Good morning. Junior LaJohntay Wester has been named the 2023 American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year and has picked up AAC first-team honors for both wide receiver and return specialist.
 
Wester's regular-season efforts led the nation, as well as the AAC, wire-to-wire in receptions per game and finished the season as No. 2 nationally in punt return TDs. He led the AAC in all-purpose yards (1,520), receiving yards (1,168), receiving yards per game (97.3), and punt returns for a TD.

The Palmetto, Florida native rewrote the FAU record book in the process. (See the article for the full list of records).

What else can you find mixed into today’s Brew?

🏈 Three other Owls also picked up AAC honors
🏐 FAU Volleyball gears up for its first-ever NIVC appearance
🦉 And much, much more

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🔼 Clearing the Field. The No. 13 Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team (6-1) took down a previously undefeated Liberty (6-1), 83-58, in the opening game of the Field of 68 Tip-Off. 
 
It was another wire-to-wire victory with a strong shooting performance for the Owls, who knocked in 54.5% of their shots from the field and 50% from three-point range.

The Owls worked their way inside to get buckets, with their first five field goals coming from the paint, and nabbed seven offensive boards in the first eight minutes.

“We were so happy with our defensive performance tonight and you look at the stat sheet that we were able to shoot the percentages we got and take what the gives us,” said head coach Dusty May. Alijah (Martin) had an amazing stat line, but the biggest impact he had was the loose basketballs and the extra possessions for our guys…I thought it came down to the little things, quickness to the ball, defensive energy, and our guys played at a high level. But more mountains, we have a quick turnaround and another big-time team coming in Saturday." 
 
The Owls will return to the court on Saturday, 6 p.m. EST, to host Charleston as part of the final game of the Field of 68 Tip-Off. The game will be aired on ESPNU.

🔼 We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Conference Room. LaJohntay Wester wasn’t the only Owl being recognized by the AAC. Chaz Neal picked up second-team honors after guiding a starting offensive line unit that was one of nine nationally to start each of the 12 regular-season games.
 
Two Owls, both defensive, were honored as third-team AAC selections. Junior nose tackle Evan Anderson, who played and started in every 2023 contest, tallied 58 tackles on the year, including 5.5 for a loss of 18 yards, 3.5 of which were credited as sacks. The Orlando native also earned three hurries, a pass breakup, a fumble recovery, and blocked one kick.
 
Newcomer defensive back Jarron Morris, a graduate transfer, made the best of his time at Florida Atlantic, leading the defense in tackles for a loss (7.5-23 yards), interceptions (3-72 return yards, including a pick-six), pass breakups (six), and forced fumbles (two), and he led much of the season in total tackles (85) but was just edged out for total tackles in the final game.

A few more Brew headlines to keep you in the know 👇🏼

🏈 Check out which former Owls saw action in the NFL in Week 12.

⛹🏾‍♂️ It’s good to have the boys Back in Paradise.

🏀 A bit of a preview of what can be expected from MBB during this week’s tournament. 👀

🔼  But First, TexMex. For the first time since 2005, the Florida Atlantic Owls (20-12, 12-7 AAC) will compete in a national postseason tournament, prepping for the 2023 NIVC Tournament this weekend in El Paso. It also marks the Owls' first-ever appearance in the NIVC.

The Florida Atlantic Owls will play the UT Arlington Mavericks (20-10, 9-7 WAC) in the first round on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7pm ET. Host UTEP (21-9, 11-5 CUSA) will then take on AAC foe North Texas (17-15, 11-8 AAC) at 9:30pm ET. The winners of Friday's first-round matches will square off on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 4pm ET.

Some Quick Hits on Florida Atlantic and the Competition:

• The Owls are marking their first national postseason appearance since 2005 and the first NIVC appearance in program history.

• Florida Atlantic closed out the regular season with its first 20-win season since 2018, finishing with a 20-12 overall record and a 12-7 record in AAC play.

• Arianna Beckham has tallied a team-leading 340 kills, averaging 2.93 kills per set. Valeria Rosado ranks second on the team with 269 kills, averaging 2.34 kills per set, while Katelynne Robine ranks second on the team with 2.40 kills per set, recording 254 total kills this season.

