Busting Brackets
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AAC Basketball: Analyzing the 6 new potential additions for league

By Joey Loose

Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The North Texas Mean Green celebrates beating the Purdue Boilermakers in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The North Texas Mean Green celebrates beating the Purdue Boilermakers in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports /
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Anthony Walker Miami Hurricanes Dardan Kapiti Florida Atlantic Owls (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Anthony Walker Miami Hurricanes Dardan Kapiti Florida Atlantic Owls (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Florida Atlantic

A few decades ago, there was no Florida Atlantic athletics program, so the fact that the Owls are considered a favorite to join the AAC represents the great strides this program has made. With UCF departing for the Big 12, Florida Atlantic would slide in nicely, giving South Florida a new geographic rival down in the Sunshine State. However, the addition of Florida Atlantic wouldn’t really replace the production of UCF, even if the Knights weren’t exactly a basketball powerhouse.

Florida Atlantic’s only trip to the NCAA Tournament came back in 2002 when the Owls were still early members of the Atlantic Sun. The program shifted to the Sun Belt and later the C-USA, but success in basketball has not followed. After a solid 21-11 season in 2011, featuring a 13-3 mark in Sun Belt conference play, the Owls finished below .500 in conference for nine straight seasons, with this past season’s 7-5 mark breaking that streak, albeit with a limited schedule.

There’s reason for optimism at Florida Atlantic. In his first three seasons, coach Dusty May has already had a profound effect on the university, with three straight finishes above .500, getting this program trending back in a good direction. After flailing in their first five seasons in the C-USA, Florida Atlantic might finally be heading towards success, but could they build and sustain that success in the AAC?