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Florida Atlantic is one of the best Cinderella stories in tournament history. The Owls, who take on San Diego State in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, are only the third No. 9 seed to ever make the Final Four.
If the Owls lift the national championship trophy, they will be the lowest seed to win it all. Villanova has the record when it won in 1985 as a No. 8 seed.
Many think this Cinderella has the goods to seriously contend for the title.
In the most recent edition of "The BallFather Podcast," a Sporskeeda exclusive, sportscaster T.J. Rives said:
“You talk about a real Cinderella situation in here. I know their record. They've got 35 wins. Thirty-five wins is not Cinderella at this point, but Florida Atlantic point-blank can beat San Diego State. It's like Drago fighting Rocky, in the mountain, Drago."
Rives is echoing what many think, that FAU (35-3) is no normal No. 9 seed or mid-major darling. The Owls have the most wins in Division I this season.
Rives is the sideline reporter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and covers Florida sports. He also covers college sports and hosts a sports betting show.
The Owls are plus-3 point underdogs against No. 5 seed San Diego State (31-6). To pull off another upset, they will need to figure out the tenacious SDSU defense.
FAU plays a style similar to today’s game in the NBA. The Owls shoot almost exclusively 3-pointers and layups. Coach Dusty May has said that his team does not recruit players who cannot shoot. FAU’s guard Johnell Davis leads the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game. He is also shooting 36.6% from 3-point range.
Can Florida Atlantic handle San Diego's defense?
It will be a clash of styles against San Diego State for Florida Antlatic as the Aztecs play slower. They are stronger on defense than offense. Their opponents have averaged 58.3 ppg in the past 10 games. They are fourth in KenPom’s adjusted defense.
San Diego is the second-best in the country in 3-point defense. Teams are shooting 19% from the 3-point line in postseason play, which includes the NCAA and conference tournaments.
The Owls have succeeded in clutch situations. They are 5-0 in one-possession games. FAU is on a 11-game win streak. SDSU has won eight games in a row.
