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GAME THREAD: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

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What: Louisiana-Monroe (1-14, 0-2 SBC) vs FAU (4-10, 0-1 SBC)

When: Thursday, Jan. 5th @ 7:00 PM EST

Where: FAU Arena

TV: None

Live Video: None

Internet Broadcast: Here

Live Stats: Here

Warhawks Team Site: Here


Probable Starters:


ULM

G Fred Brown 13.5 ppg
G Hugh Mingo 8.9 ppg
G R.J. McCray 3.3 ppg
F Christian Bibi Ndongo 3.7 ppg
C Steven McClellan 9.4 ppg


FAU

G Ray Taylor 9.6 ppg
G Greg Gantt 13.4 ppg
G Omari Grier 10.3 ppg
G Pablo Bertone 9.4 ppg
F Kore White 9.6 ppg


The series:

The Owls enjoy a 4-1 lead in the all time series, but have split with the Warhawks at home in Boca Raton.

01/13/07 H W 73-62
02/06/08 A W 77-72
01/22/09 H L 88-94
01/09/10 H W 74-61
12/19/10 A W 60-58

Last time out, Florida Atlantic withstood ULM's comeback attempt from 16 down in a 60-58 win at FAU Arena. The Owls coughed the ball up 20 times, but shot 54.8% from the floor on the night. Ray Taylor had a 20 point, eight rebound performance for the home team - both games highs. Kore White pitched in 12 points and four grabs.


ULM at a Glance:

When Orlando Early (60-92, 33-55 SBC) resigned his post in April, 2010 after five seasons, Louisiana-Monroe enlisted the services of former player, graduate assistant, and assistant Coach Keith Richard. Richard had a successful career for ULM as a player, and eventual head coach at prior Sun Belt member Louisiana Tech, where he compiled a mark of 150-117 and led the Bulldogs to three 20+ win seasons and two births in the NIT.

But Richard has yet to find prosperity at ULM as top dog, finishing 7-24, 2-14 SBC in 2010-11, and currently facing a dismal mark of 1-14, 0-2 this season. It's not his fault entirely though, as the Warhawks are afforded just nine active scholarship players due to NCAA APR sanctions. Post season play is banned as well.

And don't let the team's current record fool you. Most recently, the squad dropped a narrow 65-63 decision to Western Division favorite Arkansas State. The Warhawks were in the driver's seat for the vast majority of the game, set aside just 1:30. Prior to that was a 76-71 defeat in OT at the hands of Western Kentucky.

Like the Owls, Louisiana-Monroe will play quite a few players with 10 seeing 16.3 minutes or greater on the year per outing. Also in kindred accord, the lion share of shot attempts comes from the back court in the guard quartet of Kansas transfer Fred Brown, Hugh Mingo, Charles Winborne, and Trent Mackey.

Brown is the go-to man amongst the group accounting for 23.3% of the team's total launches, and will get to the free throw line with regularity - where he finds success to the tune of an 86.8% mark. But he is not the unit's best shooter as Winborne's 48.7% FG and 45.5% 3PT currently leads the way.

In the frontcourt, 6-7, 250 lb center Steven McClellan boats the most efficient connection rate for ULM at 56.4% on the year, but has taken a modest 55 shots thus far for 2011-12. He is strong off the glass however, and leads the squad with 7.3 rpg.

The Warhawks were pegged to finish 6th in the West, with Brown getting the nod for third team All Sun Belt, in the league's preseason polling. ULM garnered the least amount of voter confidence points amongst all teams (12), and ranks 320th in the latest RPI.


FAU at a Glance:

Thanks to a quirk in league scheduling, the Owls will play three games in five days. It was either that, or make two trips to Arkansas; which Jarvis wanted nothing to do with.

The fun starts off on Thursday at home against ULM, then moves into weekend action on the road at Arkansas-Little Rock, and concludes with a rare Monday tilt against Arkansas State.

