battled against San Diego State and held a 14-point lead, but ultimately fell on a buzzer-beater. Despite the heartbreaking ending, this Florida Atlantic team is one that will never be forgotten, as evidenced by the Final Four banner now permanently displayed inside Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.
Among the returners include Johnell Davis, who led the team in scoring (13.8 ppg) and steals (56), as well as Alijah Martin (13.4 ppg) who was named to the 2023 All-Tournament team. Also returning is junior big man Vladislav Goldin, coming off a career season with 10.2 ppg and a team-high 47 blocks. Redshirt sophomore and senior guards Nick Boyd and Bryan Greenlee also return from last year's starting lineup. Boyd led the team in assists with 92 and Greenlee led in three-point percentage, knocking it in from long range at a 40.4 percent clip.
FAU also racked up preseason honors entering their first season competing in the American Athletic Conference. The team as a whole finished first in the AAC preseason poll, while Martin and Davis were both named the conference's preseason player of the year and were named to the all-conference first team.
Davis is also drawing national attention, being named to the Jerry West Award watch list, awarded annually in March to the nation's top shooting guard.
The Owls are up for the challenge of their packed non-conference schedule that includes a trip to Disney World to participate in the eight-team ESPN Events Invitational, a return to Madison Square Garden to take on Illinois, and a journey to Las Vegas to play against No. 12 Arizona.
Florida Atlantic's 2023-24 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.
| No. 10 Florida Atlantic (0-0) vs. Loyola Chicago (0-0) | |
| Game Details | Chicago, Ill. | Wintrust Arena | 7 p.m. (EST) |
| Game Coverage | Wednesday, Nov. 8 | Live Stats | Barstool.TV |
| Florida Atlantic Links | Roster | Schedule | News | Game Notes |
| Loyola Chicago Links | Roster | Schedule | News |
| Social Media | X | Instagram | Facebook |
The game will be hosted and aired exclusively by Barstool Sports, with some of the company's biggest personalities such as Dave Portnoy, Dan "Big Cat" Katz, Caleb Pressley, and Jake Marsh on the call.
Played at Chicago's Wintrust Arena, this marks the first of seven neutral site games for the Owls currently on the schedule.
Last Season
Florida Atlantic's 2022-23 season was one of the most remarkable stories in college basketball history. Entering the year with only one NCAA Tournament appearance with no wins to their name and never winning more than 21 games in their 30-year history, the Owls put together a season that brought a nation-leading 35 wins, including a 20-game win streak, an undefeated 17-0 record at home, and a conference championship that gave them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.With a national spotlight on the Owls for the first time, Florida Atlantic entered the big dance as the East region's No. 9 seed, where they proceeded to take down No. 8 Memphis in a thrilling last-second victory, No. 16 FDU, No. 4 Tennessee, and finally a win over No. 3 Kansas State that gave them the east regional championship and left them as one of the last four teams standing in the nation.
In the Final Four for the first time and playing in front of over 74,000 fans in Houston's NRG Stadium, with an additional 12 million watching on television, the Owls battled against San Diego State and held a 14-point lead, but ultimately fell on a buzzer-beater. Despite the heartbreaking ending, this Florida Atlantic team is one that will never be forgotten, as evidenced by the Final Four banner now permanently displayed inside Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.
Run It Back
The Owls will welcome back 14 out of 15 players from the Final Four team as one of just five DI teams to not have a single player enter the transfer portal. In addition, they bring back their entire coaching staff led by head coach Dusty May, who signed a 10-year contract extension in April.Among the returners include Johnell Davis, who led the team in scoring (13.8 ppg) and steals (56), as well as Alijah Martin (13.4 ppg) who was named to the 2023 All-Tournament team. Also returning is junior big man Vladislav Goldin, coming off a career season with 10.2 ppg and a team-high 47 blocks. Redshirt sophomore and senior guards Nick Boyd and Bryan Greenlee also return from last year's starting lineup. Boyd led the team in assists with 92 and Greenlee led in three-point percentage, knocking it in from long range at a 40.4 percent clip.
Preseason Accolades
Florida Atlantic enters the season with their highest AP ranking at No. 10 in the nation. This also marks the first time the Owls have been ranked in AP's preseason national Top-25 poll. Last season marked the first time they made the regular season Top 25, reaching as high as No. 19.FAU also racked up preseason honors entering their first season competing in the American Athletic Conference. The team as a whole finished first in the AAC preseason poll, while Martin and Davis were both named the conference's preseason player of the year and were named to the all-conference first team.
Davis is also drawing national attention, being named to the Jerry West Award watch list, awarded annually in March to the nation's top shooting guard.
Looking Ahead
The next game will be the first chance of the season for Owls fans to pack the Elly, with the team's home opener set for Tuesday, Nov. 14 against Eastern Michigan, tipping off at 7 p.m.The Owls are up for the challenge of their packed non-conference schedule that includes a trip to Disney World to participate in the eight-team ESPN Events Invitational, a return to Madison Square Garden to take on Illinois, and a journey to Las Vegas to play against No. 12 Arizona.
Follow the Owls
To stay up to date on all things FAU men's basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
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