Ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic University wants to prove doubters wrong in NCAA Tournament
BOCA RATON — The brackets for March Madness are set and no team wants to prove the doubters wrong more than Florida Atlantic.The ninth-seeded Owls (31-3) will travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on the eighth-seeded Memphis Tigers (26-8 ) in their NCAA Tournament opener on Friday night.
The university held a watch party for the team and fans to witness the announcement live on CBS Sunday night and they were featured on-camera.
Despite the facts that no team seeded lower than eighth has ever won the national championship and the Owls opened as 125-1 longshots to be cutting down the nets in Houston, the FAU sports community was very excited.FAU Vice President and Athletic Director Brian White said that what head coach Dusty May and his team has done for the university is unprecedented.
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"We could not be prouder of our men's basketball program for this tremendous accomplishment. The leadership of Coach May and his staff as well as the competitiveness and relentlessness of our players is second to none,” White said. “This has been a historical season in so many ways for FAU men's basketball, and we can't wait to see the rest of this run."
May said that Sunday's announcement was "really cool" for the fans, the community and the university. But he also added that the work is far from done.
“We are very, very excited for them,” May told The Palm Beach Post. “But our guys have such a workmanlike approach that they're already thinking about the game on Friday. They're not just happy with the admission ticket. They want to go make some noise.”From a player’s perspective, standout Alijah Martin said that he was speechless afterthe announcement.
"Last year, we planned on being here, where we're at right now,” Martin said. “Just to see it unfold, you can't really put words to it."
FAU hopes its depth leads to upsets in NCAA Tournament
Martin led the way in the Conference USA tournament, earning MVP after scoring 30 points and pulling down 11 rebounds in the win over Alabama-Birmingham Saturday night in Frisco, Texas.
The Mississippi-native is confident that FAU can turn heads, especially because of his teammates.
"Our depth scares a lot of teams because we have a good, solid team, a nine/10-man rotation,” Martin said. “Anybody can go off, not even just me; Nelly (Johnell Davis), Nick (Boyd), Mike (Michael Forrest), B.J. (Bryan Greenlee), Vlad (Goldin), 'G' (Giancarlo Rosado), it's just deep."
Even though the suspense wasn’t truly present Sunday night since a conference title grants an automatic bid, it was still exciting for the team and fans to see FAU represented on the national stage.
May was most eager to know their opponent. Coincidentally, Memphis, which upset Houston for the AAC championship, is a member of the Owls' new conference so the teams will see a lot more of each other going forward.
"Obviously, Memphis is a great opponent, a storied program, well-coached," May said. "We're excited to see how we stack up with our future AAC opponent."
While a time for celebration was in order after making the tournament, May said that the players won’t enjoy the moment if they perform poorly in the first round. He also said that even with the stage as big as this that the Owls are going to execute what’s been working for them from the beginning.
“We learned early on that there is no stage too bright or stage too big," he said. "We were on a 20-game winning streak and they never deviated from their day-to-day approach. And that's a testament to their character and also the fact that they enjoy the work and the process that goes with being successful.”
As for all the history and odds stacked against FAU, May said the team has had “boulders on their back since day one.” He said he hopes the players “feel disrespected” if they are seen as the underdogs in this tournament because the Owls think they can take on anyone.
Friday's gameFAU vs. MemphisColumbus, Ohio,. 9:20 p.m.TV: TNT.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FAU Owls play Memphis Tigers in NCAA Tournament in Columbus, Ohio
