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Lamont Butler’s dagger because the buzzer sounded in Houston was a coup de grâce to Florida Atlantic’s storybook season. From being picked fifth within the preseason convention match to blitzing via their schedule, the Owls served wake-up calls to every considered one of their opponents en path to the Closing 4.
Sadly, Dusty Could’s group bought hit by the Sandman within the remaining 14 minutes of their nationwide semifinal matchup in opposition to San Diego State, getting outscored 30-15, together with Butler’s buzzer-beater. The loss was particularly painful for FAU as a result of the sector had been cleared of prime seeds and the storyline felt like one thing stolen out of a Ted Lasso script.
Could had a Ted Lasso high quality to him. Perhaps it’s a consequence of being a scholar supervisor witnessing the demise of Bobby Knight firsthand, however Could’s teaching demeanor was a whole 180 from the cranky outdated coot who retired because the winningest coach in males’s school basketball historical past. In the actual world although, Could doesn’t depend on his assistants to cowl up for his incompetence.
Even after the loss, Could was lamenting the lack of senior Michael Forrest and meting out saccharine coach-ism sentiments you’d discover on the finish of a sitcom.
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“On this period, it’s powerful to seek out nice teammates and we have now a locker room filled with them,” May told Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
TV studio viewers: “aaaaawwww….. (applause)
Like his fictional AFC Richmond counterpart, Could did look overseas — for the inspiration of his teaching philosophy. He’s spoken at size this season about how his offense derived from the Euro-ball that emphasised ball motion, participant motion, and an egalitarian share of the scoring load. It’s uncommon to see one ball handler or scorer dominate FAU’s possessions.
As nice of a narrative as San Diego State is, it’s not as juicy as a result of they’ve misplaced their mid-major aura. They’ve been to the match over a dozen instances by now and the Aztecs ought to be receiving a Pac-12 invitation any second now.
Future prospects
The Closing 4 doesn’t should be the sequence finale for FAU’s limited-run sequence. So what is going to it take to deliver the Owls present again for a season two run to the Closing 4?
They’ve bought all of the substances, together with a cohesive ensemble forged returning. Most trendy applications are an anthology of disconnected groups, trotting out fully new rosters for each new chapter. FAU’s whole rotation has eligibility remaining in 2023. If they may storm via their schedule and into the NCAA Event because the strongest mid-major within the nation, there’s nothing stopping them from making a repeat run utilizing Saturday’s loss as motivation.
FAU wasn’t a Saint Peter’s sort one-year surprise. They had been an undersold 9-seed, who ought to have been greater. Earlier than the match, they had been nonetheless thought-about the top mid-major within the subject of 68 in keeping with Pivot Evaluation, had been ranked within the AP Ballot’s remaining prime 25, and are a top-20 team in keeping with KenPom’s adjusted offense and defensive system. If Could had left for greener pastures, you’ll be able to relaxation assured that Johnell Davis and 7-footer Vladimir Goldin can be coming with him.
Could’s teaching type may lean into mawkishness, however it molded FAU right into a group with arguably the very best on-court chemistry in school basketball. Not dangerous for a program that was enjoying in its first NCAA Event ever.
They at all times discovered the open man, the rock by no means stopped and their excessive IQ off-ball actions slid them into opportune scoring positions. Down the stretch although, school basketball’s AFC Richmond wanted a Zava, a playmaking virtuoso who may hotwire the offense after they snapped right into a funk. UConn has just a few of these offensive cheat codes that may escape and finish a dry spell. San Diego State’s protection was their trump card.
Nonetheless, not a single participant from FAU might be drafted within the first spherical of the subsequent NBA Draft. Their complete is larger than the sum of their elements. Maybe they even look into the switch portal for an improve or to interchange Forrest. Some grad switch must be enticed by the prospect of enjoying on that Boca Raton campus for a yr and FAU’s NIL collective raked within the dough they beforehand lacked. They’ll additionally have the ability to assure publicity below a extra conspicuous highlight than the one they operated below the radar on this season.
Or they’ll run it again with the identical group and their incoming freshman class. A dozen years in the past, Brad Stevens and Butler made a repeat journey to the Closing 4 and even superior to the nationwide championship recreation the yr after Gordon Hayward was drafted.
A yr after 9-seed Wichita State bought a sniff of the Closing 4, they launched into an undefeated common season demolition tour. The throughline between FAU, Wichita State, and Butler are their skilled rosters growing an dependancy to trouncing foes and retaining the coach who instilled that successful tradition. Could seems to be on board for one more run after declining to hop into the teaching carousel. That is probably not the case in 2024 if the Florida or Florida State jobs re-opens. In fact, he gained’t stay a sizzling title without end in teaching circles if FAU stumbles early subsequent season. This yr wasn’t Florida Atlantic’s time and Could’s skilled ascension is just simply starting, however this is probably not the final time we see them on the Closing 4 stage.
Observe DJ Dunson on Twitter: @cerebralsportex
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