Florida Atlantic Basketball: Top 5 non-con opponents for 2023-24 season

Following the recent release of their non-conference schedule, we look closely at Florida Atlantic Basketball’s top games and quality matchups.

There’s no question that last season was a really special year at Florida Atlantic Basketball. Even before their run in the NCAA Tournament, the Owls blitzed through the regular season with just three losses, all away from home. Then, Florida Atlantic became one of the darlings of the Tournament by advancing to the Final Four as a 9-seed, knocking out major programs like Memphis, Tennessee, and Kansas State in the process.

What makes Florida Atlantic’s story even more impressive is how nearly every single piece of that Final Four run will be back in Boca Raton this upcoming season. Last year’s lone senior Michael Forrest will be missed, but all five starters and much of the offense return this season for the Owls. The combination of Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin is already a deadly duo before you throw in 7-footer Vladislav Goldin and the rest of their talent.

The Owls recently unveiled their non-conference schedule for the upcoming season and it’s certainly full of tough tests for a team some are calling one of the best in the entire nation. We will already see Florida Atlantic facing an AAC slate for the first time, but some of these non-conference matchups will really test them in the months before that.

We’re not running through every game, but we’re pointing out the five top games and toughest opponents on their schedule. We aren’t even considering potential matchups in the ESPN Events Invitational, a field that includes Iowa State, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech among other teams.

5. Loyola-Chicago

Florida Atlantic will open this upcoming season in Chicago, playing Loyola-Chicago at WinTrust Arena, the home of DePaul. The Ramblers are coming off a rough season but are the most recent mid-major Cinderella to advance to the Final Four, having done so in 2018. The Ramblers also have heightened expectation and this virtual road game will be a great opening test for the Owls against a new-look Loyola lineup expected to contend in the A-10.

4. St. Bonaventure

Another neutral-site event, Florida Atlantic will head to the northeast on December 16th, playing St. Bonaventure in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Bonnies are another program coming off a rough season, albeit one in which they shed a lot of talent, but things are different this year. St. Bonaventure should be a much-improved program and will give the Owls an exciting test far from home.

3. College of Charleston

The Cougars are a year removed from their own breakthrough, as Charleston won 31 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament before getting eliminated by San Diego State, the same opponent that ended FAU’s season. This matchup will be on December 2nd as part of the Field of 68 Classic in Boca Raton, giving a premier opponent for the Owls in their own backyard. Things will look a little different for the Cougars, but they still have Ante Brzovic and should have another fantastic season in the CAA.

2. Illinois

Not many power conference teams wanted a piece of Florida Atlantic, but Brad Underwood wasn’t afraid. Florida Atlantic will play Illinois on December 5th at Madison Square Garden as part of the Jimmy V Classic. Illinois returns Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins and adds a bevy of talented transfers, hoping to compete for another Big Ten title. The Owls get their chance to knock off a major foe early in the season.

1. Arizona

One of their final non-conference tests will be the most difficult, as Florida Atlantic will head to Las Vegas on December 23rd for a pre-Christmas battle with Arizona. The Wildcats have won consecutive Pac-12 Tournament titles and are in fantastic shape as a program.

They’ll not only get Oumar Ballo and Pelle Larsson back, but add talented names like Caleb Love and Keshad Johnson into the mix and could be the favorite again in the Pac-12.