NCAA Tournament 2023: Ranking the surprise Elite 8 teams left in the field
By Joey Loose
8. 9 Florida Atlantic
Before the season, Florida Atlantic was picked to finish 5th in Conference USA. Just think about that for a minute and then notice where exactly this season has taken them. There are some fantastic mid-major programs in that conference, with both North Texas and UAB in the semifinals of the NIT, but what Florida Atlantic has done this season is otherworldly.
Their road win at Florida just one week into the season should’ve given us an indication. At one point, these Owls had a 20-game winning streak and were ranked for the first time in the AP Poll. What’s even more astounding is the youth on this squad, a team that starts a slew of talented sophomores and has only one senior contributor. The combination of Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin has been electric all season long, and the Owls are riding another long winning streak at the end of the season.
Their wins over Memphis and Tennessee showed what they’re really made of, while they took care of business in the second round against 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson. The metrics had Florida Atlantic among the Top 20 teams in the nation for most of the year and they really didn’t miss this time. These Owls are not playing afraid and they’re ready for this. They just toppled the best defensive team in the nation and are on the doorstep of immortality in this sport.