FAU (1-1) @ American (0-3) When : Saturday, Nov. 21 12:00 PM EST Where : Washington, DC – Bender Arena ESPN 760 Internet Broadcast : Here Live Video : American Pay Per View American Team Site : Here Probable Starters : FAU 01 Ray Taylor G 02 Shavar Richardson G 23 Sanchez Hughley G 50 DeMonte Simpson F 40 Brett Royster F American 02 Daniel Munoz G 13 Riley Grafft F 21 Nick Hendra G 22 Steve Luptak G 32 Stephen Lumpkins F The Series The two teams have met just one time, dating back to December 18, 1990. The Eagles won that contest 80-72 in Washington, DC. American at a Glance The big-man combination of Lumpkins and Grafft account for the vast majority of American’s (Patriot League) deliberate half court offense. “They play hard and they have a great coach (Jeff Jones). They like to control the tempo”, said FAU Head Coach Mike Jarvis. Lumpkins, the go-to player for the Eagles, is averaging 13PPG points through the first three contests, while hauling in a team-high nine rebounds. Grafft is contributing 12.3PPG. The duo currently shoot a collective 50% from the floor. The Eagles do not make a living behind the three point line whatsoever; having only made 40 attempts, while connecting on a marginal 30% of them. FAU at a Glance The Owls are coming off a stinging loss to Southeastern Louisiana where they fell behind quickly in the first half by 24 points. Relying on the speed and tenacity of Freshman point guard Ray Taylor (25 Points), they closed to within 11 in the second half, but could not muster the win. We learned how hard it is to win on the road in college basketball. Thats a great lesson for them to learn, especially early”, said Jarvis. Brett Royster established himself as the all-time shot blocking leader in that contest (124) – surpassing Cedric Peoples (119). Look for FAU to continue to employ an upbeat tempo, on both sides of the ball – especially in transition, to thwart the half court offensive efforts of American. The Eagles are a good free-throw shooting team (84%). And the Owls interior defense needs to contain Lumpkins without committing fouls. Mercer transfer Justin Davis (C) is likely to see his first minutes on Saturday to help in this endeavor. Latest Line : TBA Owl’s Nest Prediction Quick pick – just like the expected pace the Owls will dictate. American has yet to face an opponent with FAU’s speed, let alone athleticism. Owls win this one, and put an end to their current road loss streak (19 games) in Washington. Owls -7
