Florida Atlantic Owls
FAU
San Diego State Aztecs
SDSU
An upset-minded 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has entered the closing stretch and given way to a Final Four that is about as unique as they come. Nothing better encapsulates that than the first game of the night down in Houston, as upstart No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic tries to advance to the national title game and figure out a few answers for No. 5 San Diego State’s stifling defense.
The Owls, who have lost just three times all season, enter as the embodiment of a modern college basketball team that loves to launch it from deep. They rank sixth in the country in 3-pointers — both made and attempted — and feature six players shooting at least 36% from beyond the arc.
Sophomore Johnell Davis has been electric this March in particular, averaging 17.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game during the tournament. He has been the face of the program’s charge from the beaches of Boca Raton to basketball’s biggest stage. Meanwhile, 7-foot-1 center Vladislav Goldin, who began his career a few hours away at Texas Tech, has also turned into quite the double-double machine for FAU. He has been a key part of a deep rotation that loves to put pressure on opponents on both ends of the court.
As for the Aztecs, their entire ethos has been built around making it tough for opponents to score. They rank No. 4 in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency and have held every opponent under 65 points during the month of March. The Aztecs’ 3-point defense has been outstanding (top three among Division I teams), and they have been much better than the numbers suggest on the boards. Cal transfer Matt Bradley is the team’s leading scorer, while guards Darrion Trammell and Lamont Butler have proven to be the key cogs offensively.
Also keep in mind that while FAU head coach Dusty May is arriving at NRG Stadium fresh to the Final Four experience, SDSU’s Brian Dutcher is no stranger to college basketball’s biggest stage, serving as an assistant coach under Steve Fisher during Michigan‘s 1989 title run, and making two more Final Four trips when the Fab Five was in Ann Arbor.
Add it all up and it should be a fun, yet surreal experience for all involved on Saturday evening as the Aztecs and Owls battle it out with a berth in the title game on the line.
No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic (6:09 p.m. ET, CBS)
Stay tuned for updates!
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