Owls Face Tigers Before Home Game Against Pirates

Thursday, January 29

Memphis, Tenn.

8 p.m. ET

Florida Atlantic

Memphis

1/28/2026 11:06:00 AM | Men's Basketball

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By: Ben Paul

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic men's basketball team remains on the road for a meeting with Memphis on Thursday, Jan. 29, followed by a return to Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena to host East Carolina on Sunday, Feb. 1.

Thursday's matchup will be the Owls' (14-7, 6-2) second game of the year against the Tigers (9-10, 4-3) after FAU won the previous meeting by a score of 89-78 on Jan. 11 at the Elly. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The Owls will then return home, where they currently hold a 9-1 record, on Sunday for their first meeting of the season with the Pirates (6-14, 1-6). Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

LAST TIME OUT
Florida Atlantic extended its win streak to five games on Wednesday, Jan. 21, against Tulane in a 79-74 victory, led by redshirt sophomore guard Devin Vanterpool's 20 points. The win streak was then snapped on Sunday, Jan. 25, at South Florida despite a 22-point outing from Vanterpool.

ABOUT THE OWLS

Head Coach John Jakus is in his second season at the helm of the program. In his debut campaign in 2024-25, he was a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, given to the nation's top first-year head coach. Under Jakus' watch, the Owls participated in their fourth straight year of postseason play, selected to the 2025 National Invitational Tournament.
FAU boasts eight international players. In total, the Owls are represented by seven different countries: the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Senegal, and France.
Vanterpool has totaled two American Conference weekly honorable mentions in the midst of his career-best season. He leads FAU in points per game (15.9), rebounds per game (6.7), as well as steals (32) and three-pointers (43). His rebounds per game are tied for No. 5 nationally among guards 6'4 and shorter. Against Coastal Georgia, he scored 30 points, the first Owl to reach that mark since Johnell Davis in January of 2024. He has recorded two double-doubles, most recently against Memphis with a career-high 11 boards.
One week after winning the Owls' first American Conference Player of the Week honor of the season, junior guard Kanaan Carlyle earned an American Honorable Mention following the wins over Wichita State and Temple. Carlyle reached 500 collegiate career points on Dec. 13 against UAlbany, leading all active Owls. He is second on the team in points per game at 14.7 and has converted at least one three-pointer in 18 out of 19 games played.
Guard Josiah Parker, the American Conference's Preseason Freshman of the Year, leads the conference with three weekly freshman honors.
As a team, the Owls are No. 6 in the nation in total blocks (120). Redshirt sophomore forward Devin Williams has recorded 57, tied for No. 2 nationwide. On Jan. 11 against Memphis, he totaled seven blocks, one shy of the single-game program record.
When playing at the Elly in the 2025-26 season, FAU is 9-1 and is averaging 93.0 points per game in the victories, winning by an average of 23.8 points.

ABOUT THE TIGERS

Head Coach Penny Hardaway is the longest-tenured American in his eighth season at the helm of Memphis.
Senior guard Dug McDaniel leads the team in points per game (13.4), assists per game (4.8), and steals per game (2.2).
Leading in rebounds is sophomore guard Julius Thedford at 5.2 per game.
As a team, Memphis leads the conference in bench points per game (33.4) and ranks No. 22 nationally.
While the Tigers hold the all-time series over the Owls at 4-3, Florida Atlantic won its most recent matchup earlier in the month and now has a chance to tie the series.

ABOUT THE PIRATES

ECU is led by Head Coach Michael Schwartz in his fourth year.
Senior guard Jordan Riley is top 10 in the nation in scoring and leads the American in at 21.5 points per game.
On defense, the Pirates are led by senior center Giovanni Emejuru, who is second in the conference with 9.5 rebounds per game and averages 2.0 blocks per game.
Junior guard Corey Caulker has dished out a team-best 60 assists.
The Pirates and Owls have met seven times, with FAU winning five, including the last three.

UP NEXT
Florida Atlantic remains at the Elly for a matchup against Tulsa on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

SCHEDULE
Click here for the 2025-26 schedule.

ROSTER
Click here for the full 2025-26 men's basketball roster.

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 2025-26 season is sponsored by Phil Smith Kia/Phil Smith Acura.