A study by Florida Atlantic University has found that the sargassum bloom, which is making its way towards Florida and possibly Alabama beaches, contains the Vibrio bacteria and plastic marine debris, creating a "perfect pathogen storm" with significant health risks to both humans and marine life. The Vibrio bacteria can cause life-threatening illnesses from seafood consumption, as well as disease and death from open wound infections. The sargassum bloom is also expected to impact Florida's eastern coast, with some of it making its way into the northern Gulf of Mexico.
The NCAA men's college basketball tournament semifinals, the Final Four, began with Florida Atlantic University Owls vs. San Diego State University Aztecs. FAU leads 67-65 as the game nears regulation. FAU posted a 31-3 season record, while San Diego State had a 27-6 record. FAU is limiting turnovers and has made as many threes against San Diego State in 14 minutes as Alabama and Creighton did in 80. San Diego State is crushing FAU on the offensive glass in the second half with an 11-7 overall offensive rebounding advantage.
The NCAA men's college basketball season is coming to a close with a Final Four line-up that has never been seen before. No No. 1, 2 or 3 seeds have made it to the penultimate round, and three of the four teams have never been in this round before. The Cinderella team of the tournament, No. 9 Florida Atlantic University, will face No. 5 San Diego State, while No. 5 Miami will play No. 4 University of Connecticut. UConn is the only team left in the competition with a title to its name, but all four teams are proving their doubters wrong.
Florida Atlantic University's men's basketball team, made up predominantly of Black players, has become a national feel-good story as they advance to the Final Four. However, the team's success is overshadowed by a Republican-controlled state legislature's introduction of legislation that seeks to undermine diversity and inclusion in higher education institutions. The bill would prevent state colleges and universities from using funds to promote or support any programs or campus activities that espouse diversity, equity, and inclusion or Critical Race Theory rhetoric. This legislation threatens the safe spaces that Black students have created on campus and could remove funding from affinity organizations.
Michael Forrest, the senior guard for Florida Atlantic University, missed most of the Final Four practice due to attending a mechanical engineering class. Forrest, who is the school's all-time leader in three-pointers and the fourth-leading scorer, is a mechanical engineering major and has been dubbed "Mr. FAU." Despite missing practice, Forrest is a big reason FAU is headed to the Final Four and is hoping to win the national championship.
The Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team, known as the Owls, is approaching the Final Four with a selfless attitude. Despite being labeled as unknowns from a weak conference, the Owls have an NCAA Division I best 35 wins and are on an 11-game winning streak. The team's success is attributed to their unselfish attitudes and respect for each other, with nine players averaging 15-plus minutes this season and the starting rotation changing several times. The Owls face San Diego State on Saturday.
Florida Atlantic University's men's basketball team, the Owls, have made it to the Final Four for the first time in school history, after beating No. 3 Kansas State 79-76 in the Elite Eight. Despite being a No. 9 seed, the team rejects the label of Cinderella and instead calls themselves "pit bulls" and "Beast Boys." The Owls have a strong core of contributors and a team-first mentality, exemplified by their win over Kansas State where multiple players stepped up. They will face the winner of Sunday's San Diego State vs. Creighton game in the South region.
Fairleigh Dickinson University and Florida Atlantic University will face off in a second-round matchup of the NCAA March Madness tournament. Both teams are considered underdogs, with FDU being a No. 16 seed and FAU being a No. 9 seed. The coaches and players of both teams are relatively unknown, with recent home game attendances of less than 4,000 people. Despite their underdog status, both teams have shown they are not afraid to compete and have already pulled off upsets in the tournament.
