Posts from January 2010

As the clock ticked down at FAU Arena on Saturday, fans in the student section prepared to storm the court to celebrate FAU's 106-88 victory vs. FIU on Saturday.

It clearly violated the rule that rushing the court should be saved for defeating Top 25 teams. Or at least teams with winning records.

Well, don't blame the students. They are still learning at this basketball thing. They may not be the only ones. There had to be many in the announced crowd of 2,916 at The Burrow who were watching FAU play for the first time. No doubt many were there to jeer FIU coach Isiah Thomas, but they likely spent most of the night cheering for the Owls.

I've been covering FAU since Kevin Billerman was the coach, and this was the loudest, most electric atmosphere I've seen at FAU Gymnasium/FAU Arena/The Burrow.

But it's one thing to pack the house on a game that has been promoted for weeks and featured a built-in villain like Thomas roaming the sidelines.

But hopefully, many that were there Saturday will be back.

FAU coach Mike Jarvis sure hopes so.

"I just hope that somehow what was here tonight can be captured on a regular basis," Jarvis said in his post-game press conference. Like the kids are saying, the more you win, the more people will come out. That's what we got to do. We have to put a good product on the floor. I think people will eventually realize that on Thursday or Saturday night at 7 o'clock, this is a pretty good place to be."

There are three more homes games - and those two season-ending games against Western Kentucky on Feb. 25 and Middle Tennessee on Feb. 27 are starting look pretty big.

Perhaps big enough that the students can rush the court for another acceptable reason - winning a Sun Belt Conference East Division Championship.

Owl Links
Your daily briefing on what's being written about the Owls

Before we had our wild night at The Burrow, we had a recruiting update on a player who has de-committed from the Owls. Click here to see where he is headed.

Also check out our coverage of the big basketball victory and the women's basketball team's overtime loss to FIU.

Sun-Sentinel: Owls blow past FIU 106-88

Palm Beach Post: Mike Jarvis and high-flying FAU stop Isiah Thomas and FIU to win fifth straight

Miami Herald: Hot-shooting Owls sink FIU Golden Panthers

Owl Cal
Your daily calendar of FAU related events

Monday
6 p.m. Hoops, FAU SportsPage with Mike Jarvis, at Boston's on the Beach and heard on ESPN 760 and ESPN760.com

Wednesday
8 p.m. Women's Hoops, FAU at North Texas

Thursday
8 p.m. Hoops, FAU at North Texas

Earlier in the week, FAU coach Mike Jarvis told the assembled media at his weekly press conference that he hoped not much would be of the possible rude welcome for FIU coach Isiah Thomas in the days leading up to Saturday's game.

He even went as far as to say that the more it was brought up in the media, the worse the reaction would be.

However, immediately following FAU's 70-59 victory at South Alabama on Thursday, it was Jarvis himself who seemed to be taking a preemptive strike at possible rowdy behavior on his post-game radio show with ESPN 760s Ken LaVicka.

You can here the interview here, but here is what Jarvis told LaVicka.

“I hope that the people come and are very active and very vocal, but I hope they do it with class. All I am asking the Owl fans is to do it with class. If I have to make an announcement over the PA system I will do that. I do not want our fans to embarrass our university or to embarrass themselves.”

Not sure what prompted the change of heart, but since then there has been more talk about the crowd's reaction to Thomas than the game itself - a real shame.

Does Jarvis get a sense the crowd wasn't going to be vocal enough?

I'm sure the crowd will be plenty fired up, but I'm sure Thomas, who has played in front of some of the loudest crowds in the nation, will be able to handle it.

It's a home game against San Francisco or SMU that I would like to see how an FAU Arena crowd reacts.

Donations for earthquake victims: The American Red Cross will be accepting monetary donations for the earthquake victims in Haiti in the lobby of FAU Arena from 5-8 p.m.

Owl Links
What's being written about the Owls

We had our first recruiting chat on Friday at FAUOwlAccess.com and if you missed the fun, we have the questions and answers archived.

We also talked to FAU's newest commitment, Lafayette Co. QB Nick Bracewell.

After the busy day on the recruiting front, we posted our preview of today's basketball game.

Others...

Palm Beach Post: Mike Jarvis, Isiah Thomas reunite Saturday as FAU basketball hosts FIU

Sun-Sentinel: Jarvis concerned about how fans will treat Isiah Thomas as he brings FIU to FAU Arena

Gainesville Sun: Lafayette Co. QB Bracewell commits to FAU


Owl Cal
A daily look at the FAU sports calendar
5 p.m. Women's Hoops: FIU at FAU, FAU Arena
7 p.m. Hoops: FIU at FAU, FAU Arena

Howard Schnellenberger and members of the football team headed to Delray for the Pro Bowl Kickoff Party last night for one of their more festive team appearances.

Once a month the city of Delray Beach blocks off Atlantic Ave. for Jazz on the Avenue. On Thursday Delray combined that party with some pre-Super Bowl festivities. FAU sent over the huge inflatable helmet the Owls run through to take the field. All current freshman football players were asked to attend the event (top photo); talking to many of the younger football players in attendance and helping event organizers raise a giant American flag (middle photo). There was even a small marketing presence.

The four photos on this page are from the event. Click here to see the entire photo gallery.

The third photo is of Cory Henry. Though Henry signed a Letter of Intent last year, he didn't enroll in classes until a few days ago. I can't say for sure, but this was likely his first public event as an Owl.

The high point of the event was supposed to be a round table-type discussion hosted by Miami sports personality Tony Segreto and featuring former NFL players Reggie Givens and Lorenzo Hampton, and Schnellenberger (bottom photo).

The idea was strong but the execution was poor. There were no speakers in front of the stage, so fans standing there couldn't hear what the coach - or anyone else - was saying. The speakers were placed behind the stage, forcing those who wanted to listen to look at the back of the guests. And right behind the stage was the band shell, so when the Atlantic High School jazz band began playing it became next to impossible to hear the presentation.

The panel discussion was broadcast onto various projection screens scattered throughout the grounds, but they didn't have audio, either.

Aside from not being able to hear the coach or the other panelists, the event seemed to go smoothly, and likely helped earned the Owls a couple more hometown fans.

Talking recruiting: Got some questions about the recruiting process or this year's recruiting class for FAU? I'll be hosting FAUOwlAccess.com's first-ever recruiting chat today (Friday) at 2 p.m.

Owl Links
Your daily guide to what is being written about the Owls

How bout that hardwood? FAU coach Mike Jarvis has said all season that he hopes that every game is a learning experience for his Owls. Well, they must have studied hard after that disappointing overtime loss to South Alabama a couple weeks back. In Mobile, Ala. last night, FAU once again built a sizable second half lead only to see the Jaguars mount a run. Unlike last time FAU regrouped and won the game going away. Here's the full story about the basketball team's big win at South Alabama. Now we're only one day away from Burying the Burrow in Isiah taunts.

