After exams wrap up next Friday (December 16th), The U will face little brother program FAU at the Wat at 7:00pm. As with most small nonconference games, tickets are dirt cheap, so there’s no excuse for those of you who are local not to #PackTheWat . Here’s what you need to know going into the game:
Opponent Breakdown
FAU was projected to finish 12th out of 14 teams in C-USA prior to the season beginning. The Owls started out the season with three consecutive losses to Texas State (RPI 327), SIU Edwardsville (who?), and Hawaii (RPI 313). More recently, the Owls upset Ohio State in Columbus, defeating the 7-2 Buckeyes 79-77, firmly establishing Friday’s matchup as a trap game.
The Owls are led by senior Adonis Filer (11.1PPG) who dropped 23 on the Buckeyes (5-9 3PT). Sophomore guard Nick Rutherford (11.0PPG, 5.3RPG, 6.0APG), freshman guard Jailyn Ingram (11.0PPG, 5.1RPG), and 7’0” junior center Ronald Delph (10.9PPG, 9.5RPG) round out the rest of the primary cast for FAU.
With a sizeable frontcourt and a team that shows over 38% from three point land (including four individual players shooting at better than 40% from deep), and a marquee upset win on the road, FAU boasts all the attributes of a Cinderella team and should not be taken lightly by the Canes.
What to Watch For
Miami is coming in off an 82-46 shellacking of South Carolina State led by legendary sophomore guard Mike Robinson (1PT, 1REB) and the program’s second-ever triple double (11PTS, 11REB, 10AST) from freshmen phenom Bruce Brown.
It will be imperative for the Canes to maintain their focus, intensity, and consistency from tipoff through the final buzzer. With teams like FAU that can shoot their way back into games and thrive on momentum, nothing should be taken for granted, especially given the Owls will likely have a chip on their shoulder playing against the neighboring Hurricanes.
Keys to this game are defending Delph inside without getting into foul trouble and closing out on shooters, especially in transition. On the offensive end, attacking the rim early, transition buckets, and limiting turnovers will be important in thwarting FAU’s upset bid.
Finally, after engaging in some minor Twitter beef with us and guaranteeing his next three would go in, Dejan Vasiljevic made good on his promise on his way to a 17 point performance against SCST (5-11 3PT). Look for him to stay hot as he continues to settle into Miami's offense.
How to Watch
When: Friday, December 16, 2016
Where: #PackTheWat
TV: ACC Digital Network
Stream: WatchESPN.com
Tweets: @HardwoodU
