Florida Atlantic has gone a remarkable 34-3 this year and is ranked as the 17th best team in the country — according to KenPom — thanks to their stealth defense and diversified offense.
No one on FAU even averages 15 points per game and only three players average more than 10.
It's a tremendous feat to not have one true offensive star. In fact, FAU leads the country in bench points per game at 38.
But there's a buzzsaw ahead. A deep bench alone doesn't win championships.
Teams built like this offensively, for the most part, do not make the Final Four. The Final Four and championship games are filled with players that are stars.
In the last 16 tournaments, only seven teams (11.6%) made the Final Four that fit the mold of FAU offensively. Let's take a look at them.
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Final Four Teams With No Players Above 15 Points Per Game, Fewer Than Four Averaging 10 Points Per Game
- 2019: Michigan State
- 2018: Michigan
- 2015: Kentucky
- 2013: Wichita State
- 2012: Louisville
- 2010: Michigan State
- 2007: Georgetown
All these teams didn't have an offensive go-to man.
It's why of the seven who made it to the Final Four, only one made it to the championship game (2018 Michigan). That team lost to Villanova.
Meanwhile, Kansas State has two players that average over 17 points per game in Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson. They're guys who can score at will. They're Final Four material.
While Nowell nicked his ankle against Michigan State the other day, he looks ready to roll for Saturday night's game.
I'm confident in the spread here for tonight's game from Madison Square Garden. Take Kansas State -1.5 (-115) at BetMGM.