In our "30-for-30" recruiting series on FAUOwlAccess.com we examined whether North Broward Prep quarterback Brandon Doughty is reneging on his commitment to FAU.

Here is the Sun-Sentinel's game story.

And here is the Mobile Press-Register's account of the game.

The Florida Times-Union offered this story on FAU commit Blake Parrish.

Owl Cal
A daily look at the FAU calendar

Friday
2 p.m. FAUOwlAccess.com recruiting chat - main FAUOwlAccess.com site

Saturday
7 p.m. Basketball vs. FIU
5 p.m. Women's basketball vs.FIU

As part of our extensive coverage of FAU recruiting, FAUOwlAccess.com will be breaking new ground again with a, (drumroll please)...."FAU Recruiting Live Chat."

Beginning at 2 p.m. Friday, for the first time, FAU fans can pose questions about the upcoming recruiting class to our recruiting guru, Chuck King.

King has been working tirelessly the last few weeks tracking down high school coaches and players to find about the players who are - and some that aren't - coming to FAU. We have the most detailed scouting reports on FAU's recruits, so bring your questions to him. Trust me, the only people talking more to these recruits are the FAU coaches themselves.

I will moderate the chat, which will go about an hour. If you have a question you can ask it then or if you want to get a head-start, e-mail recruiting questions to info@FAUOwlAccess.com between now and then and we'll post them with our answers in the chat room.

To participate or follow the chat just go to FAUOwlAccess.com at 2 p.m. Friday.

This should be a lot of fun and informative for the many fans out there who want to know about the future Owls.

That's 2 p.m. Friday. We'll see you then.

Owl Links
Your daily guide to what's being written about the Owls
For the last three weeks we've posted a recruiting story each day (sometimes more than one if we needed to break news about another commitment). Wednesday was no exception as we gave you the skinny on a player who is deciding between FAU and FIU.

We also have a preview of tonight's basketball game at South Alabama.

Others...

Sun-Sentinel: Surging FAU faces reeling South Alabama

Mobile Press-Register: Jaguars look to bounce back against Sun Belt's hottest team

Owl Cal
A daily look at the FAU calendar
8 p.m. Hoops: FAU at South Alabama

FRIDAY
2 p.m. Football, Live recruiting chat at FAUOwlAccess.com

SATURDAY
5 p.m. Women's Hoops: FIU at FAU
7 p.m. Hoops: FIU at FAU

The Sun Belt Conference and its members will be picking up a nice sized check from the BCS.

The Sun Belt Conference will bring in $1.5 million from being part of the BCS agreement. The bad news is that the sum is the smallest among all the conferences, juust behind the MAC which pulled in $2.1 million

The BCS announced non-automatic qualifying conferences will get $24 million this year to be spilt up by the Mountain West, WAC, Conference USA, MAC and the Sun Belt.

That's up from $9.6 million from last year.

But schools like FAU shouldn't go spending money immediately.

According to the Sun Belt Conference, it splits that revenue equally among all its members - not just the ones that play football. If my math is right $1.5 million split among 13 teams is a little over $100,000 per institution.

Hey, every little but helps - but this is a pretty paltry sum and not much of a reward.

The BCS loves to throw schools in the smaller conferences a bone and tell them they are very much a part of the BCS, but pulling down a sum just over six-figures while schools in other conferences need to call a Brink's truck to pick up their payout show just how inequitable this system is.

Owl Links
Guess what we've been working on? That's right, recruiting, recruiting and more recruiting. Again, we were the first to report on a new FAU commitment - this time it was Sean Watson - and we were the only local media outlet to track him down and talk to him about his decision.




Owl Cal
A daily look at upcoming FAU events

8 p.m. Women's Hoops: FAU at South Alabama

Thursday
8 p.m. Hoops, FAU at South Alabama

Someone dropped the ball by not having FAU on TV more this season. However, there will be a game shown on national TV from The Burrow coming up.

The game doesn't involve FAU, but Owl fans will likely still be interested.

Winter Park will play Pine Crest at FAU Arena at 7 p.m. Feb. 5 in a game televised by ESPN2, which I believe is the first nationally-televised game in FAU Arena history.

Many that will be at the game will be there to get a glimpse of Pine Crest's Brandon Knight, perhaps the top player in the nation. However I hope there are some FAU fans at The Burrow who want to get a look at Winter Park junior Brett Comer, who has already committed to FAU.

It should be a good night at The Burrow. Even if FAU isn't on the floor, its future will be on display.


Owl Links
FAUOwlAccess.com was the first to report that two more recruits had given verbal commitments to the Owls. It's just the latest example of the in-depth FAU recruiting coverage you won't find anywhere else as we burn up the phone lines talking to high school coaches and recruits to find out what they are thinking.

Also have to give kudos to The Miami Herald which wrote about FAU's recruiting efforts in today's paper with this story - and gives credit to FAUOwlAccess.com for some of its recruiting info.

Owl Cal

Wednesday
8 p.m. Women's Hoops: FAU at South Alabama

Thursday
8 p.m. Hoops, FAU at South Alabama

If FAU wanted to bring in some added intensity to its strength and conditioning program it found the right guy.

FAU defensive tackles coach Rod Payne is the new strength coach replacing Matt Pleskovic.

Payne will keep his on-the-field coaching duties.

Anyone who has been to an FAU practice has seen - or at least, heard - Payne in action. Payne, who joined the staff last season, is a drill sergeant, in-you-face kind of coach who knows how to reach his players.

To the average fan, it may not seem like a big deal who the strength coach is, but it is an important position.

The strength coach is in charge of off-season workouts and is around the players more than their position coach.

The off-season conditioning program for the Owls just got a whole lot more intense, with Payne at the helm.

Owl Links

FAUOwlAccess subscribers found out last night about two of the Owls' commitments just hours after they made their decision. Check out which receiver and offensive lineman are coming to FAU and why they chose the Owls.

We also posted our video of Saturday's big victory over Arkansas State.

Check back later today, we'll have the details of the Owls' third commitment from this weekend.

Others...

Sun-Sentinel: Schnellenberger replaces strength coach


Owl Cal

HOOPS
Today
6 p.m. FAU SportsPage radio show featuring Mike Jarvis, 6 p.m., Boston's on the Beach

Thursday
8 p.m. FAU at South Alabama, 8 p.m.

WOMEN'S HOOPS
Wednesday
8 p.m. FAU at South Alabama, 8 p.m.

It seems like the last few weekends we've written that this is another big recruiting weekend for FAU.

This time we mean really big.

