Even with scoring options galore, Florida Atlantic plays at a moderate pace. The Owls are tied for 176th in D-I possessions per game. In their other two NCAA tourney games against Power Six foes, 131 and 117 points were rung up. Kansas State revs it up on offense, but PG Markquis Nowell could be impaired a bit by a sore ankle. He is the Wildcats' engine. Teams often tighten up with a Final Four berth on the line.

Kansas State relies heavily on their two main players in Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell, and rightfully so. Those two combined for 88 minutes in their last game against Michigan State. Florida Atlantic is the much deeper team and have a good rotation with their guards to keep them fresh. The Wildcats have been the more efficient team offensively over their last three games but the Owls have shown that they also belong in this spot. Florida Atlantic does rely on the three but their also very efficient from the floor. Kansas State will want to push the pace to win this game from the floor but Florida Atlantic is able to defend that very well, 11th best in the nation. The Owls are the better rebounding team as well, averaging 12 more rebounds than the Wildcats over each teams last three games. I'm on Florida Atlantic.

The Wildcats have the best guards in the country with Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell. Nowell is playing out of his mind right now as he is averaging 21.3 points and 14.3 rebounds through the first three games. Keyontae Johnson is coming off of his best tournament game scoring 22 points against Michigan State. The Owls are very reliant on the deep ball. However, the Wildcats are great at defending the three point line. The Wildcats should be able to win this game and move on to the Finial Four.

I’ve read this script before and here’s the way it goes: A Harlem point guard finds himself as a college senior playing in the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden and takes his team to two victories there and a Final Four berth. At least it’s what I’d like to believe considering I bet Kansas State already. Markquis Nowell has put K-State on his back and is carrying his team. K-State went an incredible 15-3 ATS as the favorite this season and the Wildcats went 6-1 ATS on a neutral court. I have Kansas State laying the short price to win a high-scoring game.

The Owls have lost just three games this season, all on the road. They average 9.6 3-pointers per game, which ranks 13th in the country. They also rank ahead of Kansas State on KenPom in efficiency. My model says FAU covers 75% of the time and wins by eight, so you're getting solid value at this number.

FAU is going to be able to match Kansas State's energy and explosiveness, but as good as Johnell Davis has been there's no way I'm expecting the Owls to come out on top against Markquis Nowell and Kansas State. This is where I think the experience that Jerome Tang has as a former Baylor assistant can help the Wildcats manage the moment and refocus on a tough Elite Eight opponent.