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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 event to blitzing via their schedule, the Owls served wake-up calls to each one in every of their opponents en path to the Ultimate 4.
Sadly, Dusty Might’s workforce bought hit by the Sandman within the closing 14 minutes of their nationwide semifinal matchup towards 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. Possibly it’s a consequence of being a pupil supervisor witnessing the demise of Bobby Knight firsthand, however Might’s teaching demeanor was a whole 180 from the cranky outdated coot who retired because the winningest coach in males’s faculty basketball historical past.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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“In this era, it’s tough to find great teammates and we have a locker room full of them,” Might informed Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
TV studio viewers: “aaaaawwww….. (applause)
Like his fictional AFC Richmond counterpart, Might 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 event over a dozen occasions by now and the Aztecs ought to be receiving a Pac-12 invitation any second now.
Future prospects
The Ultimate 4 doesn’t must be the sequence finale for FAU’s limited-run sequence. So what is going to it take to carry the Owls present again for a season two run to the Ultimate 4?
They’ve bought all of the elements, together with a cohesive ensemble forged returning. Most fashionable applications are an anthology of disconnected groups, trotting out fully new rosters for each new chapter. FAU’s complete rotation has eligibility remaining in 2023. If they might storm via 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 sort one-year surprise. They had been an undersold 9-seed, who ought to have been larger. Earlier than the event, they had been nonetheless thought of the prime mid-major within the discipline of 68 in response to Pivot Evaluation, had 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 may 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 very best on-court chemistry in faculty basketball. Not unhealthy for a program that was taking part in 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, faculty 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 escape and finish a dry spell. San Diego State’s protection was their trump card.
Nevertheless, not a single participant from FAU will probably be drafted within the first spherical of the subsequent NBA Draft. Their complete is bigger than the sum of their components. Maybe they even look into the switch portal for an improve or to switch Forrest. Some grad switch needs to be enticed by the prospect of taking part in on that Boca Raton campus for a 12 months and FAU’s NIL collective raked within the dough they beforehand lacked. They’ll additionally be capable to assure publicity beneath a extra conspicuous highlight than the one they operated beneath 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 Ultimate 4 and even superior to the nationwide championship sport the 12 months after Gordon Hayward was drafted.
A 12 months after 9-seed Wichita State bought a sniff of the Ultimate 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 might not be the case in 2024 if the Florida or Florida State jobs re-opens. After all, he received’t stay a sizzling title eternally in teaching circles if FAU stumbles early subsequent season. This 12 months wasn’t Florida Atlantic’s time and Might’s skilled ascension is simply simply starting, however this might not be the final time we see them on the Ultimate 4 stage.
Observe DJ Dunson on Twitter: @cerebralsportex
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