It's actually a smaller number of recruits on campus this weekend, but I suspect the bill at the restaurant may have been just as large as last week's.

Of the eight visitors in this weekend, five played on either the offensive or defensive lines. Owl Access pass holders can see the list of visitors here.

That's significant because those areas were among FAU's biggest need for this year's recruiting class.

We'll see how it goes, but this "Lineman weekend" was big - and important for the Owls.

Owl Links

FAUOwlAccess.com had coverage of Saturday's big 78-63 victory vs. Arkansas State with a game recap, photos and audio from the game. Check back later today as we post our video highlights package.

We also were there as Lyrell Barfield scored 20 points in the second half as the Owls defeated the Red Wolves 85-69 in women's basketball.

And we also continued our daily series on recruiting on a local WR who is visiting this weekend.

The Palm Beach Post: FAU's men's basketball team continues surge in Sun Belt Conference

Sun-Sentinel: Owls down Sun Belt leader Arkansas State 78-63

It has never been easy for Florida Atlantic junior guard Sanchez Hughley in his college career. He missed one season with a shoulder injury and sat out all of last season after developing a clot in his lung.

Maybe that's why it makes sense that perhaps this could be Hughley's last season.

In a great feature story on Hughley in today's Palm Beach Post, FAU beat writer Tom D'Angelo wrote Hughley "would not commit to returning after this season."

Hughley graduates this year and after three coaches and two seasons lost to injury - including a very serious lung condition - Hughley may be considering calling it a career.

I'm sure Hughley will take his time to decide - or maybe he has already made up his mind. Whatever the outcome, Hughley has left a mark on the program as he has battle back from adversity.


Haiti relief effort continues: FAU linebacker Cergile Sincere has been working to set up another command post for donations for victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

His first effort was so successful, Sincere has organized a second donation center and food, clothing, water and cash will be accepted at the Oxley Center today (Saturday) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Owl Links

It's another recruiting weekend at FAU and we had the story of a receiver coming in for a visit as part of our daily "30 in 30" recruiting series. Click here to see our list of players visiting this weekend.

We also had a preview of the basketball game between FAU and Arkansas State - two teams atop their divisions in the Sun Belt Conference.

The Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic forward Sanchez Hughley recovers from life-threatening condition to thrive on the court again

Sun-Sentinel: Basketball preview: Arkansas State at FAU

Jonesboro Sun: Red Wolves look to extend streak

Owl Cal
SATURDAY
5 p.m. Women's Hoops, Arkansas State at FAU, FAU Arena
7 p.m. Hoops, Arkansas State at FAU, FAU Arena

When Isiah Thomas was hired by Florida International, many FAU fans began counting down the days until Thomas, or Thompson as he was called that day, would be on the sidelines coaching the Golden Panthers at FAU Arena.

The FAU-FIU game on Jan. 30 was - and still is - going to be one of the largest crowds at FAU Arena.

However, it won't be the biggest game of the season. That will happen a week early. The Owls will play host to Arkansas State on Saturday in a battle of division leaders. That's right - after the events of last night, FAU is in first place in the SBC's East Division tied with Troy and MTSU (who both lost to FAU) with 5-3 records.

The casual fan will still say the FIU-FAU game is thee must-attend game of the season, but is it really? FIU and Thomas are really no more than a curiosity and really can't be taken seriously. Saturday's game could be the biggest game at The Burrow in school history.

Meanwhile John Brady, who coached LSU to a Final Four appearance, has turned Arkansas State into a contender for the conference championship in just his second year.

Oh, it will be fun to watch Thomas next week, but the best game - at least until Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee come in at the end of the season - is a day away.

Things are about to get interesting at The Burrow.

Owl Links

FAUOwlAccess.com was at The Burrow Thursday night and had this report on the 77-74 victory vs. UALR.

Check back later today for our video highlights of the game and a preview of the game vs. Arkansas State.

We will also have another installment of our "30 in 30" recruiting series as FAU gets ready for another weekend of bringing in high school players for official visits.

Sun-Sentinel: FAU in first place after win over Arkansas-Little Rock

Owl Cal
SATURDAY
5 p.m. Women's Hoops, Arkansas State at FAU, FAU Arena
7 p.m. Hoops, Arkansas State at FAU, FAU Arena

With the unfortunate departure of New Orleans from the Sun Belt Conference, there will be a few tweaks in scheduling coming up.

The biggest news is football-related, even though UNO didn't sponsor football. Apparently when the SBC met to discuss UNO's departure, the members decided to keep an eight-game schedule when South Alabama joins the league in 2012. One can surmise the football playing schools didn't want to give up a potentially lucrative non-conference game each season. The downside is you may have a situation where conference teams have the same record, but didn't play each other - the best tiebreaker there is.

Before we have to worry about that, is the scheduling tweaks and postseason format changes for sports like baseball and basketball that will be in effect next season.

In basketball there will be balanced scheduling with two six team divisions, with all teams remaining in the division they are in now. Starting next season the top two division winners will get a bye in the first round.

The big change in baseball is a 30-game schedule that will feature a three-game series with every SBC team, but two three-game sets against a designated rival (for FAU that's likely FIU)

Check out all the scheduling and post-season ramifications announced by the league by clicking here.


Owl Links

At FAUOwlAccess.com we posted the stories on the Owls' newest commitments as FAU gets some help on defense by landing a player from the Treasure Coast and Broward County. That's nine commitments so far confirmed by FAUOwlAccess.com including "Grayshirt" Cory Henry.

Remember FAUOwlAccess.com subscribers can get the best FAU recruiting info and you become a member and get a free 2009 FAU Foootball Highlights DVD by clicking here.

We also were at last night's women's basketball loss to UALR and check back later and we'll have a report on tonight's basketball game vs. the Trojans. Check out our preview as we talked to Alex Tucker about his game-winning shot vs. MTSU.

Sun-Sentinel: With Tucker starting, Owls have taken off

Owl Cal

Hoops
7 p.m. UALR @ FAU, FAU Arena

If you were Nick Paris, what would you write?

He just signed to play football for Kent of the Indoor Football League. The former FAU center will play either defensive end or linebacker. Think about that for a second.

Then realize that he was sitting at his computer on Tuesday night trying to create the description of his career highlights that team had asked for.

"I’m writing my bio and I'm like, What do I put?" Paris said. "I don't have any defensive stats."

Paris had been looking to continue his football career ever since graduating last year. A little while ago a coach from the IFL - which is similar to the now-defunct Arena Football League - asked him to try out.

The only problem for Paris was that in the time since his last game, his weight had plummeted from a playing high of 340-pounds to a football svelte 235.

