In the era of the transfer portal, the most pressing concern for FAU is retaining a talented but overlooked roster put on national display during four successive NCAA men’s tournament wins.
March Madness: This is the most random Final Four we’ve ever seen
USA TODAY Sports Paul Myerberg gives his first impressions of a wild looking Final Four.
USA TODAY
Throughout the modern history of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, underdogs who bucked expectations with a deep March Madness run earned adulation, notoriety and respect at the cost of an eventual coaching change.
Just in recent years, coaches behind the tournament’s most memorable Cinderella stories have parlayed résumé-making wins into bigger jobs and bigger paydays.
The most notable examples are those coaches behind magical Final Four appearances, such as Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart and Loyola Chicago’s Porter Moser. Another recent example is former Saint Peter’s coach Shaheen Holloway, who led the Peacocks to last year’s Elite Eight and quickly accepted the same position at Seton Hall.
Eventually, the same will almost certainly happen to Florida Atlantic and coach Dusty May, by leaps and bounds the most successful coach in program history. Keeping him on the sidelines is a long-term priority for FAU, which ranked among the very worst programs in Division I before hiring the then-Florida assistant in 2018.
But in the era of the transfer portal and widespread player movement — and with May seemingly set to return for at least one more season — the most pressing and immediate concern for FAU is retaining a talented but overlooked roster put on national display during four successive tournament wins.
“As much as every coach would love to keep a great group together for two, three, four years, the reality is that we’re in a new normal and every year these young people are free agents,” said former St. John’s and New Mexico coach Fran Fraschilla. “It’s a reality that you have to embrace if you’re a college coach.”
Is this a one-and-done run for FAU?
This history-making surge has put the Owls on the map. But can they stay together to build off this remarkable season, or will bigger programs pick away at the roster by offering bigger platforms and more lucrative name, image and likeness packages?
“Without a doubt, it’s going to be fluid every single day,” May said. “And until the ball is tipped up next season, you may not know truly who your roster is going to be, and it’s part of it. Luckily, I’m still relatively young and have a lot of energy, because I don’t think there’s going to be a day where you can just relax and not fear your phone buzzing.”
FAU players who shined during tournament play have put on a show for schools, teams and potential suitors.
- Leading scorer, sophomore guard Johnell Davis, has averaged 17.3 points per game in tournament play with a high of 29 points in the second round against Fairleigh Dickinson.
- Sophomore center Vlad Goldin had 14 points and 13 rebounds in the East Regional final against Kansas State. (Goldin already transferred once, from Texas Tech, and would not be able to transfer again with immediate eligibility without an NCAA waiver or first receiving his degree.)
- Sophomore guard Alijah Martin scored 17 points against Kansas State highlighted by one of the most electric dunks of the tournament, a one-handed slam early in the game that set the tone for the Owls’ win.
Players such as Davis and Martin might’ve been transfer targets even had the Owls’ season ended in the first round of tournament play.
“It’s just not the national stage,” said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas. “You don’t have to reach a Final Four or have a tournament run for coaches to notice good players on other rosters. That’s the way business has to be done now. If you’re not scouting other teams and knowing what’s available in the portal, you’re not doing your job.”
FAU players will be targeted
But there’s no question that the Owls’ tournament success has only made Davis, Martin and others even more desirable offseason targets. As one example, Saint Peter’s had eight players transfer after last season’s Elite Eight berth, with just one following Holloway to Seton Hall.
“The portal is just fine,” Bilas said. “It’s made it a lot easier for teams to get good in a hurry, which before it took longer. But of course, retention of players is a different deal now, too. So everybody is going to have to adjust.”
The overarching concern is obvious: FAU could lose Saturday and immediately be placed on the defensive in an effort to retain the roster responsible for one of the most successful seasons by a non-major program in modern tournament history.
In other words, is this a one-shot deal for FAU, or is it instead the start of something even bigger?
“You would hope that a program that’s having success, like FAU or even the schools on the power-conference level, would be able to keep their teams intact because of the success,” said Fraschilla. “But individual success doesn’t always equate to team success and vice versa.”
What could keep the Owls together
Three factors could help FAU stay together and take another step forward after this breakthrough season.
- The university will leave Conference USA this summer for the American Athletic Conference.
While not counted among the six power conferences in Division I, the American represents a measurable upgrade from Conference USA in prestige and recognition. The AAC had two teams in this year’s tournament, including one of the top overall seeds in Houston. (FAU defeated the second AAC team, Memphis, in the first round.)
More importantly, the AAC will also provide an enormous financial boost. While teams in Conference USA receive roughly $500,000 annually through media rights, the AAC pays out roughly $7 million annually per team.
- The eventual possibility of increased NIL offerings.
From an NIL perspective, FAU will never be able to compete with major-conference programs liaising with outside groups to create potentially lucrative endorsement deals for their student-athletes.
But the athletics department’s upcoming increase in annual revenue could eventually trigger a trickle-down effect on NIL. With more money on hand, FAU could invest more in the basketball program, build off this year’s success and tap into the school’s rapidly growing alumni base.
- The desire to stay together, see things through and be even better in 2023-24.
In the immediate future, the Owls could be motivated to stay together and build off this season.
“It’s not a ‘could,’ it will be the start of something. We’re all coming back together as a group,” said junior guard Brandon Weatherspoon.
“It’s not the last time we’ll be here. We’re not transferring kids. We stick through times and we stick together. We’re able to lean on each other when we need each other. So I don’t think we’ll break apart or anything like that. We’re family. This is a family here, it’s not just a basketball team.”
And if the Owls do stay intact, next year’s team could be outstanding. FAU has just one senior in the rotation, guard Michael Forrest, and could bring back 12 of this year’s top 13 players.
“Hopefully I’m not sitting here or sitting somewhere with a new roster,” said May. “Every time we have lost a player in the portal, we feel like we’ve had an upgrade. And now with the exposure of our program — but we like our guys. We like our team.”
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg
