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The Florida Atlantic University (FAU) men's basketball team, also known as the Florida Atlantic Owls, began its first intercollegiate basketball contest on November 18, 1988, against Palm Beach Atlantic University, winning the game 111-62. The team has experienced limited success, with frequent coaching changes, and competes in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. The Owls have appeared in the NCAA tournament three times: in 2002, 2023, and 2024, making school history by reaching the Final Four in 2023.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the team | Florida Atlantic Owls |
| Year of the first game | 1988 |
| Date of the first game | November 18, 1988 |
| Opponent of the first game | Palm Beach Atlantic University |
| Score of the first game | 111-62 |
| First coach | Lonnie Williams |
| Current coach | Dusty May |
| Home court | Abessinio Court in the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena |
| Location of the home court | Boca Raton, Florida |
| Number of NCAA Division I appearances | 3 |
| Years of NCAA Division I appearances | 2002, 2023, 2024 |
| Number of Atlantic Sun Conference Championship wins | 1 |
| Year of Atlantic Sun Conference Championship win | 2002 |
| Number of Final Four appearances | 1 |
| Year of Final Four appearance | 2023 |
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What You'll Learn
Florida Atlantic University's first basketball game
Florida Atlantic University played its first intercollegiate basketball game on November 18, 1988, against Palm Beach Atlantic University. The game was played by the men's basketball team, the Florida Atlantic Owls, who won the game with a score of 111-62. The team's first season was the 1988-89 season, during which they finished 9-19, including a 12-game losing streak in the middle of the season.
The Owls are based in Boca Raton, Florida, and compete in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. They played as an NCAA Division II independent team until the 1993-94 season, when they moved up to Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference, now known as the ASUN Conference. The team's first coach was Lonnie Williams, who was replaced by Tim Loomis after the inaugural season. Loomis led the team to three consecutive winning seasons, a feat that has only been matched by Dusty May.
The Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball team has since appeared in the NCAA tournament three times: in 2002, 2023, and 2024. They joined Conference USA (C-USA) in 2013 and left after the 2022-23 season to rejoin the American Athletic Conference.
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The team's inaugural season
The Florida Atlantic University (FAU) basketball team, known as the Florida Atlantic Owls, began play in 1988. The team's inaugural season was the 1988-89 season, and they competed as an NCAA Division II independent team.
The Owls played their first-ever intercollegiate basketball contest on November 18, 1988, against fellow local NCAA Division II school, Palm Beach Atlantic University. The Owls won the game with an impressive score of 111-62. Despite this strong start, the team finished their first season with a record of 9-19, which included a 12-game losing streak.
Head coach Lonnie Williams, known as a "program-builder," left FAU after its first season to become the head coach at the University of California, Davis. Williams was replaced by Penn State assistant coach, Tim Loomis, who started his coaching career with a 21-7 record and then followed up with back-to-back 15-13 seasons. The Owls' early years were marked by frequent coaching changes, with the team showing limited success on the court.
The 1993-94 season marked the beginning of the Owls' competition in the NCAA Division I, as they joined the Atlantic Sun Conference. In their first season at this level, the team improved to a record of 9-19. The following season, under new coach Kevin Billerman, the team showed further improvement, taking South Florida, Saint Louis, and Southern Illinois to close road losses and winning two conference games to end the season. Billerman's second season produced the most wins of any Division One FAU men's basketball coach up to that point.
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The team's coaches
The Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball team has had several coaches throughout its history, with frequent coaching changes occurring alongside the team's progression through the divisions.
The team's first head coach was Lonnie Williams, who led the team during its inaugural 1988-1989 season. Williams was a "program-builder", but he left after just one year to become the head coach at the University of California, Davis. He was replaced by Penn State assistant coach Tim Loomis, who achieved a 21-7 record in his first season and went on to coach three consecutive winning seasons—a feat unmatched by any other Owls coach until Dusty May.
Loomis was followed by Kevin Billerman, a former Duke Blue Devil captain and leader. Billerman's second season produced the most wins of any Division One FAU men's basketball coach up to that point. The Owls then hired Matt Doherty, a former NCAA Coach of the Year and Tar Heel, after a successful 2001-2002 season under coach Green. During the 2001-2002 season, Green led the Owls to their first winning season, finishing 19-12 and clinching their first Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.
Doherty was replaced by assistant coach and former Kansas Jayhawk star, Rex Walters, who became the sixth head coach of FAU basketball. Walters' first season saw the Owls go 16-15, marking the first time FAU posted back-to-back winning seasons since the 1989-1990 and 1990-1991 seasons. After the 2007-2008 season, Walters accepted a position at the University of San Francisco. As of 2018, the athletic director of the Florida Atlantic Owls is Brian White, and the current head coach is Dusty May, who led the team to three consecutive winning seasons in his first three years.
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The team's performance in the NCAA tournament
The Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball team has had a somewhat turbulent history since its first game in 1988, with frequent coaching changes and mixed results. The team's performance in the NCAA tournament has been limited, with only three appearances in 2002, 2023, and 2024.
In their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2002, the Owls were seeded as a 15-seed in the South Region and faced the heavily favoured 2-seed Alabama. The Owls put up a fight but ultimately lost 86-78. This was during coach Sidney Green's only winning season with the team, finishing 19-12 and 13-7 in the Atlantic Sun.
After a long drought from the NCAA tournament, the Owls returned in 2023, making school history by advancing to the Final Four of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. This was a significant achievement for the program, ending their streak of not winning a single NCAA Tournament game. The Owls defeated the Kansas State Wildcats 79-76 to secure their spot in the Final Four.
The Owls' success in 2023 can be attributed to the leadership of coach Dusty May, who achieved three consecutive winning seasons in his first three years, a feat unmatched by any other Owls coach until that point. May's tenure signalled a positive direction for the program, building on the work of previous coaches such as Tim Loomis, who had back-to-back 15-13 seasons, and Kevin Billerman, who led the team to improvement in the Division I landscape.
The Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball team continues to compete in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball, and their recent achievements suggest a promising future for the program.
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The team's rivalry with Florida International
The Florida Atlantic University Owls men's basketball team began play in the 1988–89 season. They competed as an NCAA Division II independent team until the 1993–94 season, when they moved up to Division I.
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Florida International University (FIU) have a significant rivalry in South Florida sports culture. The rivalry game between the two universities, known as the Don Shula Bowl (or Shula Bowl), has been played for 24 years. The game is named after Don Shula, who was a head coach for FIU.
The rivalry between the two universities extends beyond athletics and into academics, with both institutions competing for admissions and the best students. The proximity of the two schools, both located in South Florida, adds to the natural tension between them.
In terms of basketball, the Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball team competes in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. They have appeared in the NCAA tournament three times: in 2002, 2023, and 2024. In 2023, they qualified for their first Final Four by defeating the Kansas State Wildcats 79-76.
While I cannot find specific details on the basketball rivalry between FAU and FIU, the fact that they are neighbouring schools with a history of athletic and academic competition suggests that their basketball encounters are also highly anticipated events.
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Frequently asked questions
The Florida Atlantic University basketball team, also known as the Florida Atlantic Owls, began playing in the 1988-89 season.
The Florida Atlantic Owls played their first intercollegiate basketball game on November 18, 1988, against Palm Beach Atlantic University, winning the game 111-62.
The Florida Atlantic Owls competed in the NCAA Division II from 1988 to 1993 before moving to Division I for the 1993-94 season.