The coach offered to work him out as a defender. With his former quarterback, Rusty Smith, watching, Paris went through his paces. He impressed Smith, who told Paris he was surprised at how fast he looked.

He impressed enough for Kent to offer him a contract to play on the other side of the ball.

"I'm actually super-excited," Paris said. "I'm ready to hit people. All I've been doing is watching videos of linebackers and defensive ends - Jared Allen and Ray Lewis – and thinking, How can I be like that?"

Paris leaves for Kent, which is a suburb of Seattle, in the second week of February. The IFL's second season begins in that month's final week.

"I need to be around football again," Paris said. "If given the opportunity, I always said I'd make the most of it."

FAUOwlAccess.com wishes Nick luck. Now we just have to find a local bar that will carry the Kent Predators games. Any suggestions?

Owl Links
In our "30-for-30" recruiting series we told you about a player who is rethinking his commitment to Florida International after his weekend trip to Boca.

Later today we will have a preview of Thursday's basketball game against Arkansas-Little Rock, as well as a review of the women's game against UALR. We'll also continue our "30-for-30" recruiting series. Could there be another commit? It's time to get an Owl Access pass and learn about FAU's future stars.

Owl Cal
Tonight - women's basketball vs. UALR, 7 p.m.
Thursday - basketball vs. UALR, 7 p.m.

chuck

A few days after the 2009 football season ended Chuck King began work putting together some of the video highlights we shot during the 2009 season so we could give it to Howard Schnellenberger.

One thing about Schnellenberger, he is a big proponent of chronicling the present because he knows it will be the history that FAU fans will look back on as the program goes.

After putting the highlight DVD together, we were so pleased with the result we have decided to make it available for all FAU fans.

Hey, 2009 might not have been the best season for the Owls, but there were plenty of highlights and FAUOwlAccess.com's cameras were rolling for just about all of them.

From Alfred Morris' breakout games to the debut of quarterback Jeff Van Camp to the euphoria of winning the Shula Bowl, we've got it all on this DVD.

It may not pull in any Academy Awards, but true Owl fans will want to see the highlights of this season again and again.

We are making it available to all subscribers - and it should be shipping soon. If you are already a FAUOwlAccess.com subscriber, you will be getting yours shortly.

If you aren't a subscriber, there is no better time to get your OwlAccess Pass and get not only the DVD, but all the other subscriber benefits on FAUOwlAccess.com. If you are a serious fan, you'll want to follow recruiting closely and no one covers FAU recruiting like FAUOwlAccess.com.

Click here to subscribe to FAUOwlAccess.com today and get your FREE FAU 2009 Season DVD!


Owl Links

We contniued our series of 30 recruiting stories in 30 days with a look at a player who was recruited by some pretty big schools until an injury scared them off, but not FAU.

We'll have another "30 in 30" installment later today.

Owl Cal

Wednesday
7 p.m. Women's Hoops: UALR at FAU

Thursday
7 p.m. Hoops: UALR at FAU

Happy Birthday to us.

It was one year ago this weekend that we threw the switch and FAUOwlAccess.com was born.

To us it sure seems like longer than that.

After weeks of working on designing the site, our first story we published for all to see was on this weekend last January. It was a news item on former linebacker Cerge Sincere being drafted by the Ohio Bulldogs of the UNGL - a minor league football league, that folded before Sincere was to report for training camp.

Maybe it was for the better. Sincere joined the workforce and learned valuable skills that were on display Friday as he hastily organized a collection point for victims of the Haiti earthquake. The overwhelming response to Sincere's effort is one of the most stirring images I've seen in 12 years of covering FAU.

When I left my full-time position at The Palm Beach Post in November 2008 to start this site, the goal was to provide the best coverage of FAU sports available. We think we have done just that.

Our server shows that in one year we filed 655 stories on FAU. We think that's pretty good for the past 365 days - and that doesn't include the 331 blogs we have written. That's 986 dispatches filed on the FAU Owls in a year!

We covered every football practice this season - that's more than even Howard Schnellenberger attended (yes, he missed one or two) - and many days we were the only media outlet to be at the Oxley Practice Fields.

Many times our readers often not only got the news first, but other sites learned what was happening by reading FAUOwlAccess.com! Not a bad debut.

And we're still improving our site. You may have noticed we have ramped up our recruiting coverage with our "30 in 30" series where we are providing a story a day leading up to National Signing Day. Coming up, we're also going to have even more broadcast-quality videos by Chuck King and an we'll have an even bigger presence on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The traffic and number of Owl fans who have subscribed to FAUOwlAccess.com has exceeded our expectations and strengthened our belief that a site dedicated to bringing the best coverage of FAU news can be successful.

Our first year was just the beginning. We think you'll be impressed with what we have planned for our second year at FAUOwlAccess.com.

Owl Links

At FAUOwlAccess.com, before we were the first to talk to Sumter quarterback Stephen Curtis about his commitment to FAU, we had an installment of our "30 in 30" recruiting series about a Space Coast player FAU is recruiting.

Owl Cal
Monday
6 p.m. FAU SportsPage on ESPN 760, Boston's on the Beach

Wednesday
7 p.m. Women's Hoops: UALR at FAU

Thursday
7 p.m. Hoops: UALR at FAU

It's easy to point to FAU's tough three game stretch vs. Miami, Georgia and Maryland in December and say that's the reason the Owls are playing so well at this point.

While playing against those teams probably helped toughen up the Owls, the real reason FAU is doing so well is rooted in the next two games - narrow losses to Hofstra and South Alabama.

FAU learned about how to play in close games vs. the Pride and the Jaguars - and those were painful lessons as the Owls came up short twice.

But don't think when the game was on the line Saturday at Middle Tennessee that the players didn't benefit down the stretch with the experience they gained - especially in the overtime thriller vs. South Alabama.

After Alex Tucker, shown here earlier this season, made a clutch bucket with :03 remaining gave the Owls a 61-60 victory, they are 8-10 overall, but 4-3 in the Sun Belt with the dreaded two-game road swing through Western Kentucky and MTSU in the rear-view mirror.

With three of the next four games at home, things could get pretty interesting for this team real soon.

Owl Links

At FAUOwlAccess.com we continued our "30 in 30" recruiting series providing a recruiting story every day until National Signing Day.

We also had coverage of the Owls' victory vs. MTSU.

Check back later today for another update on the Owls' recruiting.

Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Blue Raiders fall short

Owl Cal

Monday
6 p.m. FAU SportsPage on ESPN 760, Boston's on the Beach

Wednesday
7 p.m. Women's Hoops: UALR at FAU

Thursday
7 p.m. Hoops: UALR at FAU

I'm not sure which came first. Did Cerge Sincere's ability to lead and organize help him become one of the best players in FAU football history, or did he acquire those attributes because he played for the Owls?