A slow start doomed FAU in their Sun Belt season opener against a rising Louisiana-Lafayette squad 67-55. With a "strange" starting five taking the floor for the first time this season in Ray Taylor, Pablo Bertone, Jordan McCoy, Andre Mattison, and Kore White, the Cajuns bolted to a 12-0 advantage early on, prompting coach Jarvis to burn two timeouts less than four minutes into the contest while implementing a mass substitution at the same time.

Greg Gantt's three pointer quieted the drama immediately therafter, however the Owls never overcame the initial damage done and trailed the entire contest. The Cajuns allowed Florida Atlantic back into the game a couple of times in the remainder of the first frame, but extended their margin to a game high 15 points in the second as FAU could find no rhythm on either side of the ball.

"It's tough to come back from 14-0 if you are at home, let alone on the road on New Year's eve", said coach Mike Jarvis. "We just dug ourselves a deep, deep hole."

The Owls set season new season lows for 3PT%, assists, and three pointers in the process, but like their last contest versus Siena showed little poise when ULL had the ball as well.

"The main thing we need to do is we need to start playing better team defense…it's five against the ball, and we haven't quite mastered that yet", Jarvis said.

While the competition appears to have taken a dive with the 1-14 Warhawks coming to Boca Raton, Jarvis is cognoscente of the fact that parity in Sun Belt play is not a given.

"You can't sleep on anybody in college basketball, if you do you're going to lose", said Jarvis. "ULM, like Little Rock, Arkansas, like Arkansas State, like Denver, like Western Kentucky - every team in our league has an excellent coach. You're not going to win games by just showing up."

Freshman forward Kelvin Penn had been absent from FAU's last four contests up until Saturday, seeing just five minutes of combined playing time. He made his way back into the lineup with a fury though, pulling down a career high nine boards to go with six points, and four steals.

"We're a much better when he's on the floor because he will go get rebounds other guys can't", Jarvis said. "As time goes on he's going to be a very effective, and very productive player."

Off to their worst start since 2008-09, the Owls will be looking to halt a five game losing streak.


Latest Line:

FAU -13


Owl's Nest Prediction

Should FAU win this game? Yes. Will they win this game? They better.

This is the best chance at a confidence booster before heading into a tough travel schedule over the weekend and into Monday.

Enjoying a superior offensive unit, Florida Atlantic's numbers yield a solid edge in scoring (+6.1 ppg), assists (+2.3), and turnovers (-3.9), while giving up just a hair of an edge on the defensive end from long range (+2.2%).


FAU -8
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Re: Game Preview: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

If we lose this one, we're in deep sh*t

FAU Class of '87
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Re: Game Preview: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

BeastOwl said

If we lose this one, we're in deep sh*t

+1
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Re: Game Preview: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

Rick said

BeastOwl said

If we lose this one, we're in deep sh*t

+1

+2.
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Re: GAME THREAD: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

Starters:


ULM

G Fred Brown
G Hugh Mingo
G R.J. McCray
F Christian Bibi Ndongo
C Steven McClellan


FAU

G Ray Taylor
G Greg Gantt
G Jelani Floyd
G Kelvin Penn
F Kore White
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Re: GAME THREAD: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

Jarvis going with another odd starting line-up tonight - inserting Floyd, who has played 24 minutes on the year total and 1 in the last four games combined.

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Re: GAME THREAD: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

Ok, so they have a live Owl at the game tonight…only problem is it is spooked and won't swoop down to the court; preferring to stay in the Sky Box!

Oh well, that kind of year so far…

;D
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Re: GAME THREAD: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

Ok, scratch that…decided to come down right as the team took the floor…….

Better late than never!
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Re: GAME THREAD: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

GAME THREAD: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

ULM burns an early T/O after a Gantt three scores the game's first points…

19:23

ULM 0  FAU 3
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Re: GAME THREAD: Louisiana-Monroe vs FAU - 01/05/12 @ 7:00PM

How's the student tournout Rick?  I, myself a student, is interested to see how it is with some res. students coming back early for the semester, and as we all know the greek and residential students are the ones that really show up in numbers.  I'm going to be a tad late as my girlfriend is still getting ready for the game… ::)
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