A game that has the potential to make or break either side’s season is set for Sunday at Noon in Boca Raton, as FAU is set to take on Tulane.
FAU comes in losing 2 of their last 3, while Tulane is on a 5-game skid. Tulane has the potential to right their ship in this one, as a win could do mountains momentum wise, while a loss for FAU would raise serious concerns about the team’s ability to gain an at-large bid.
On the flip side if FAU is able to come out on top their odds at an at large bid and a top 4 seed in the AAC become greater. With a loss, Tulane’s season could hit a low point as following this matchup they head to USF to take on the leader of the AAC.
The first rendition of this matchup saw FAU come out on top 85-84, thanks to a late foul call on an Alijah Martin triple, which led to three free throws and the Owls victory. Tulane had their offense firing in full force during that game, having 4 players score in double figures including Jaylen Forbes who had a game high 28.
FAU was able to match the offensive intensity however, as all 5 Owls starters scored in double figures and the Owls were able to get a balanced scoring effort. Nick Boyd led the way with 21, Vlad Goldin dominated the paint, putting up 19 points and 11 boards, Johnell Davis and Alijah contributed 14 a piece, while Brandon Weatherspoon and Bryan Greenlee chipped in 7 & 10 respectively. The key to success in that matchup was FAU getting a diverse scoring effort, which helped the Owls compete against Tulane’s offensive barrage and it’s something the Owls may look to get back to in this next matchup.
Although FAU has lost 2 of their last 3, those 2 losses were against quality opponents and the win against SMU had many positive aspects. The win against SMU saw a consistent, balanced, offensive performance, mixed with one of the team’s best defensive performances during conference play. They held the Mustangs to 38% from the field, and only 5 assists and the entire team was playing with a defensive intensity that made things difficult for SMU. Personal performance wise, Vlad Goldin and Alijah Marin continued their consistent performances putting up 21 and 20 respectively and the Mustangs really had no answers down low.
The loss against Memphis saw the defense and the consistency of the offense fall off, which allowed for big games from David Jones and Nae’Quan Tomlin and resulted in a lack of scoring at different times in the second half. Vlad Goldin had his way once again, scoring 20 points for the 4th time in 5 games, but outside of him the offense was in-consistent, and it made it tough to keep up at times. Vlad checked out when the score was 62-62, it quickly went to 67-62, and even with him on the court the lead ballooned to 73-63 and was too much to overcome.
The paint game has been working recently for FAU; however, the three-point shot has been a bit off, shooting 33% against USF, 30% against SMU, and 25% against Memphis. The one-dimensional performance although kept FAU in it against Memphis wasn’t enough to overcome the Tigers, and the Owls will be looking to find their shot against Tulane.
Tulane has had no problem finding their shot, as they currently have 5 players scoring double figures on a per game basis, but limiting other teams from scoring is a different story, especially during their 5-game losing streak. Tulane has allowed at least 80 points in 4 out of 5 of those losses, including to UNT in their most recent loss who hadn’t scored 80 against a conference opponent yet this year.
Tulane’s defensive struggles are noted statistically, they currently slow a 3 pointer on 42% of possession which is 325th in the nation and allow an assist on 56.1% of possessions which is 307th in the nation. Rebounding is another big struggle for this Green Wave team, as they struggle to pull in offensive rebounds, grabbing them at a 19.7% rate which is 358th in the nation, and giving them up at a 33% rate which is 332nd.
Struggling on the glass, and allowing assists consistently are 2 traits that could play right into FAUs hands. Vlad is playing at an extremely high level currently, and assists are a huge part of FAUs game, and open up the offense to different players.
FAU will look to get the offense backfiring on all cylinders in this one, and that will start with getting their shooters going early to complement Vlad in the paint. Down low is where FAU will have their biggest advantage, and it could be a chance for Vlad to continue his recent stretch of success. Tulane’s struggles on the glass this season have been noted, and they’re generally undersized, not sending out a player above 6 ’10, so Vlad has a chance to really assert his dominance, hopefully alongside FAUs shooters.
Defensively, the Owls will be looking to slow down the Green Wave shooters, something they weren’t able to do in the first matchup, which is what led to the close game. Limiting assists and forcing Tulane to take tough shots will help FAU slow them down, combining that with high intensity could lead them to overall success.
It will be the first afternoon Tip-Off for Men’s basketball at FAU this season, and the games during this time slot brought a great atmosphere both on and off the court. With another student tailgate set for this weekend starting at 7:30 am, the same can be expected this weekend.
Owls fans can tune in on ESPN U at noon on Saturday. Ken Pom is currently predicting a FAU victory, 90-76.