Either way, on Friday Sincere showed he is a man of both action and accomplishment. In two days he organized one of, if not the most, effective events I've ever seen at FAU. Below is the video we put together from the event.



There was a steady stream of cars all day, bringing food, water, medical supplies and money that Sincere arranged to have shipped to Haiti. They almost filled the trailed of an 18-wheeler with all the stuff they collected. Among the football players in seen in the video - this is certainly not all the ones who helped - were LBs David Hinds, Yourhighness Morgan and Randell Johnson; RBs Travis Jones, Damian Fortner and Travis Jones; OL Chris Chappell, DL DeAndre Williams and head-shaver Blake Bierman.

Rather than rest on his accomplishment - Sincere says he hasn't slept since the earthquake struck on Tuesday - Sincere spent the final few hours at the Oxley trying to determine whether he could extend the event through the weekend.

FAU brought its second wave of recruits to Boca Raton on Friday. Most arrived after the truck had been loaded and pulled away. That's a shame. I can't think of a better recruiting pitch than pointing to Sincere and telling recruits, "That is the type of man we hope to help you become."

Oh, Henry: In case you didn't see it on our message board, the Owls kind of picked up another commit on Friday. After a week of frequent inaccurate speculation that Cory Henry was already taking classes at FAU, the defensive end was finally cleared and enrolled in classes on Friday.

Henry originally signed with FAU last year, but issues with his paperwork kept him from being able to enroll in the fall. He was widely considered one of the top recruits in last year's class. Getting him registered on Friday - the last day to enroll for the spring - was important for a couple of reasons. By taking classes now, he will be eligible to participate in spring practices. His enrollment also means he's off limits to recruiters from other schools who could have swooped in had Henry not taken classes this spring.

Owl Links
At FAUOwlAccess.com, we told you about a player scheduled to be on campus this weekend who has a knack for blocking kicks. We also offered this preview of tonight's basketball game at Middle Tennessee.

As part of our "30-For-30" recruiting series, later today we'll post another story about a player scheduled to make a visit this weekend.

Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post has also provided strong coverage of Sincere's efforts through blogs and stories. He was on campus on Friday and filed this story.

Offensive lineman Chris Chappell's hometown newspaper published this story on the freshman. For those wanting to get a look at Chappell's size, he is near the end of the Haitian Relief effort video, back-lit by the sun, carrying a box.

Owl Cal
Basketball: at Middle Tennessee, 8 p.m.
Women's basketball: at Middle Tennessee, 3 p.m.

chuck

Former Florida Atlantic linebacker Cergile Sincere didn't have much time to prepare to set up a collection point for donations to help victims of the Haiti earthquake.

But Sincere, one of the top players in Owls history, was always one who got things done, such as earning a scholarship after showing up at FAU as a walk-on from Glades Central High School.

On Friday, Sincere was showing his leadership again as he presided over the collection center in front of the Oxley Center that he hastily helped organize.

The center was to begin taking donations of water, clothes and money at 10 a.m.

By 9:30 a.m. there was already a flat-bead truck of supplies waiting to be donated and a line of people ready to give to those in need.

Sincere, (shown here in red helping unload supplies) was pleased with the turnout, but wants the donations to continue.

"I am very proud of the people that turned out to help," Sincere said. "It's still early, but I'm so pleased so far."

The last few days have been tough for Sincere, who has been on the phone trying to learn any news on his friends and family.

"I'm still waiting to here from some people, but I'm optimistic we'll hear from more soon," Sincere said. "All I can do is just hope and pray."

There are also current players of Haitian descent on the FAU team including defensive linemen Jimmy Jean and Daniel Joseph and wide receiver Lester Jean.

Donations will continue to be accepted throughout the day in front of the Oxley Center.

Owl Links

At FAUOwlAccess.com we broke the news of North Broward Prep quarterback Brandon Doughty committing to the Owls and also posted a video shot during Doughty's last high school game. And don't forget to check out our list of FAU commitments and offers.

We also had coverage of the basketball team's loss to Western Kentucky.

The Palm Beach Post: FAU bands together to help Haitian students cope with disaster

Sun-Sentinel: Three FAU starters foul out in a 79-72 loss to Western Kentucky.

Owl Cal

Saturday
3 p.m. Women's Hoops: FAU at Middle Tennessee
7 p.m. Hoops: FAU at Middle Tennessee

Just a week ago some FAU fans were concerned about the lack of commitments the Owls had landed.

Well it's a week after the Owls had only one player in its signing class, but FAU now has four verbal commitments - and that doesn't include two possible "gray-shirts" in defensive linemen Cory Henry and Karl James.

And that's after just one weekend, so it appears the recruiting class is really taking shape and has some momentum. Usually, once players start committing to the Owls, other players will see who's coming and want to be a part of it themselves, so a fast start on the first busy weekend for FAU was important.

You can always check out The List of FAU commitments and offers. We update it every time we get news, so it's always up-to-date.

So keep checking back as we track down the commitments so you can learn about the future Owls.

And here's an update on Henry and James, the two possible "gray-shirts" who signed with FAU last season, but didn't enroll in August. I checked with FAU about Henry and contrary to some reports, as of Wednesday Henry has not enrolled and is not taking classes at FAU. They are hopeful he will be able to get an administrative problem worked out to have Henry, pictured when he signed his NLI with FAU last year, practice with FAU in the spring.

They are also hopeful James will be in as well, but admit the chances aren't as good for him.

Owl Links

At FAUOwlAccess.com our daily "30 in 30" recruiting series continued as we talked to FAU's newest commitment, a running back from the Big Bend.

We also had a preview of tonight's big basketball game at Western Kentucky and a report on the women losing big to the Hilltoppers.

Sun-Sentinel: Men's basketball preview: FAU at Western Kentucky

Florida Today: Former FAU President Catanese to bring football proposal to Florida Tech trustees


Owl Cal

8 p.m. Hoops: FAU at Western Kentucky

Time to to step away from all this football talk for a moment.

As most of you likely know, a devastating earthquake (7.2 on the Richter scale) struck the region of Haiti that includes its capital, Port Au Prince. Already one of the poorer nations before the quake, the photos out of the area indicate that most of the buildings in the area suffered at least minimal damage. Many have been leveled. That crumbled mess to the left used to be the capital building.

Estimates of the injured or dead are still being put together, but because so many people are buried beneath the rubble it will be a while before there is a truly reliable count.

The quake is having a major effect on at least one former FAU linebacker. Cergile Sincere's extended family is from that region. They have a house in Carrefour, which was the epicenter. When I talked with him today he had yet to hear from any of them.

Sincere said that he, FAU, The Santonio Holmes Foundation, The Boca Raton Red Cross, Promise Health Care and The High Society Group are joining together to establish a command post for donations.

