Florida Atlantic Men’s Basketball had a rollercoaster of an experience on the court during their two games in the Sunshine Slam.
On Monday, the Owls breezed by LMU 76-65, getting 24 points 5 Rebounds and 5 Assists from Kanaan Carlye and 14 points a piece from Xander Pintelon and Devin Vanterpool. Those 3 were the difference makers offensively. But, as a team the Owls asserted themselves physically, outrebounding LMU 42-29 with 15 offensive rebounds.
In the Championship game against George Mason, the ball movement that saw them assist on 13/27 made field goals against LMU, and aggressiveness on the glass that led to a 13 rebound advantage, disappeared early on.
Despite a valiant effort in the second half that saw the Owls address their first half struggles, the 19 point deficit they built against themselves was too much to overcome. Carlyle and Vanterpool did their best to lead FAU to victory, combining for 39 of the Owls 65 points, but a sloppy first half and 53% shooting from 3 for George Mason ultimately led to a 74-65 loss for FAU.
FAU has now split both of their neutral site non-conference tournaments, picking up quality wins against Charleston and LMU, but missing opportunities against Liberty and GMU. Although the Patriots are one of the most talented Mid-Major teams in the country, if the Owls didn’t start slowly, this was a game they could have had a chance to win.
Despite the unfortunate outcome, John Jakus and his team have to wipe the slate clean, as Saint Bonaventure comes to town on Sunday in an important non-conference matchup.
Before the Owls get set to host The Bonnies, here are some takeaways from the Owls trip to Daytona.
Kanaan Carlye breaks out, Devin Vanterpool keeps on hooping
If it wasn’t for the efforts of Kanaan Carlyle and Devin Vanterpool, the Owls would have struggled to beat LMU and the comeback against GMU would have been non-existent.
Both Carlyle and Vanterpool proved they could impact the game as a scorer, combining for 38 in game one against LMU and 39 against George Mason, but their impact was seen on both ends of the court.
Vanterpool currently leads the Owls in assists and rebounds per game overall on the season and against LMU, he had a block that according to FAU Head Coach John Jakus was what gave the Owls all they needed to finish off the victory.
“I thought the whole thing turned from an up and down game, to one where we had some control when Vanterpool rotated and blocked that shot with two hands, probably the play of the game,” Jakus said.
As for Carlyle, he has now scored 20 points or more in three consecutive games, going for 21 against Pacific, 24 against LMU and 22 on Tuesday vs George Mason. The scoring has come in bunches for Carlyle, who has shown he can get to the rim, cash in from three and utilize a mid-range game reminiscent of basketball players of old.
Similar to Vanterpool, Carlyle has had 4 rebounds or more in each of those three games, as well as 4 assists or more in two out of the three games. Despite the scoring outburst against LMU, Carlyle wasn’t sure if it was his best game of the season, as he grades himself on the entire game, not just scoring.
“I won’t say it is my best game, of course I scored the most points I’ve scored in a game this season, but I impact the game in so many ways outside of scoring,” Carlyle said after the Owls win over LMU.
Whatever the Owls are going to accomplish this season, both Carlyle and Vanterpool’s impact will play a big part in it. Their scoring will be important, but as the Owls season goes on they will need leadership in other ways outside of points and both Vanterpool and Carlyle have proven they can provide that.
New options emerge in Maxim Logue and Amar Amkou
While Carlyle and Vanterpool provided the bulk of the scoring for FAU, Maxim Logue and Amar Amkou each provided important sparks off the bench, showing a glimpse of their potential for the future.
In last week’s mid-week press conference, Jakus mentioned how Logue’s physicality could help this team in the future and in both matchups he was able to do that in a short stint off the bench.
Logue combined for 8 points, 3 rebounds and a block across 14 minutes of play in the Owls 2 games, giving the Owls front court a nice change of pace that both opponents were unable to match in terms of size and physicality.
The defense that Logue provides is the difference maker and after LMU, Jakus mentioned that as he continues to impact the game defensively, his opportunities overall could increase.
“It was a small step forward for him (Logue)… We were thrilled that our defense has shown that it can travel and keep people at 40% field goal or less, and that is in big part because of him. So as Maxim continues to do those things, just like Josiah, the option for minutes goes up from there,” Jakus said.
Amkou did not play in the first game against LMU, or during the first half against George Mason, but in the second half he showed the potential that FAU’s staff has been seeing since they brought him onto the roster a season ago. In the second half, Amkou played 12 minutes, scoring 7 points and 2 offensive rebounds and finishing with a +7 overall.
He provided a physicality similar to Logue on the defensive end, while on offense he gave the Owls an option that George Mason probably didn’t plan for. He used his size to get to the rim, while also showing an ability to play on the outside and convert from three.
While his contributions on the statsheet were impressive, his ability to communicate was what led to his late game entry according to FAU Head Coach John Jakus.
“He (Amar Amkou) basically talked. We have a championship, and it was hard to get our guys to talk on defense. And we kept searching for the guy who would do it and he did it,” Jakus said.
The Owls have a fairly deep rotation at this early point in the season, however Jakus says Logue, Amkou, and Josiah Parker can earn more minutes with solid play in short stints like we saw on Monday and Tuesday.
“I think we are a three headed monster at the center until we say otherwise, they’re going to have to show that they can play four or five minute stretches without being tired,” Jakus said.
“The separator right now, and which is why he’s (Logue) is probably getting more minutes than the other two (Parker and Amkou) is D Will’s (Devin Williams) rim protection, and then as he finishes those rolls around the hoop, the value goes up.”
Lack of effort in first half against George Mason
FAU struggled in the first half against GMU and it put them in an early deficit, which despite their best efforts, they were unable to overcome.
In the first half, the Owls allowed 8 offensive rebounds to GMU, committed 7 turnovers and only had one trip to the free throw line. That changed in the second half, as the Owls allowed only 2 offensive rebounds, 3 turnovers and they had 10 free throw attempts, converting 8.
The Owls looked like a new team in the second half, finding rhythm on both ends of the court that wasn’t there earlier in the game. According to Jakus, that difference is because his team brought the right amount of effort in the second half which wasn’t there in the first.
“We Tried. I was coaching effort in the first half and in the second half they tried. A lot of that falls on, we’re going to have to do a better job. I am going to have to establish the effort as much as the discipline. That’s something we are going to have to fix and that’s my fault,” Jakus said.
The Owls can’t afford lackadaisical stretches like they had in the first half against GMU, at any point in the season, but especially conference play. So, it will be important for Jakus and his staff to identify what led to the lack of effort early on and prevent it from happening again.
All Photos Provided via FAU Athletics Photographer Keira Arimenta.