NCAA Basketball: Duke, Arizona, Texas rise in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
23. Florida Atlantic (31-3)
An amazing season at Florida Atlantic just keeps churning along. Coming into the season, the Owls had previously made just a single NCAA Tournament appearance way back in 2002 but they’ve been the class of Conference USA all year long. Dusty May has been phenomenal in transforming this program and putting them on the map as the nation’s best true mid-major
The CUSA Tournament started in style on Thursday with a 75-51 win over Western Kentucky in the quarterfinal, led by Johnell Davis’s 14-point effort. The next day saw the Owls hang on for a clutch semifinals win, getting a 68-65 win over a Middle Tennessee squad that handed them one of their 3 regular season losses. The Owls claimed their first CUSA Tournament title with a 78-56 win over UAB on Saturday night, getting an impactful 3-point performance from Alijah Martin to secure the crown.
Florida Atlantic is probably looking at something around an 8-seed in the NCAA Tournament, which is simply remarkable for a program like this. Obviously, the Owls haven’t had a ton of chances to prove themselves on the national stage, but they do have 31 wins including a win in Gainesville against the Gators back in November, and sit in incredible shape in most of the metrics. How will this magical season end for the Owls?