It will open at 10 a.m. on Friday in front of the Oxley Center and will stay open as long as the donations keep coming.

The Red Cross will handle monetary donations. The other foundations will accept medical supplies, canned goods, water, hand sanitizer and other supplies.

For those wondering about Santonio Holmes' involvement, Sincere and the Super Bowl MVP were high school teammates at Glades Central.

A handful of players of Haitian descent dot FAU's football roster. We hope their relatives and friends, along with Sincere's family, survived the quake unharmed.

FAUOwlAccess.com will keep you updated on any additional efforts.

Owl Links
At FAUOwlAccess.com, we brought you first news of another commit - a safety from Miami-Dade County. We also talked with Michael Copeland, a Georgia linebacker who committed this weekend.

Owl Cal
Women's basketball - Today at WKU, 8 p.m.
Basketball - Thursday, 8 p.m.

chuck

The "Florida Atlantic Territory" in recruiting is still all the land south of I-4, but it's obvious there is some annexation going on.

Last season, the Owls had a sizable contingent of players from the Panhandle and if you are going to recruit the far northern reaches of the Sunshine State, you might as well venture into South Georgia, right?

Well, that's exactly what the Owls have done as they landed a commitment from Michael Copeland, a linebacker from Georgia's Lowndes County High School.

It makes sense to extend FAU's recruiting reach into the Peach State - especially in the areas near Valdosta where the high school programs crank out college players each year.

Owl Links

FAUOwlAccess.com continued our "30 in 30" series with a look at a Treasure Coast High School safety who is being recruited by FAU.

Also check back later today to read why Copeland chose FAU over some other schools wooing him.


Owl Cal

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. FAU at Western Kentucky

THURSDAY
8 p.m. FAU at Western Kentucky

Here's one from the "someone is using their head" department.

When it was time to find a location for the FAU SportsPage - the basketball edition featuring Mike Jarvis - it was decided to move it to a location where Jarvis himself will feel right at home.

We here at FAUOwlAccess give our full endorsement to the site of Jarvis' radio show - Boston's on the Beach in Delray Beach at Atlantic Ave. and A1A.

It's not just because Boston's is close to the beachside home/office of FAUOwlAccess, but it's really a no-brainer.

The play of FAU's "Gahds" can be explained by coach "Jahvis" in that Boston accent of his surrounded by memorabilia of Boston sports teams going back to when Jarvis was hanging his hat in Beantown. That includes the Celtics, whom Javis almost coached.

Going to the Howard Schnellenberger's radio shows in the Fall were a lot of fun and Jarvis' shows could just as entertaining, so I hope Owl fans will join FAUOwlAccess and go to tonight's show. If you see us, say hello. I'll be wearing my Sox hat.

Owl Links

At FAUOwlAccess.com we had another installment in our "30 for 30" recruiting series. We also posted video highlights of Saturday's victory vs. ULM in basketball.

A reminder that you can see all the FAUOwlAccess videos, such as the one we shot Saturday of FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger participating in the free-throw challenge, by going to our video page. Just go to the home page and click the "Video" button or follow this link. Enjoy!

Others:

Forgot to link to this Sunday, but the Jacksonville's Times-Union had an interesting article on the three quarterbacks from their area who just wrapped up their college careers - FAU's Rusty Smith, UF's Tim Tebow and Wake Forest's Riley Skinner. It must have been some fun covering high schools a few years back with those three slinging the ball around.

Owl Cal

6 p.m.: Hoops, FAU SportsPage radio show with Mike Jarvis, ESPN 760 or streaming live 

Howard Schnellenberger's name is equated so much with football that few know that back in the day he was a basketball and baseball player, too.



Schnellenberger spent part of Saturday night at West Boca Raton High School trying to recapture that shooting touch in a free-throw shooting contest designed to help raise money for breast cancer research. I shot the above video last night before heading over to FAU's blowout win over Louisiana-Monroe.

On Friday I asked Schnellenberger what form he planned to use in the contest. He said he wasn't sure. To give an idea of how much basketball has changed, Schnellenberger said he shot free throws Rick Barry style - underhanded - as a freshman in high school. By the time he was a senior, Schnellenberger shot in a manner that today would be considered more traditional.

He chose to fire up some running one-handers on Saturday. He didn't win, but he can still draw a crowd even outside of his normal arena.

One of the contestants Schnellenberger faced was Boca Raton Mayor Susan Whelchel. She pledged to continue to be an avid supporter of FAU football and the stadium project. Much of my interview with her is contained in the video, but on a whim I also asked her about the possibility of FAU one day hosting a bowl game. She was receptive to the idea.

"I'm all ears," Whelchel said. "As soon as they are ready to talk, we'll talk."

Owl Links:
At FAUOwlAccess.com, we continued are "30-for-30" countdown to Signing Day series by looking at the importance of this weekend to this year's recruiting class. Later today we'll post a story about a player who paved the way for a current FAU running back.

We also offered this account of the Owls' hardcourt victory over Louisiana-Monroe, along with our coverage of the women's game.

Here are stories about the men's game from the Palm Beach Post, Sun-Sentinel, and the Monroe News-Star.

Owl Cal
Basketball - Thursday: FAU at Western Kentucky, 8 p.m.
Women's basketball - Wednesday: FAU at Western Kentucky, 8 p.m.

chuck

A few weeks ago when Florida coach Urban Meyer was doing his UF - Urban Flip-flop certainly it was worth discussing on an FAU board, although it was reaching to say it directly affected FAU's program.

Well, when the ax fell Friday on USF coach Jim Leavitt, the effect on the Owls was almost immediate.

Much of it had to do with timing. USF canned Leavitt as recruiting hit its home stretch.

With USF in limbo, players that had given a verbal commitment or may have been leaning to the Bulls suddenly had to re-evaluate their options.

And many schools - including FAU - let some of those players know they would have a home if USF doesn't look as attractive all of the sudden or if their offer from USF is pulled.

FAUOwlAccess Recruiting Analyst Chuck King talked to the high school coach of Lake City - Coumbia running back Tiger Powell, who was offered by the Owls last summer, but committed to the Bulls shortly after that.

Well, FAU is back in the picture with Powell and maybe some others - and that should be interesting to watch.

A word on Leavitt: I have read the full report on Leavitt, and the report alleges that not only Leavitt hit one of his players, but lied about it and threatened witnesses with retaliation depending on their role in the investigation.

From my interviews with Leavitt throughout the years, I got the idea he was no fan of FAU. However, shortly after FAU announced it was starting football, he was kind enough to let Howard Schnellenberger tour the facilities of USF, which played its first game in 1997, to get an idea of the infrastructure needed for a start-up program.

