What: FAU vs North Texas
When: Thursday, February 27th, 7:00 PM
Where: Eleanor R Baldwin Arena, Boca Raton FL
Series: UNT Leads 15-11
TV: ESPN 2
Radio: Fox 640
Live Stats: Stats broadcast
Line: FAU -1.5
Ken Pom Prediction: UNT 70 FAU 68
Owls at a Glance
Offense – 80.3 PPG, 46.5% FG, 35.5% 3PT
Defense – 76.5 PPGA, 43.5% FGA, 38.2% 3PTA
Rebounding – 36.8 RPG Owls, 36.7 RPG Opponents
FAU notes
Florida Atlantic Men’s basketball is back in action this Thursday, as the Owls will host North Texas at 7 pm in their second and final matchup of the year. FAU will head into this game on a 2 game win streak and after their 5 game win streak has gone by the wayside, they will look to get back to their winning ways against a stingy North Texas Team.
During the 5 game win streak the Owls looked to be playing some of their best basketball of the season, however some of the traits that led them to be successful have gone by the wayside during their 2 game losing streak. Against both Wichita State and Memphis, offensively the Owls suffered from inconsistent shooting in different areas and a lack of ball movement, assisting under 50% in both games, while defensively the Owls lost the rebound battle in both games after winning it in 9 out of their 10 previous games, also losing the points in the paint battle.
On the offensive side of things, the Owls recent struggles can be tracked to a few places, against Wichita State and Memphis the Owls were under 50% on 2 point field goals, below their season average of 54% which is 76th in the nation and at the charity stripe, FAU shot under 70% against Wichita and only 27% against Memphis, well below their season average of 70%, which isn’t great at 251st in the nation. In terms of positives, the Owls were fairly efficient with turnovers, turning it over only 18 times combined in their 2 losses, which aligns with their 15.9% turnover percentage that is 83rd in the nation, also the Owls were above 30% from 3 in both matchups, coinciding with their 35.4% season 3 point percentage which is 92nd in the country and lastly, the Owls grabbed double digit offensive rebounds in both games, matching up with their 30.2% offensive rebound rate which is 177th in the country.
Defensively, the Owls held Wichita to their season average of 46.7% (34th in nation) on 2-point field goals, however the Shockers hit 60% of their 3 point attempts which aligns with the Owls 359th ranked 3-point defense that allows teams to shoot 384%, while against Memphis the Owls held the 4th ranked shooting team in the country to 26% from 3, however the Tigers hit 54% of their 2-point looks. While there were positives and negatives in both matchups, both Memphis and Wichita State were able to grab 10+ offensive rebounds against FAU, as both exploited FAU’s 287th ranked offensive rebound % allowed, which allows teams to grab an offensive board 32% of the time.
The Owls had different leading scorers in their 2 losses however both are usual leaders, as Kaleb Glenn scored 16 (13 PPG 4.8 RPG) to lead FAU against Wichita State, while Tre Carroll (12.4 PPG 5.4 RPG) scored 20 against Memphis. Leland Walker (9.2 PPG 4.7 APG) scored 14 against Memphis and 11 against Wichita State, making it 3 games in a row in double figures for him and look for him to continue to heat up as the season closes down.
In the Owls last matchup with North Texas on January 26th, FAU came out hot, taking a 34-27 lead into the half before UNT outscored the Owls by 20 in the second half on their way to a 77-64 home victory. Although the Owls came out hot, they were plagued by inconsistent shooting as they finished under 50% from the field on the day, while Atin Wright hit 4 3’s at a 50% rate and Brenen Lorient came off the bench to lead the Mean Green with 17 points in only 20 minutes.
This matchup, even at home is no easy task, as UNT has a tough defense that will make the Owls normal offensive output difficult to reach, however the Owls competed with UNT in the first half in their last matchup and in this one they will have to find a way to get a complete performance. Defensively, FAU will have to limit Atin Wright from 3, as his 4 triples was the near difference in the first game, while finding a way to bounce back with their interior defense after the struggles against Memphis and offensively, the Owls need to bounce back at the free throw line, while finding a way to get consistent offense, whether that is from 3, or in the paint.
Mean Green at a Glance
Offense – 68.1 PPG, 45.2% FG, 35.9% 3PT
Defense – 58.8 PPGA, 40.9% FGA, 30.0% 3PTA
Rebounding – 33.6 RPG Owls, 28.3 RPG Opponents
North Texas Notes
The Mean Green head into this matchup at 20-6 overall and are currently riding a 4 game win streak as they look to place a firm hold on second place in the AAC. The Metrics support it, as UNT finds themselves ranked 63rd in the nation via Ken Pom and 59th via Net, also proud owners of 3 Quad 2 wins.
During their 4 game win streak, UNT’s defense has been as strong as ever, holding all 4 opponents to under 70 points and Tulsa to only 44, also winning 2 by double digits and all 4 by multiple possesions. The offense has been there as well, as UNT shot better than 45% on 2 point baskets in every game, while shooting better than 35% from 3 in all 4 wins and if this team can get consistent offense alongside their normally strong defense, they will be dangerous to anyone in the AAC.
Offensively on the year, UNT’s biggest strengths have been their offensive rebounding % (33.7%, 68th), 3 point percentage (35.8%, 73rd) and FT Rate (36.7%, 70th) and ensuing ability to capitalize (76.5% FT%, 46th). The weakness for UNT have been their turnover percentage (17.4%, 192nd), 2 point percentage (50.4%, 211th) as well as lack of assists (45.1% assist rate, 327th).
On the defensive side of things, UNT is top 100 in the country in many areas including, turnover percentage forced (19.7%, 59th), offensive rebound percentage allowed (19.7%, 59th), 3-point percentage allowed (29.5%, 12th) and 2-point percentage allowed (48.1%, 69th). The lone weak spot has been opponents ability to get to the charity stripe against them, currently allowing a FT Rate of 38.9% which is 312th in the nation.
Overall on the season UNT is led by Atin Wright and Brenen Lorient who average 13.7 and 12 points per game respectively, giving the Mean Green a solid dose of scoring on the perimeter and in the paint. Outside of their dynamic duo, Longwood transfer Johnathan Massie is averaging 8.3 points per game, Fairfield transfer Jasper Floyd averages 8.1 a game, while UNT veteran Moulaye Sissoko checks in with 8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
This is a matchup that favors UNT, as the Mean Green’s defense has the potential to really frustrate FAU’s offense as they did in the second half during game 1 and even if FAU’s defense is performing well, a defensive battle will give the Mean Green exactly what they want. Look for UNT to attack the paint following FAU’s recent interior struggles and if they get solid 3 shooting alongside that with their usual defense, it may be hard for FAU to pull out the win, but not out of the cards should the Owls find a way to beat the UNT defense.