FAU basketball vs. Northwestern in March Madness: Prediction for 2024 NCAA Tournament opener

Florida Atlantic will be in the hunt for another Final Four appearance when it opens NCAA Tournament play with a first-round matchup against Northwestern on Friday.

The eighth-seeded Owls (25-8, 14-4) and the ninth-seeded Wildcats (21-11, 12-8) were both considered bubble teams before Selection Sunday, and both enter the tournament with a plenty to prove. FAU fell to Temple in the AAC semifinal in shocking fashion on Saturday, and Northwestern has dropped three of its last four games.

But the Owls are hungry for a win, and they have the postseason experience Northwestern lacks. Nick Boyd says that nothing will be taken for granted.

"I'd say [we're] desperate," Boyd said. "We're hungry. Even though we're the eight-seed, people don't respect the fact that we're in this tournament. We're coming ready to go."

So how do the Owls match up against the Big Ten's Wildcats?

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FAU boats experience, experience, experience

FAU has a majority of last year's Final Four squad suiting up for this year's tournament. A major indicator of this Owl squad's resolve is their response to losses; they have not lost two in a row all season. After suffering one of the toughest losses of the year on Saturday, you can most likely count on a bounce-back performance from a team that knows what it takes to win at a high level.

The last time the Owls played in New York, they picked up Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight wins at storied Madison Square Garden. For FAU, it's a chance to build on the expectations that their last visit to New York set.

"We knew that we were going to have a number of challenges this season after last year," FAU coach Dusty May said. "And a lot of times teams aren't able to knock the wall down and keep going when they face those head-on. It just shows the character, substance and work ethic of our guys despite every loss feeling like we were letting people down and falling short of expectations."

Northwestern also made an appearance in the NCAA tournament last year, but the Wildcats returned just two of their key rotation players who picked up a first-round win over Boise State before falling to UCLA. After losing three of their last four games, they will have to find a way to regroup in a win-or-go home atmosphere.

The Battle on the Boards will be a deciding factor

FAU outpaces the Wildcats in average rebounds per game, 38-31. In their wins, the Owls always rebound as a team well, and it shows in the box score.

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They enter the tournament with three different players averaging more than five rebounds per game: Vlad Goldin (6.8), Johnell Davis (6.3), and Alijah Martin (5.9). Northwestern boasts one: Brooks Barnhizer (7.5).

The Owls prefer pace to run their offense, and it all starts by ending defensive possessions with a rebound. If FAU, and particularly Goldin, can control the boards, it will open up a lot on the other end of the floor.

Guard play will set the tone for the rest of the game

Northwestern has a talented graduate guard in Boo Buie, who was a part of last year's tournament team. Buie averages 19.2 points per game on 45/44/85 shooting splits while dishing out over five assists per game. He'll be the biggest name on May's whiteboard this week, and how the Owls try to contain him will be priority number one on defense.

"I know they have a good point guard," said Brian Greenlee. "I'm not sure who else they have, that's about all I know. I've seen him play and I know he's a great scorer, he can shoot the ball well."

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But FAU has talented guards of its own, namely Davis, who won AAC co-player of the year. The Davis-Buie matchup will be the one to keep an eye on, especially since Davis has never been one to shy away from defending a team's best guard.

Prediction

The Owl's have proven all year that they can regroup well after a tough loss. Combine that with their postseason pedigree, and the Wildcats have a tall task ahead of them in the first round.

The Palm Beach Post's Pick: Florida Atlantic 74, Northwestern 66

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic vs. Northwestern prediction: March Madness, NCAA pick is in