Schnellenberger made the right choice for which start-up program to emulate. The Bulls, who started a scant four years before FAU, have a season-ticket base of around 25,000 and play in front of large crowds at Raymond James Stadium.

The explosive growth of the Bulls program at times makes FAU look like it is moving at a snail's pace, but it does show that by winning and marketing the program, a start-up football team can be successful on and off the field.

Owl Links

As mentioned earlier, FAUOwlAccess was busy working on a story on the effect on Leavitt's firing on recruiting.

We also have a preview of Saturday's basketball game vs. ULM.

Others:

Sun-Sentinel: Men's basketball preview: ULM at FAU

Monroe News-Start: ULM men's basketball team concludes two-game Florida trip

Owl Cal

5 p.m. Women's Hoops: Louisiana-Monroe at FAU, FAU Arena
7 p.m. Hoops: Louisiana-Monroe at FAU, FAU Arena

The 2009 college football season is officially over and congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide for winning its 13th National Championship.

The Crimson Tide's victory over Texas was the last game of the year and also means all the statistics are final and so are the rankings in each statistical category.

Here's where FAU and FAU players figured in some of the most important categories both nationally and in the Sun Belt.

The most impressive individual ranking has to be FAU running back Alfred Morris, who finished the season as the No. 13 rusher in the nation with 116 yards per game, which also led the Sun Belt Conference.

Also safety Marcus Bartels was No. 26 in the nation with 9.33 tackles per game, the second highest average in the Sun Belt

In total offense, the Owls were No. 15 nation with 432.1 yards per game, good enough for second in the Sun Belt behind Troy's 485.7 yards per game.

FAU was No. 18 in passing offense with 279.7 yards per game.

The defensive stats weren't quite as an impressive.

The Owls ranked No. 112 out of 120 in total defense by giving up 453.2 yards per game and No. 106 in scoring defense after allowing 33.8 points per game.

Here's a link to the full rankings summary for FAU.

Owl Links

FAUOwlAccess.com continued our "30-for-30" recruiting series with a daily update of two defensive linemen from Broward County looking at FAU.

We were also at Thursday's basketball game when the Owls defeated the Trojans to snap a five-game losing streak.

Others:

The Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic beats Troy 83-69

Sun-Sentinel: FAU upsets Troy to end five-game losing streak

Owl Cal
SATURDAY
5 p.m. Women's Hoops: Louisiana-Monroe at FAU, FAU Arena
7 p.m. Hoops: Louisiana-Monroe at FAU, FAU Arena

It appears the 2010 Shula Bowl will be moving to Lockhart Stadium.

FAU has already agreed to play its "home" game vs. Michigan State in Detroit, but NCAA rules only allow one "home" game away from its home stadium.

The Owls were supposed to play host to the Golden Panthers at Land Shark Stadium next season, but AD Craig Angelos said the game will have to be played at Lockhart Stadium.

You may remember in 2007 when FAU played Minnesota at then-Dolphin Stadium, but that ended any discussion about moving the game against USF later that season to Dolphin Stadium like many from USF wanted.


FAU is under contract to play one more game vs. FIU at Land Shark Stadium, but since the date of the game could be the same weekend that Miami is playing a home game, Land Shark Stadium officials may not even want the Shula Bowl played there again.

Hopefully that could mean the last Shula Bowl in Miami Gardens has already been played.

Owl Links

FAUOwlAccess had a story on a defensive lineman from the Panhandle who is considering FAU as our Daily Recruiting Update. We also had our preview of tonight's basketball game between Troy and FAU. And we were at The Burrow as the women's basketball team defeated Troy 83-60.

Sun-Sentinel: Basketball preview: Troy at FAU


Owl Cal

HOOPS
7 p.m. Troy at FAU, FAU Arena

In a move that is quite overdue, the Sun Belt Conference announced it has another bowl tie-in beginning next season thanks to a new partnership with the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

The Sun Belt Conference, which has had a long-standing agreement with the New Orleans Bowl, will now have two automatic bowl tie-ins.

The biggest question, of course, is what took so long? But this is not a time to look back at what has been a glaring deficiency for the league that could only guarantee its champion would go bowling each season.

The second bowl tie-in will give the regular season more meaning when teams can battle deeper in the season for the No. 2 slot even if they have been eliminated from the conference championship race.

Now, the runner-up can count on playing in the post-season as well.

The New Orleans Bowl will still get the conference champion two out of the next four years, but that does leave some wiggle room for a the conference champion to play in Mobile on occasion - such as tonight when the SBC champion Troy Trojans play in the GMAC Bowl against Central Michigan.

Determining which team will play where each season will be interesting, but the real point is that the Sun Belt just strengthened the entire league with this move.

Owl Links

At FAUOwlAccess we wrote a report on the Sun Belt's big announcement with the GMAC Bowl and also continued with our daily series on recruing as we talked to a prospect from Pahokee who expects an offer to come from FAU now that his academics are in order.

Check back later today as we'll have an other installment of our daily recruiting series. We'll also post our preview of Thursday's basketball game vs. Troy and we'll be at FAU Arena tonight for the women's basketball game vs. Troy.



Owl Cal

Women's Hoops
Troy at FAU, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY
Hoops
Troy at FAU, 7 p.m.

During Saturday's post-game radio interview when ESPN 760's Evan Cohen asked FAU coach Mike Jarvis about the officiating in the loss to South Alabama, Jarvis refrained from criticizing the referees.

Jarvis was far more vociferous on Monday during the first installment of ESPN 760's FAU Sportspage with Mike Jarvis last night. Jarvis told host Ken LaVicka that he had sent a tape containing a dozen or so questionable calls to the Sun Belt Conference office for review.

"It was probably the worst officiated game I've ever been involved in in my life, especially as a home team." Jarvis said. "It was atrocious."

Jarvis went on to say he'd like to see the Sun Belt penalize officials Lee Cassell, Frank Raposo and Kyle Chambers - the crew that worked Saturday's game.

"It would be nice if the gentleman who are doing the games would be sanctioned or penalized when they do a poor game - like the other day - and maybe they would be taken off some games and maybe some money would be taken out of their pocketbooks," Jarvis said. "They make very good money and they should be held accountable for what they do."

The show is available in its entirety on ESPN 760's site. Jarvis addresses the officiating about 23 minutes in.

Jarvis said that as far as he is concerned, FAU won the game. The Owls led by as much as 15 points in the second half before the Jaguars came all the way back, winning in overtime 96-93.

South Alabama shot 45 free throws on the night, compared to 26 for FAU.

The suspect calls, Jarvis argued, happened throughout the game and served to break FAU's momentum. The Owls had a chance to win the game on the final possession, but guard Ray Taylor was called for a turnover after being knocked to the ground.

