NEW YORK CITY (WTKR) — Blaine Taylor had fond memories when thinking about coaching Drew Williamson in Madison Square Garden with Old Dominion men's basketball.
"The last time he was there, we played in the finals of the NIT against Michigan and he's going back for another trip to the Garden," he said.
The MSG memories continuing to pile up. Williamson, a member of the Florida Atlantic coaching staff, is heading to the Final Four after the Owls notched a 79-76 win over Kansas State in the Elite Eight.
Heading into this year's NCAA Tournament, FAU had never won a game in the big dance. Now the program sits just two games away from a potential national championship run, a far cry from the team picked to finish fifth in the preseason Conference USA poll.
Trailing with 8:39 left to play in the second half, the Owls used a 15-1 run to storm back and grab a 72-64 lead with 2:44 to play. A final rally by the Wildcats got the game back to one-point, but FAU made two free throws to bring the advantage up to three with seven seconds left. KSU could not get a shot off in the last possession, sealing the upset victory and extending the Cinderella run.
The Owls are the No. 9 seed in the East Region and have become one of the biggest stories in all of sports. Their 35-3 record give them claim to the winningest team in men's college basketball this season. FAU becomes the first ninth-seeded team to make the Final Four since Wichita State did it in 2013.
From 2003-2007, Williamson patrolled the backcourt for the silver and blue. He led the Monarchs to two NCAA Tournament appearances and the final four of the NIT. The former guard still holds the program record with 130 consecutive games played.
His coaching career began as the Monarchs' director of basketball operations before joining Virginia State as an assistant coach.
Florida Atlantic advances to face Creighton or San Diego State in Houston next Saturday in the national semifinals.
