Josiah-Jordan James compares Florida Atlantic to Alabama

Wait…What’d he say? Yes, you read that right. Ahead of their matchup in the Sweet 16, Tennessee’s Josiah-Jordan James compared Florida Atlantic to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, once you start breaking down play styles, you see exactly why he showed the Owls as much respect as he did.

James broke down the comparison between FAU and Alabama leading into their game tonight in Madison Square Garden. The way they operate, specifically on the offensive end, reminded him a lot of the top-ranked Tide. With that in mind, he said the Vols are going back in the archive and pulling out everything that worked for them against ‘Bama back in their win in mid-February in order to handle their business against this similar opponent.

“They like to get a lot of threes up and play at the rim. They don’t really like playing in the mid-range area. And one team that is like that in our conference is Alabama,” James said. “They like to play a similar play-style on offense. We have to go back and learn from what we did well against Alabama. And, hopefully, apply it to this game.”

If it weren’t obvious already, FAU does not have a Brandon Miller on their roster. However, when it comes to an ensemble, the Owls more than have that at their disposal.

So much of what they do does start with Johnell Davis. The sophomore guard is having a career year for the Owls as he went for 29 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and five steals against Fairleigh Dickinson. From there, they have three players, including Davis, shooting 38% or better from three. Alabama only has one in Miller. With six players with more than one hundred three-point attempts, compared to the Tide’s five, it’s no secret that getting their looks from distance is going to be a priority for FAU.

Finally, to complete the comparison, you need someone to fill in the role of Charles Bediako. He’s unique for Alabama but Vladislav Goldin does a decent job in that role for the Owls down low. Since their postseason began in Conference USA, the 7-1 center out of Russia has averaged 7.4 points, six rebounds, and two blocks on 57.5% shooting.

When James first said this, it might have been a surprise to many. If you’ve watched the Owls, though, it won’t be nearly as confusing as it initially sounds. Dusty May’s team competes and works in a comparative way offensively. They must be doing something right too considering they’re in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Now, tonight in New York, they will try and give Tennessee all they can handle in order to keep their season alive and make even more history for their program.