The Owls were forced to play the overtime without Brett Royster, their leading scorer on the night, and Sanchez Hughley, who led FAU in rebounding. Both fouled out in the closing minutes.

Jarvis addressed Hughley's situation about 33 minutes into the radio show.

"He had a couple of horrendous foul calls against him the other night," Jarvis said, "It's not really his fault that he fouled out."

Those are some pretty strong comments from Jarvis. It should be fascinating to see how the Sun Belt reacts.

As for the rest of the show, well, it was pretty entertaining. LaVicka asked Jarvis some pointed questions about the team and where it's going, and received insightful answers. The show also offered a strong recap of the year so far. FAU Sportspage with Mike Jarvis will air Mondays at 6 p.m. on ESPN 760 throughout the remainder of the season. If the shows that follow are anything like the debut, listening to them will be a must for FAU basketball fans.

Owl Links:
Sliding back to football, we started our Countdown to Signing Day on Monday with a story about a Pahokee player committed to a Big Ten team who could change his mind and end up in Boca Raton. For those who want to know about FAU recruiting, this series will be informational ambrosia. FAUOwlAccess.com will post at least one recruiting story each day until Feb. 3 - National Signing Day.

Owl Cal
Wednesday
Women's basketball - Troy at FAU, 7 p.m.

Thursday
Basketball - FAU vs. Troy, 7 p.m.

chuck

FAUOwlAccess.com is pleased to announce we're going 30 for 30 as we launch the beginning of a new series providing a daily recruiting story leading up to National Signing Day.

That's 30 recruiting stories over the next 30 days as each and every day we'll tell you who the Owls are looking at and who is looking at the Owls.

Our resident recruiting analyst Chuck King has been covering high school football for years for the Palm Beach Post and the Sun-Sentinel and has plenty of contacts throughout the state. You can bet we'll be making plenty of phone calls to coaches and players as the 2010 class develops.

As everyone knows, recruiting is the life's blood of any football program and we want to give as much coverage to the future Owls as we can.

If it's news about FAU's recruiting that you want, check back with us every day through National Signing Day and we'll keep you up to date.

Owl Links

At FAUOwlAccess.com we posted our video highlights package of Saturday's overtime loss to South Alabama and later today, we will have the first installment of our daily recruiting series.

Owl Cal

WEDNESDAY
Women's Hoops
Troy at FAU, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY
Hoops
Troy at FAU, 7 p.m.

While much was made of FAU's recent brutal three-game stretch of Miami, Georgia and Maryland it really should be thought of in terms of a five-game set that has proven tough for the Owls/

After the Owls lost to the Hurricanes, Bulldogs and Terrapins, FAU then lost to a good Hofstra team before playing the best team in the Sun Belt Conference - South Alabama.

I wouldn't go as far to say the play of the team improved in each game, but it was clear against the Jaguars - especially in the first half - that FAU was playing better in the last game of the stretch than the first.

Really the Owls played well enough to win Saturday, but of course, they didn't as South Alabama survived in overtime 96-93.

The Owls had an 11-point advantage in the second half, but couldn't close it out. Honestly, could you blame the Owls if they haven't mastered the concept of how to finish off a team? This team is still in the infancy of its development and getting a lead is still difficult, much less holding one.

FAU coach Mike Jarvis said it best: "We're not there yet."

Although the fans are clearly frustrated, it looks like the Owls are getting close.

Owl Links

FAUOwlAccess.com covered both the women's loss to South Alabama and the men's game vs. the Jaguars.

Check back later today for a video highlights package of the tough overtime loss.

The Palm Beach Post: FAU men blow second-half lead in loss to South Alabama

Mobile Press-Register: http://blog.al.com/press-register-sports/2010/01/south_alabama_erases_13-point.html

Owl Cal

WEDNESDAY
Women's Hoops
Troy at FAU, FAU Arena, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY
Hoops
Troy at FAU, FAU Arena, 7 p.m.

FAU begins Sun Belt Conference play today with a game against South Alabama.

Yes, I know the Owls played two conference games early in December, but I mean the real conference season. From here on out, every game matters. No more money games, no more games from lower divisions with fewer scholarships. Starting today every game counts and every game is against teams FAU can beat.

Since the second phase of the season is beginning for the Owls, after Tuesday's loss to Hofstra I asked FAU coach Mike Jarvis if the team is where he expected it to be.

I was a bit surprised when he said no, that he expected the Owls to be above .500 at this point.

Jarvis is the team's toughest critic, but so far FAU has certainly exceeded my expectations.

After winning just six games a year ago, the Owls are 5-8. I thought before the season began that if the Owls would have have a successful season if they could double their victory total and win 12 games.

Well, there are 17 games remaining for the Owls and the way the team is improving, I don't see why the Owls can't win at least seven of those games. Heck, two of those games will be against Florida International, which would have been worth worrying about the last few years, but can already be put in the win column thanks to new coach Isiah Thomas.

It's hard not to think FAU will only get better with this team dominated by freshman, who are only going to improve as the season

Owl Links

As mentioned, we posted our preview of the basketball game vs. South Alabama. Today we'll be at The Burrow for the women's game vs. South Alabama and then we'll have full coverage of the men's game with Twitter updates before and during the game.

Owl Cal

Hoops
South Alabama at FAU, 7 p.m.

Women's Hoops
South Alabama at FAU, 5 p.m.

Today we are turning the calendar to 2010, so Happy New Year from FAUOwlAccess.com.

2009 was the most successful year in FAUOwlAccess.com history - OK, it was our first year, but it was a great year nonetheless for the site.

Also, today is the beginning of an era for a few colleagues.

You may remember an announcement in November that ESPN760 will assume the duties of anchoring the nightly sportscast for WPTV-Ch. 5, the NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach. Well, it begins today.

At 6 p.m. ESPN 760's Evan Cohen will be in the anchor's chair for the first time. He'll be followed by former FAU football player Jason Pugh at 11 p.m.

This is great news for FAU. Since ESPN 760 became the flagship home of the Owls, the folks at ESPN 760 have put in more time and spent more energy promoting FAU athletics than anyone.

One has to think Cohen and Pugh will give FAU the coverage it deserves on WPTV as well - and that will benefit FAU fans and the athletic department as a whole.

Owl Links

FAUOwlAccess.com's recruiting guru Chuck King has the skinny on two players from football powerhouse Glades Central who plan to take official visits to FAU.

We know today is wall-to-wall football on TV, but later today we'll have a preview of Saturday's basketball game vs. South Alabama.


Owl Cal

SATURDAY
Hoops
South Alabama at FAU, 7 p.m.

Women's Hoops
South Alabama at FAU, 5 p.m.