College hoops world questions FAU getting a No. 8 seed as 2024 Selection Sunday commences: "Most overrated team in the country"

It's the first time in program history that FAU, which made a Cinderella run to the Final Four last season, is headed to the Big Dance in consecutive seasons and for just the third time overall. A year ago, FAU went 35-4, leading the nation in wins, and reached college basketball's biggest stage as a No. 9 seed. But this season, FAU (25-8) didn't win the AAC regular-season or tournament titles like it id last season. In fact, FAU lost 74-73 to Temple (16-20) on Saturday.

They open their tournament against the Northwestern Wildcats (21-11) in Brooklyn and could face either the UConn Huskies (31-3) or the, Stetson Hatters (22-12) should they proceed in the East Region.

On "The Field of 68," basketball analyst Jeff Goodman extolled the virtues of the Owls and named them a dangerous future opponent for the UConn Huskies and coach Dan Hurley.

"Listen, all I'll say is, Nelly Davis (Johnell Davis) ain't no joke. Like he can get it going and if Alijah Martin returns, to what he did in the postseason last year, and they've got Vlad Goldin, if I'm Dan Hurley, I'm not happy. 'Cause you just don't know what to expect," Goodman said.

College hoops fans on X disagreed with the analysis, with one tweeting:

"FAU is the most overrated team in the country. UConn will absolutely roll over them," the user tweeted.

FAU has growing expectations according to Dusty May

FAU Coach Dusty May led the Owls May on a Cinderella run last year in the NCAA Tournament culminating in a place in the Final Four and losing 72-71 on a buzzer-beater to the San Diego Aztecs.

During a recent interview with The Athletic, FAU coach Dusty May said the expectations that have come with his team's run to the Final Four last year and how hard maintaining those standards is.

“You look at the numbers last year and most of this year, we have a very good 3-point shooting team,” said May. "But we’re just not defending and rebounding the way we need to when the shots aren’t dropping.”

“I remember early on I had said, ‘We’re probably going to have to lose a game or two early on because I felt like we thought it was going to be easier than what it was going to be,’” said May. “It’s very difficult to win coming off of the run and year we had.”