Good morning. Junior guard Johnell Davis of the No. 24 Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team (11-4) has been named to the Midseason Top 25 Watch List for the 2024 John R. Wooden Award Men's Player of the Year.

The award is given annually to the top player in college basketball following the conclusion NCAA Tournament in April. A national ballot of 15 players will be released before the tournament.
 
Davis has impressed on both sides of the court, averaging a career-high 16.8 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 steals on 49% shooting from the field and 44% from downtown.
 
Davis' game has reached new heights since December. Over the past eight games, he is averaging 20.9 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, and 2.1 steals per game. Davis also became the 16th Owl to record 1,000 career points and just the third to do so while also nabbing 500 career rebounds (he has since exceeded both of these stats).

Attention, MBB fans! 🛑 Those going to the game vs. UAB @ 12pm ET on Sunday are encouraged to wear red!

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

👟 FAU women’s indoor track & field season starts today 💨
🏀 Owls Claim the First Victory Against Tulane in Program History
🦉 And much, much more

📈 STOCK UP

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🔼 “Best Version of Ourselves.” The No. 24 Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team (12-4, 2-1 AAC) pulled off a last-second victory to pick up their first American Athletic Conference road win against Tulane (10-5, 1-2 AAC) on Thursday night, 85-84.
 
It was only fitting that a matchup between the top two scoring offenses in the AAC was a battle that came down to the very last second. Trailing by one, junior guard Alijah Martin was fouled on a deep three-point shot with 0.4 on the clock and sunk two free throws to give the Owls their first victory over Tulane in program history.
 
A balanced scoring attack from the starting five led the way, with each scoring in double figures and combining for 78 of the team's 85 points. Coming off a 19-point performance in the previous game, redshirt sophomore guard Nick Boyd outdid himself with 21 points on six three-pointers.
 
“I would not want to have a pacemaker watching American Conference basketball this year, but it's exciting,” said head coach Dusty May. “It was a great environment…We started to resemble the best version of ourselves at times tonight, a very good win for our program."
 
The Owls will return to the Eleanor R. Baldwin on Sunday for a 12pm ET matchup against UAB (10-5, 2-0 AAC). Fans are asked to wear red and pack the Elly.

🔼 Match Made in Paradise. Florida Atlantic women's tennis will open the 2024 Spring season TODAY versus Iowa. The match, scheduled for 1pm ET, will be played in Fort Myers, Florida, on the FGCU campus.
 
Entering the season, the Owls will look to replace two seniors from a year ago. They believe that they have done just that with the addition of freshman Panna Bartha and through the hard work of an otherwise experienced team led by Millie-Matthews, who posted a team-leading 14 singles wins a year ago. Three returning Owls tallied double-digit doubles victories, with sophomore Carla Galmiche (12-12) and Matthews (12-13) recording 12 and Victoria Gomez O'Haydon (11-8) adding 11.
 
Head Coach Ricardo Gonzalez will return for his second full season at the helm and will once again be joined by Maria Alvarez. The duo will guide the Owls in their first meeting versus Iowa.

Florida Atlantic will then return home to host 12 of the next 15 matches, each played in the state of Florida. FAU is scheduled to open its home season on Sunday, Jan. 14, at noon versus Old Dominion; however, please check the schedules as weather may force a change.

Home matches are played at the Kimberly V. Strauss Tennis Center and are free and open to the public. Seating is available, and cheering is encouraged!

🔼 In Ironclad News. For the second time in three years, Florida Atlantic senior pitcher Braden Ostrander has won the program's annual Iron Owl competition. The Melbourne, Florida, native also won in 2021, making him the third student-athlete in program history to become a two-time winner.
 
The Iron Owl Award is a competition that debuted prior to the 2008 preseason. The goal is to encourage team camaraderie while at the same time making sure each individual player understands what it is like to compete on a daily basis. It is the program's aim that each player reaches their highest potential in the classroom, on the field, and in the weight room. In addition to team and individual competitions off the field, each player's GPA from the fall semester is also factored in.
 
"Braden does it again,” said head coach John McCormack. “He was the best in the on-field events, and then his academic success solidified the title. I'm proud of him. He missed most of last year's competition with an injury, but he's coming roaring back.”

Florida Atlantic baseball opens its 2024 regular season on Feb. 16 at Vanderbilt. The home opener is scheduled for Feb. 23 vs. Towson, with the first pitch set for 6:30pm ET. Season tickets are on sale now. Single-game tickets will go on sale Feb. 2.

🔼 Silver Linings. Former FAU men's golfer Ben Silverman makes his return to the PGA Tour on Thursday with the start of the Sony Open in Hawaii. Silverman earned his tour card back this past fall for the first time since 2018.
 
The Thornhill, Ontario native competed for FAU for two seasons from 2008-10 before turning professional. He first earned his PGA Tour card for the 2018 season after winning his first professional event at the 2017 Price Cutter Charity Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour.
 
