The nation’s second longest active winning streak in men’s basketball resides right here in Boca Raton, where head coach Dusty May has led Florida Atlantic to a 15-1 start, and 5-0 in C-USA. This afternoon, that win streak will be put to the test at home against a North Texas team (14-3, 5-1) that is consistently competitive in Conference USA. Here’s what you need to know.
1. FAU has already beaten North Texas, winning 50-46 in Denton on December 29th. Sophomore big man Vladislav Goldin led FAU with 11 points and 13 rebounds in that one. After trailing 46-37 with five minutes left, the Owls’ defense clamped down, and continued to get stop after stop. Three pointers by Michael Forrest and Bryan Greenlee helped the Owls close the game on a 13-0 run, and escape with a win.
2. North Texas will undoubtedly play the slow game once again. Head coach Grant McCasland’s schemes emphasize long possessions to try to grind the game out. FAU doesn’t have the same type of distinctive style, they can thrive in different types of games. During FAU’s win streak, they’ve won games with 84 possessions, and games with 58. Thanks to a deep bench and versatile athletes, the Owls have enough bodies to grind out slugfests, as well as run and gun. Being able to win in multiple different ways is the sign of an extremely well disciplined and well prepared basketball team, and there’s no reason to expect any different today.
3. Tylor Perry is one of the best guards in Conference USA and the focal point of UNT’s offense. There really is no one good way to guard him, as he’s an excellent scorer in every facet of the game. In the previous meeting, his shotmaking kept UNT breathing, as he scratched and clawed for all 19 of his points. While Perry got his, the rest of the Mean Green team struggled violently against the Owls. Kai Huntsberry could be a difference maker for North Texas offensively. His inconsistencies have been a major problem, as he hasn’t been the effective and efficient second option that he needs to be in order to win these games. With the way that North Texas plays, they don’t need a Herculean offensive performance from everybody, they just need one or two guys aside from Perry to step up and hit their shots.
4. The battle of the bigs last time went decisively to Vladislav Goldin of FAU over UNT’s Abou Ousmane, with the latter fouling out in just 22 minutes. Another key reason why FAU was able to leave Denton with a W was that they didn’t give North Texas the chance to get free points at the line. While both teams totally languished from three point range, the Owls attempted more than double as many free throws as the Mean Green did. Johnell Davis, Michael Forrest, and Alijah Martin all hit huge free throws, and Goldin only had two fouls, able to keep himself in the game, and UNT off the line. While it’s highly unlikely that both teams will shoot under 15% from three again, FAU can still win the game if they maintain their advantage in the free throw department.
What happens if FAU wins?
⁃ The Owls would extend their win streak to 15 games, improve to 6-0 in C-USA, and would likely get plenty of respect from the AP voters, maybe even a top 25 spot. They’d also hold the tiebreaker in the league over North Texas, in the event that these teams finish tied. The Owls would also be in great position to contend for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
What happens if FAU loses?
⁃ The Owls would fall a half game behind UNT in the C-USA standings, but would likely still have the chance to contend for an at-large berth. The impressive early season record has built in some margin for error, especially against the top teams in the league.
How to watch: 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+ ($)