Northwestern and FAU will throw down in an eight vs. nine matchup at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Friday.
The Owls had a bit of a disappointing season after making it to the Final Four in 2023, going 25-8 and finishing second in the AAC before getting upset the Conference Tournament by Temple. They have a chance to get in everyone's good graces by going on another deep NCAA Tournament run, starting with a win against the Wildcats.
Northwestern's season took a turn when they lost one of its best players, Ty Berry, and the Wildcats are also expected to miss their center, Matthew Nicholson, for at least the first weekend of the tournament.