FAU drops from Owls’ all-time high of No. 7 in latest AP poll

The Owls’ latest loss took a toll on their rankings in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

The FAU men’s basketball team (10-3) dropped from a program-best seventh to No. 17 on Monday as voters grappled with the odd resume the Owls have put together this season. They beat then-No. 12 Texas A&M and earned a marquee win with a double-overtime victory over then No. 4 Arizona, but they also lost to Bryant and were upset by Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday night.

“They outplayed us in every facet of the game,” Owls coach Dusty May said after Saturday’s game. “As a group, we haven’t handled success as well as we need to. As we close the 2023 preconference schedule, we are pleased where we are overall, but what we learned is our highs are very highs and our lows are relatively low.”

The Owls’ other loss was to then-No. 20 Illinois by seven at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 5.

FAU next faces East Carolina on Tuesday night.

Elsewhere in the men’s basketball AP poll, Purdue remained No. 1 for the third straight week, while Gonzaga dropped to No. 24 after a loss to San Diego State but kept alive its streak of 142 consecutive weeks in the poll.

Memphis made the biggest positive move, climbing four spots to No. 15 after beating Austin Peay, while Marquette rose three spots to seventh after knocking off No. 22 Creighton on Saturday.