What: FAU vs ECU
When: Sunday, January 5th, 1:00 PM
Where: Williams Arena, Greenville NC
Series: FAU leads 3-2
TV: ESPN 2
Radio: Fox 640
Live Stats: Stats broadcast
Line: FAU -2.5
FAU at a Glance
Offense – 83.1 PPG, 46% FG, 34% 3PT
Defense – 78 PPGA, 44% FGA, 40% 3PTA
Rebounding – 36 RPG Owls, 37 RPG Opponents
Owl Notes
Following a disheartening 90-62 loss at the hands of Memphis to open AAC play, the Owls are back in action just a few days later as they head to Greenville for a matchup with ECU. After an early portion of the season which saw FAU on the road for nearly 2 weeks straight, this matchup will mark only their second game out of the state of Florida since November 22nd.
This is a matchup where FAU needs to bounce back, as with the quick turnarounds of conference play, the Owls have had little time to wipe the slate clean of Memphis, but that is exactly what they will need to do. The loss to Memphis was unfortunate, however what will hurt them more is if they are able to let Memphis beat them twice by letting their struggles from that game leak into the matchup against ECU.
The negatives in that matchup stacked up for FAU, as they started the game out slowly and although they bounced back in some places, in others they did not and it plagued them the rest of the way. Something that hurt them throughout the game was their inability to convert from deep, as they finished 5 of 31 from 3, which left their offense in a tough place at times and over the past month their team 3 point percentage has fallen from 37% to 33%.
On the defensive side of things, the Owls’ 362nd ranked (out of 365 teams) perimeter defense was exposed as Memphis hit 55% of their 3 pointers, using a balance of physicality to attack the rim and timely triples to roll past FAU in the second half. Although Memphis was able to convert on their 3-point looks, 3’s only accounted for a third of their total points and in the second half, they were able to attack the paint with success.
Despite the lopsided score, it wasn’t all bad for FAU as they won the offensive rebound and turnover battle, however they weren’t able to translate their hustle statistics into enough points to affect this game. The Owls battling on the glass and in the passing lanes are signs they are trying to find ways to compete, however without improvement in their perimeter defense and consistency on their 3 point shooting they will continue to be in dogfights.
The Owls were still led by their big men against Memphis, as Kaleb Glenn led FAU with 12, while Baba Miller finished with 10 and Tre Carroll with 9, while Matas Vokietaitis finished with 6 and had back to back and-1 plays down low to keep FAU in it early in the second half. With the success the Owls have been getting from their big men, the 3 point struggles could be dialed back with a more concerted effort to attack the paint, however perimeter shooting remains to be a focal point for this offense and against ECU it will be imperative for the Owls to either find their shot early, or shift to an attack the basket first mindset.
East Carolina has struggled in a similar capacity to FAU, both with perimeter defense and perimeter shooting, while also having the 258th average height compared to FAU who is 130th. There is a path to a much needed victory in this matchup for FAU, however they have to find a way to generate consistent offense, either from beyond the arc or down low, while defensively, making it a concerted effort to defend on the perimeter.
Recently for FAU they have found a decent amount of success from Vokietaitis, Carroll, Glenn and Miller, however in this matchup it will be imperative for them to get back to the early season performances where it seemed like nearly the entire team could get a basket when needed. The aforementioned 4 will play a pivotal role in the Owls success this season, however Leland Walker, Ken Evans Jr, Kyky Tandy and Nico Moretti all equally need to be involved and their shooting success will be paramount to FAU’s chances at winning.
There are no guarantees, as ECU has been a pesky team defensively outside of their perimeter struggles, however FAU has been able to bounce back from losses effectively this season and that is what they need to do in this matchup.
ECU at a Glance
Offense – 76.6 PPG, 43.2% FG, 27.8% 3PT
Defense – 70.9 PPGA, 42.7% FGA, 35.7% 3PTA
Rebounding – 39 RPG Owls, 35.2 RPG Opponents
Pirate Notes
East Carolina heads into this matchup with an 8-6 record and they are fresh off a 75-69 road loss at the hands of USF. The Pirates started off extremely hot to start this season, going 7 and 1 over their first 8 games, however since then they have dropped 5 of their last 6, with their last win coming over FIU on December 17th.
Although the Pirates have struggled recently, they only have one loss this season by double figures, a 67-53 loss at the hands of NC A&T back on November 29th. This is an ECU team with a mix of veterans and newcomers, however all 4 of their top 4 scorers, RJ Felton, Cj Walker, Cam Hayes and Jordan Riley are seniors and despite some early season losses their veteran leadership will keep them battling heading into AAC play.
Those 4 have been a source of a lot of the offense so far this season, as veteran Pirate RJ Felton is leading the way with 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, UCF Transfer CJ Walker is behind him with 16.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while Temple transfer Jordan Riley is averaging a career high 14.3 points and 6 rebounds, while 2nd year Pirate Cam Hayes rounds out the 4 double figure scoring guards, with 10.6 points and 3.9 assists per game. The scoring is a bit top heavy for the pirates as those 4 are the only double figure scoring players for ECU and only 3 other players are averaging at least 4 points per game.
The biggest strengths this season for ECU offensively has been their ball control, offensive rebounding and ability to get to the free throw line as they have averaged a turnover only 15% of the time which is 45th in the country, an offensive rebound on 33.5% of possessions good for 78th in the country and a FTA/FGA rate of 39.5 which is 46th in the country. Defensively, ECU has been a very pesky team forcing a turnover on 19.5% of possessions which is 90th in the nation, also recording a block on 11.5% of possessions which is 77th.
The struggles for the Pirates this season have come with putting the ball in the basket at times, specifically from beyond the arc, as they are shooting 26.2% from 3 which is 356th, while converting on 49.6% of 2’s which is 218th. In terms of defense, their issues have come from beyond the arc and on the glass, as they’re allowing teams to shoot 36.7% from 3 which is 309th in the country, while they allow an offensive rebound on 31.2% of possessions which is 238th.
ECU has had some major struggles lately, specifically with things that play into FAU’s favor such as 3 point shooting and perimeter defense and if they continue to struggle with those things that could open the door for an Owls road victory. The Pirates will be looking to bounce back from their recent down stretch now back at home, however that will require adjustments such as finding consistent offense while also defending better on the perimeter, things FAU will also be looking to do and this game could come down to who accomplishes those things.