No. 24 Florida Atlantic Hope to Avoid Upset When They Face Temple

After splitting two overtime games on the road last week, No. 24 Florida Atlantic returns home to face Temple on Thursday at Boca Raton, Fla.

Florida Atlantic (19-5, 9-2 AAC) lost 76-73 at UAB last Thursday but rebounded with a 95-82 victory at Wichita State on Sunday. Vladislav Golden had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Owls on Sunday, while Brandon Weatherspoon had 19 points.

Despite failing to make a shot from the floor for nearly 3 1/2 minutes at the end of regulation, Florida Atlantic forced extra time then made 7 of 8 shots in OT to win it.

It wasn’t just a rough ending to regulation for Florida Atlantic, which also missed its first six shots to open the game. Its Final Four pedigree from last season was visible while taking over in OT and outscoring the Shockers 21-8.

“We’re getting great reps in pressure situations,” FAU head coach Dusty May said. “We’re seeing that the more game experience you can have, it’s obviously going to pay dividends later but also it gives you confidence. I think it gives our guys confidence that we’ve been in so many different situations.”

FAU forward Giancarlo Rosado has not played since Jan. 14 when he sustained a sprained knee in a game against UAB. He might not be on the court Thursday either.

“We met with the training staff and he is progressing as scheduled,” May said Monday. “He will be doing limited practice (Tuesday). … We’re not going to rush it. When he’s ready to go he will go.”

Temple (8-16, 1-10) has continued to fade while on a nine-game losing streak. After dropping consecutive overtime games Jan 28 to East Carolina and Feb. 4 to Tulane, Temple then lost 84-77 to Memphis on Thursday and 73-70 at home to Charlotte on Sunday.

It is Temple’s longest losing streak since dropping 11 consecutive games during the 1975-76 season.

Hysier Miller scored 14 points against Charlotte, while Quante Berry matched his career high with 13 points and had a career-best four assists in his return from a two-game absence because of a shoulder injury. Matteo Picarelli’s potential game-tying 3-pointer with three seconds remaining was off the mark.

Temple tied the score 43-43 with 12:53 remaining before Charlotte went on a 20-6 run to grab control. Temple took care of the ball, committing just five turnovers in the loss.

“I think it’s hard when you have so many injuries like we’ve had,” Temple head coach Adam Fisher said. “… I would love for everybody on our team to have their best night of the season every time out, but that’s not how it works. That’s what a team is. And when certain guys aren’t having their best night, the other guys will step up.”

It will be Temple’s lone meeting of the season against Florida Atlantic as the squad tries to win for the first time since beating Wichita State 68-61 on Jan. 7 at home.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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