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UAB (119) at FAU (97), Sunday 12 January 2025 (4 p.m. CST)

The Owls and Blazers have identical records, 9-7 and 2-1. FAU has only played five home games so far, and are 3-2. They lost at home to Florida Gulf Coast (162) and Memphis (29). The Memphis game was 90-62. Memphis opened up with a 14-2 run, and led by 10 at halftime.

Best win: Liberty (68), 77-74 OT on a neutral court (Charleston).
Worst loss: Florida Gulf Coast (162).

KenPom SOS - 48th. FAU has played five games against top 100 teams, and gone 1-4.

Besides the home game against Memphis, FAU went on the road and won AAC games at East Carolina (177) and at Charlotte (239).

KenPom has it: FAU 86 - UAB 81
Barttorvik has it: FAU 87 - UAB 82
Massey has it: FAU 82 - UAB 77

This FAU squad can beat us but they are nowhere near as good as they have been the last three years. Very winnable if we stay on our trajectory.

The previous FAU coach, Dusty May, is off to a brilliant start at Michigan. His team is 12-3 and 4-0. They have a KenPom rating of 11; Barttorvik of 9; and Massey of 22.

Many of May’s FAU players transferred out.

Vladislav Goldin, 7-1 250, followed May to Michigan. He has started every game and just scored 36 points against UCLA.

Alijah Martin has started every game for Florida (5) this season.

Johnell Davis is at Arkansas where he has started most games.

Tre Carroll, 6-7 233, stayed at FAU, and is scoring in double figures most games.

Nick Boyd Transferred to San Diego State, where he has started every game and is hitting threes at a 40% clip.

Brenen Lorient scored 9 points against UAB for North Texas.

(01-10-2025 01:41 AM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  The previous FAU coach, Dusty May, is off to a brilliant start at Michigan. His team is 12-3 and 4-0. They have a KenPom rating of 11; Barttorvik of 9; and Massey of 22.

Many of May’s FAU players transferred out.

Vladislav Goldin, 7-1 250, followed May to Michigan. He has started every game and just scored 36 points against UCLA.

Alijah Martin has started every game for Florida (5) this season.

Johnell Davis is at Arkansas where he has started most games.

Tre Carroll, 6-7 233, stayed at FAU, and is scoring in double figures most games.

Nick Boyd Transferred to San Diego State, where he has started every game and is hitting threes at a 40% clip.

Brenen Lorient scored 9 points against UAB for North Texas.

Also leads the Big Whatever in flops and is also a dirty player.

Lorient is a good player. Capable of going off at any time.

I still hate Vlad.

It was hilarious to see JD buck up on him and put him in his place last year. Literally made punching motions a few inches from his face threatening him - I was astounded he wasn’t thrown out for that.

We are missing a guy like that on this roster.

Anyways, this is a very winnable game, but we will have to play a complete game. 2 halves of USM, ark state, or UNT. If we play as well as we did against Tulsa and most of the game against Tulane also, I like our chances. We’ve been shooting the ball much better lately. Makes a world of difference. We were statistically anomalous levels of abysmal at open shots to start the year.

The Owls have eight players averaging 7.5 points/game or more, then it drops off significantly.

#12 Tre Carroll 6-7 233 Junior and third year at FAU. Has only started two games this season, but is averaging 11.9 points/game. Has scored 24 points twice - against FIU and Michigan State. Is second on the team in blocks (11).

#2 Leland Walker 6-1 185 Junior transferred in from Eastern Kentucky. Averages 10.7 points per game, and second in steals (19). The point guard leads the team in assists (73) and turnovers (44).

#1 Kaleb Glenn 6-7 210 Sophomore came from Louisville, where he started 11 games as a freshman. 11.9 points/game with zero starts. It appears Glenn and Carroll are the sparks off the bench.

#8 Matas Vokietaitis 7-0 245 Freshman from Lithuania. Has started all but two games, the last two. 9.1 points/game but struggles from the foul line (53.3%).

#18 Baba Miller 6-11 215 Junior from Florida State (originally from Spain). Started all but one game at FSU last season. Leads team with 27 blocks. 11.4 points/game.

We talked about the guy on Tulsa with the terrible haircut.if you thought that was bad - check out the bowl cut on Matas Vokietaitis. Looks like him mother sat him down at the dinner table back in Lithuania, put a bowl on his head, and went to town.

Does FAU have a pipeline or connection to these former Soviet-bloc countries?

If we have any expectation of competing for a top 4 seed, this is a game we just have to have. We have been playing better, let’s see if that continues.

(01-10-2025 12:41 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Does FAU have a pipeline or connection to these former Soviet-bloc countries?

Yes. Jakus coached in Bulgaria and Macedonia. He was also GM of a Macedonian team, ABA Strumica, founded to spread evangelical Christianity. Jakus has spent a lot of time in Jesus-adjacent basketball.

They got the draft dodger out of the portal, from Texas Tech.

They actually have two Lithuanian 7-footers. Polish people believe that eating cabbage soup makes Lithuanians (kapustnicy) very tall. This is an actual thing, I did not invent it.

FAU roster

It’s quite an international mix.

(01-10-2025 04:13 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  FAU roster

It’s quite an international mix.

I thought we were playing Florida Atlantic not Florida International

(01-10-2025 10:46 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  I still hate Vlad.

It was hilarious to see JD buck up on him and put him in his place last year. Literally made punching motions a few inches from his face threatening him - I was astounded he wasn’t thrown out for that.

We are missing a guy like that on this roster.

Anyways, this is a very winnable game, but we will have to play a complete game. 2 halves of USM, ark state, or UNT. If we play as well as we did against Tulsa and most of the game against Tulane also, I like our chances. We’ve been shooting the ball much better lately. Makes a world of difference. We were statistically anomalous levels of abysmal at open shots to start the year.

I couldn't stand him either. But the dude dropped 36 on UCLA earlier this week.

With 12 flops and four near misses with elbows. Hey if you can get away with it………

ESPN: FAU -3.5

When comparing the team stats for UAB vs FAU our big advantage is rebounding and free throw %. 41.1 vs 36.4 and 76.1% vs 69.7%.
FAU's advantage is 3 pont %. 34.9% vs 32.8.

But those stats do not adjust for the strength of schedule comparison. 53 vs 351.

ESPN says we have a 30.6% chance of winning.

KenPom has moved 1 point in UAB’s favor. Now it’s FAU 85 - UAB 81.

I could do with less Butta. Yax playing well so far.

That block was incredible and very reminiscent of Lebron v iguodala in 2016

Beautiful defense by Yax