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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 by their schedule, the Owls served wake-up calls to every certainly one of their opponents en path to the Last 4.
Sadly, Dusty Might’s workforce received hit by the Sandman within the closing 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.
Might 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 Might’s teaching demeanor was a whole 180 from the cranky previous coot who retired because the winningest coach in males’s school basketball historical past. In the true world although, Might doesn’t depend on his assistants to cowl up for his incompetence.
Even after the loss, Might was lamenting the lack of senior Michael Forrest and shelling 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 now we have a locker room filled with them,” Might instructed Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
TV studio viewers: “aaaaawwww….. (applause)
Like his fictional AFC Richmond counterpart, Might did look overseas — for the muse 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 occasions by now and the Aztecs must be receiving a Pac-12 invitation any second now.
Future prospects
The Last 4 doesn’t need to be the collection finale for FAU’s limited-run collection. So what is going to it take to deliver the Owls present again for a season two run to the Last 4?
They’ve received all of the components, together with a cohesive ensemble forged returning. Most trendy applications are an anthology of disconnected groups, trotting out utterly new rosters for each new chapter. FAU’s whole rotation has eligibility remaining in 2023. If they might storm by their schedule and into the NCAA Match 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 kind one-year marvel. They have been an undersold 9-seed, who ought to have been larger. Earlier than the match, they have been nonetheless thought-about the top mid-major within the subject of 68 in response to Pivot Evaluation, have been ranked within the AP Ballot’s closing prime 25, and are a top-20 workforce in response to KenPom’s adjusted offense and defensive system. If Might had left for greener pastures, you’ll be able to relaxation assured that Johnell Davis and 7-footer Vladimir Goldin could be coming with him.
Might’s teaching model would possibly lean into mawkishness, however it molded FAU right into a workforce with arguably the perfect on-court chemistry in school basketball. Not unhealthy for a program that was enjoying in its first NCAA Match ever.
They all the time 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 once they snapped right into a funk. UConn has just a few of these offensive cheat codes that may get away and finish a dry spell. San Diego State’s protection was their trump card.
Nevertheless, not a single participant from FAU will likely 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 be capable of 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 Last 4 and even superior to the nationwide championship sport the yr after Gordon Hayward was drafted.
A yr after 9-seed Wichita State received a sniff of the Last 4, they launched into an undefeated common season demolition tour. The throughline between FAU, Wichita State, and Butler are their skilled rosters growing an habit to trouncing foes and retaining the coach who instilled that profitable tradition. Might seems to be on board for one more run after declining to hop into the teaching carousel. That will not be the case in 2024 if the Florida or Florida State jobs re-opens. In fact, he received’t stay a scorching identify without end in teaching circles if FAU stumbles early subsequent season. This yr wasn’t Florida Atlantic’s time and Might’s skilled ascension is just simply starting, however this will not be the final time we see them on the Last 4 stage.
Comply with DJ Dunson on Twitter: @cerebralsportex
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