Silverman began this past season on the KFT without full-time status. That changed early in the season when he won the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic last January. He recorded two other runner-up finishes and eventually finished fifth on the KFT season-long points list. He moved from 1,017th in the world rankings at the start of the season to 153rd by the end of the fall.
 
The 36-year-old Silverman now has multiple avenues to maintain his full-time status beyond 2024. The simplest and most direct is to finish in the Top 70 of the FedEx Cup standings to qualify for a spot in the playoffs. Players who finish outside the Top 70 in the FedExCup will retain their points from the Regular Season and compete in the Fall to stay inside the top 125.
 
Read the article for info on how to follow Silverman’s progress.

🔼 Momentum Makers. The Florida Atlantic University women's track & field team will begin their indoor season today, heading to Gainesville to compete in the Jimmy Carnes Invitational. 

This marks the first of three regular-season meets for the Owls in Gainesville. Florida Atlantic will compete in two meets in Boston from Feb. 9 – 10 before participating in their first indoor American Athletic Conference Championships in Birmingham from Feb. 23-24. 

The Owls are coming off one of their most successful track & field seasons, with major accomplishments in both indoor and outdoor events.

Read the full article for more on the talented athletes that have returned this season, including Jessica Lambert, who, in the previous indoor season, set program records in the 500m (1:14.2), 600m (1:29.85), and 800m (2:05.59). She was also the conference 800m champion. In the outdoor season, Lambert set the school record in the 800m (2:05.99), earning her a conference gold medal and qualified for the NCAA South Regionals, the first Owl to do so since 2019.

Up next: FAU will compete in the RADD Florida Invitational in Gainesville from Jan. 19 – 20.

🔼 The Cream Rises to the Top. It was one of the most successful NFL seasons for former Florida Atlantic players yet, with franchise records being set and multiple Owls at the top of league-wide statistical leaderboards. Six former FAU football players saw action in the final weekend of the 2023 NFL regular season, and six Owls will continue their season in the playoffs, four on the active roster and two more on a playoff team's practice squad.

Here's a rundown of how they performed during the 18th week of the 2023 NFL season:
 
Active Owls (6)
#2 Azeez Al-Shaair | LB | Tennessee Titans
With 10 tackles in the final outing, Al-Shaair finished the season with 163, placing him fifth in the NFL. It is the most tackles in one season ever recorded under the Titans' name and the most for the franchise going back to 1986 when they were the Houston Oilers. It was a statement win for Tennessee, defeating the divisional rival Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 28-20 and acting as a spoiler for their playoff hopes. Al-Shaair successfully bet on himself with a one-year deal and is prime for a multi-year contract in the upcoming free agency period. 
Season Stats: In 17 games/17 starts, 163 tackles (84 solo, 79 assists, fifth place in NFL), nine tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass deflections
Titans' Final Record: 6-11 (Fourth in AFC South)

#26 Devin Singletary | RB | Houston Texans
"Motor" ran the Texans into the postseason. Late in the fourth quarter, with a tie game in a win-or-go-home scenario against the divisional rival Indianapolis Colts, Singletary rushed for what ultimately became the game-winning touchdown, one of 24 carries on the evening for 63 yards.

Read the full rundown for more on how the following players did for the last week of the regular season: Harris Bryant (Cleveland Browns), Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati Bengals), Greg Joseph (Minnesota Vikings), and James Pierre (Pittsburgh Steelers).

📣 CALL TO ACTION

The PowerOwls Club is an exclusive community dedicated to connecting FAU fans and student-athletes. Stay in the know about all they’re doing here.

We’re encouraging every fan to help the PowerOwls Club reach their 300-card goal by January 31st. Purchase a Collectible Card TODAY to support FAU student-athletes!

🦉 ONE BIG THING

Treat Yo Self…For Free. Wednesday's game against UTSA was FAU’s first Paradise Pride game of 2024, but don’t worry—you have two more times you can take advantage of this. Contact the ticket office at [email protected] or call 1-866-FAU-OWLS to claim two free tickets to the Feb. 10 game against Wichita State or the Feb. 28 game against Tulane.

☀️ SOLAR POWER

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Our friends at Go Solar Power can help you say goodbye to soaring electricity bills—and with solar panels, you can generate your own power and reduce your dependence on the grid, leading to significant savings each month.

📬 FORWARDED BY A FRIEND

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📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday 1/12

👟 Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field @ Jimmy Carnes Invitational

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. Iowa in Miami, FL @ 1pm ET

Saturday 1/13

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Tulsa @ 2pm ET on ESPN+ | Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. Georgia Southern @ 5pm ET

Sunday 1/14

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. Old Dominion @ 12pm ET

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. UAB @ 12pm ET on ESPN+ Fox Sports South Florida | Live Audio| Live Stats 

🦉 Click here to view the entire FAU Athletics Calendar

🦉 Have a great Friday, y’all