Bright lights of NYC, Madison Square Garden, Sweet 16 to shine on FAU basketball | D'Angelo

It's where the late Willis Reed hobbled onto the court. Where Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali in the Fight of the Century.

Where Marilyn Monroe sang a sultry version of "Happy Birthday" to JFK on his 45th birthday. Where Elvis and Ol' Blue Eyes, the Rolling Stones and Jackson 5 performed.

Now, it's where Cinderella is headed.

Florida Atlantic University is in the Sweet 16 and will face Tennessee Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

Billed “The World's Most Famous Arena,” for those not familiar with the building, it is neither on Madison, square nor a garden. But it was named after President James Madison.

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And it remains one of the more iconic landmarks in the world with its own theater and Walk of Fame and enough memories to fill the Empire State Building.

The Garden has seen its share of historic moments in sports, entertainment and politics. But the old Madison Square Garden, about 15 blocks from the current venue at Penn Station, was dubbed The Mecca of Basketball because of its history of college basketball. The current Garden is the fourth version and was opened in 1968.

If Dusty May's No. 9-seeded Owls are cutting down the nets Saturday and headed to the Final Four, the Garden Club will have to make room for more photos.

"It's an awesome experience for our guys to play in the Mecca of Basketball, the center of the basketball universe," May said Tuesday.

Yes, the lights will be much brighter. FAU's brand will be in neon, flashed around Manhattan along with those of Tennessee, Michigan State and Kansas State, the four teams that make up the final four teams of the East Regional.

Owls have been consistently putting together an incredible season

But May's team has not flinched - not during its school-record 20-game winning streak, not during its run in the Conference USA tournament, not while defeating eighth-seeded Memphis in the first round of the NCAA tournament on a late Nick Boyd layup and not while ousting tournament darling and No. 16 seed Fairleigh-Dickinson in the round of 32.

And May is sure, nothing is too grand for his team.

"The thing that's comforting is knowing that if we lose to Tennessee, it's going to be because they beat us and not because the stage is too big," May said. "Our guys have proven time and time again, there're no lights too bright and no stage too big."

FAU basketball never has been on this kind of stage. Ever. The 25 years before May arrived produced five winning seasons. During those years, the Owls were more likely to be playing in a gym with fewer people than they will see at their media availability Wednesday.

Playing in Madison Square Garden was as unlikely as players slipping on ice while headed to practice at FAU Arena.

And not just the players. Boca Raton is often referred to as New York's "Sixth Borough." If you see a vehicle with a New York license plate headed south on I-95, chances are it will cross the Georgia-Florida line. And if it does, it's likely headed to South Florida.

Ticket demand far exceeded FAU's allotment

And many of those are looking to return home this week. FAU has had more than 7,000 requests for tickets. The school was allotted 1,000 from the NCAA.

"We have a lot of New York connections," FAU Athletic Director Brian White said. "For them, Madison Square Garden is an additional draw."

May's team will get its first look at the Garden Wednesday with a 1 hour, 45 minute practice on the floor where Kobe Bryant scored 61 points and Reggie Miller gave the choke sign to Spike Lee.

Then the Owls will arrive early Thursday to watch Michigan State play Kansas State, starting at 6:30 p.m., before heading to the locker room to prepare for their 9 p.m. tip against Tennessee.

"So our guys can really just soak in the atmosphere, get comfortable in the environment," May said.

FAU did the same before its first-round game against Memphis, arriving early at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, to watch the start of FDU's massive upset of No. 1 seed Purdue.

And we all know how that worked out.

May's history at Madison Square Garden is more extensive than his program's. While at Florida, where he was an assistant for Mike White, the brother of his athletic director, the Gators played Duke at MSG in the Jimmy V. Classic.

Florida returned to New York that same season for the East Region, defeating Wisconsin and falling to South Carolina in the regional final.

New York City has an incredible basketball history

But Madison Square Garden's college basketball history is less about the NCAA Tournament and more about being the home for local powerhouses NYU, LIU and CCNY in the '40s and '50s; along with hosting the NIT, when it was a premier event and not the after-thought it has become; and the Big East Tournament.

Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson scored 56 points in his college debut at the Garden in 1958, two more than Seton Hall scored that game. Future U.S. senator Bill Bradley poured in 41 for Princeton in a win over Michigan in 1964. Syracuse and Connecticut hooked up in the longest college basketball game ever played in 2009, won by Syracuse in six overtimes and nearly 4 hours.

And when the Big East ruled college basketball, the Garden was the playground for coaches Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, John Thompson, Rollie Massimino, P.J. Carlesimo and more recently, Jay Wright. And the biggest stage for Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Carmelo Anthony, "Pearl" Washington, Walter Berry, Ray Allen, Allen Iverson and Alonzo Mourning.

Who knows, maybe one day they will talking about a Johnell Davis or Alijah Martin performance. Or looking back at the year that mid-major from New York's Sixth Borough left its mark on The Mecca.

Thursday's game

East Region, Sweet Sixteen

Madison Square Garden, New York City

No. 9 FAU vs. No. 4 Tennessee

9 p.m., TBS

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic basketball looks to shine in Madison Square Garden