Florida Atlantic Owls have complete new look for 2024-25 men’s basketball season

BOCA RATON — Two seasons ago, Florida Atlantic’s men’s basketball team became a nationwide phenomenon, winning a school-record 35 games while embarking on a memorable run to the Final Four. Last season, FAU – with all five starters back – earned another berth in the NCAA Tournament before being knocked out in the first round.

When the Owls’ 2024-25 season gets underway this week, basketball in Boca Raton will look much, much different.

For starters, head coach Dusty May is gone, departing for the Michigan Wolverines. Replacing him will be John Jakus. The former Baylor assistant and Gonzaga AD has been lauded for his basketball wisdom and championship pedigree, reaching the national championship game with Gonzaga in 2017, and winning the national title with Baylor in 2021.

FAU’s changes go far beyond coaching. Last year’s team lost only one player from the squad that reached the Final Four. This year’s team lost 10 players, three to graduation and seven to the transfer portal. This left Jakus, a first-time head coach, with the task of building an almost entirely new roster from scratch.

FAU first-year coach John Jakus works a recent practice. JC Ridley/FAU Athletics

“This is the new normal,” Jakus said. “I would say, if I did this five years ago, and we lost 10, it would have been a really rough situation. But, because of the size of the portal landscape, this is what people are doing now. You try not to judge your situation, just try to have a growth mindset and do the best you can with where you’re at, and I think we did that.”

On paper, the Owls boast one of the American Athletic Conference’s most interesting rosters, including the leading scorer from Conference USA and the Southwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Attempting to continue building off the success of the past two seasons, FAU could surprise some as a conference contender with its multifaceted squad.

FAU basketball coach Dusty May and his players celebrate winning the East Regional…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-atlantic-owls-complete-look-164305706.html

Author : Palm Beach Daily News

Publish date : 2024-10-29 16:43:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.