• UT Arlington enters the NIVC at 20-10 overall and 9-7 in WAC play.

For updates, follow @FAUVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram or like FAU Volleyball on Facebook.

🔼 Beyond the Boys of Summer. Florida Atlantic baseball has announced a 54-game schedule for the 2024 regular season, including 32 at home. After nine seasons in Conference USA, the upcoming campaign will mark the Owls' first as a member of the American Athletic Conference.

"I'm excited about the 2024 schedule. Obviously, with a new conference, there will be new opponents, new cities, and new challenges, and we're looking forward to it all,” said head coach John McCormack.

For the first time in more than a decade, the Owls will begin the season with a three-game road trip. The last time it happened back in 2012, FAU opened with a sweep of SEC heavyweight Alabama. This season, the new slate starts on Feb. 16 with a trip to Nashville to play Vanderbilt. It will be the first-ever meeting between the Owls and the Commodores – a team that won 42 games and hosted a regional last season.

After the opening weekend, the Owls will not leave the state of Florida again until the end of March.
 
The Owls' introduction to the AAC will come on March 22 against a familiar opponent when the 2023 C-USA Tournament Champion Charlotte comes to town. Reigning AAC Champion East Carolina and 2023 regional qualifier Tulane, as well as former C-USA opponents UAB and UTSA, round out the conference home schedule. FAU will venture to Memphis, Wichita State, USF, and Rice for the road portion. The AAC Tournament is set for May 21-26 in Clearwater, Florida.

🔼 They Called in the Caverly. Florida Atlantic women's basketball (3-3) battled tough against Big Ten foe Nebraska (5-2) but ultimately fell 77-53 on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Owls seemed to mount a comeback in the third quarter, highlighted by a pair of free throws from Rose Caverly, the second of which lifted her to 1,000 career points. Caverly scored six of the Owls’ 10 points in the third quarter.
 
The Owls even outshot the Cornhuskers from the field, shooting 41.3 percent (19-of-46) to the Cornhuskers 40.8 percent (29-of-71), but they just couldn't bridge the gap in the final 10 minutes of play as the 77-53 contest came to a close.

Dyllan Hanna pulled down a team-leading seven boards, while Jada Moore led the team with two assists, and Aniya Hubbard collected a team-high two steals.

"Nebraska is a really good basketball team,” said head coach Jennifer Sullivan. “The rebounding and their size really affected us. We had a lot of discussions between our last game and this game, talking about working together as a team and buying in. I thought our players did that today in a tough environment on the road. I think it gives us a lot to work with moving forward.”

Next, the Owls will return to Paradise as they kick off a three-game home stretch beginning with St. Thomas on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Tipoff is set for 7pm ET inside Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.

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🤔 PARADISE TRIVIA

Paradise Trivia is brought to you by the PowerOwls Club—an exclusive community dedicated to connecting FAU fans and student-athletes. Stay in the know about all they’re doing here.

Helping hand. Heading into the 2023-2024 season, he is FAU’s all time leader in assist-to-turnover ratio with an astounding +2.23.

Think you know the answer? Scroll down to the bottom to find out!

🦉 ONE BIG THING

She’s Got Game. In partnership with the FAU MBA Sport Management program, we’ve launched the “Celebrating Women in Sports” campaign to showcase the women making a difference in sports!

Nominate a trailblazer who inspires you by submitting a photo to the Women in Sports Photo Wall. A select few nominees will receive special recognition from FAU Athletics & @faumbasport.

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Friday 12/1

🌊 Swimming at Toyota U.S. Open

🏀 Men’s Basketball—Liberty vs. Charleston - Field of 68 Classic @ 6pm ET | Live Video | Live Stats

🏐 Women’s Volleyball @ UT Arlington - NVC Tournament @ 7pm ET

Saturday 12/2

🌊 Swimming at Toyota U.S. Open

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. Charleston - Field of 68 Classic @ 6pm ET | Live Audio | Live Stats

Sunday 12/3

(No Activities Scheduled)

🦉 Click here to view the entire FAU Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Nick Boyd!

🦉 Have a great Friday, y’all.