The FAU Mens basketball team was back in paradise Monday afternoon as the Owls hosted Media day and gave a glimpse into what to expect this season. A lot of uncertainty surrounds the Owls following mass changes after the departure of the previous regime, however John Jakus and his staff have used a family first approach to build relationships and re-tool this program and they hope to build on what has been accomplished in Boca Raton. FAU has brought an entirely new roster, keeping only 4 players from the previous regime and although some may think that is detrimental, Jakus believes that it is the nature of the game and rather than focusing on what has been lost its best to adapt and overcome. The American was the most plucked league in the country. I have friends in this business, and they’re all dealing with the same thing. Some guys lost eight, some lost six, we lost 10. But at the end of the day, this is the new normal. 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, Jakus said. This team has potential, Ken Evans Jr. transfers in from Jackson State fresh off a year where he averaged 18.8 points per game, KyKy Tandy transfers in from Jacksonville State off a breakout year where he averaged 17.8 points per game, Leland Walker joins from EKU where he averaged 15.4 points per game, Baba Miller mulled the NBA draft following a breakout year but instead opted to transfer to FAU and those are just the headliners. But just because a team brings in multiple talented players doesn’t mean that will translate to instant success. Successful players can be assembled, but getting their skill sets to mesh into a successful team is what John Jakus and his staff were tasked with this offseason. He wasnt phased at the job, knowing that his staff could have the players together for a large portion of the offseason made it manageable, but he also brought in players and coaches who aligned with the programs relationships over everything mantra. The season hasnt begun yet, but John Jakus is confident that his team is unified and its results are reflected on the court already. Weve done a really good job of having these guys fall in love with each other, we spent a ton of our time on team, on building a culture and the way they feel about each other, I think, reflects in the way they play, and we’re assisting over 60% of our baskets in practice, the way we share, I think the camaraderie, all of that, just the way it’s run through from off the floor, down the floor, is probably thing we’re most proud of, Jakus said. With all that scoring coming into the program this offseason, the team needed to gel, as having players who can take over games is a feature on all good teams, but those stars being able to sacrifice for others to step up is what makes those good teams great. Tandy, Walker, and Evans Jr. account for a lot of the scoring that has been brought in this offseason and they are also all experienced players, knowing what it takes to win and what has contributed to losses during their time in college basketball. FAU is going to run a high-tempo offense this season and experienced players know with that the opportunities to score the ball are going to be there, however having a group who is willing to find the right guy, rather than force it to an individual player is something that makes an high-tempo offense difficult to stop. This new-look Owls squad may score a lot of points this season, but the unselfishness of this group combined with the abundance of scoring opportunities they hope to have has combined to create something that could make a good team, great according to KyKy Tandy. That is what makes a great team. We have a lot of people that can score the ball, and we don’t have to rely on one person. We have multiple people that can put the ball in the hole, and that’s gonna make it easier for both of us (Tandy and Evans Jr.) and the rest of the team. So we are looking forward to that, Tandy said. The transfers that FAU brought in who have gaudy scoring outputs at their previous institution get a lot of attention with the type of offense FAU will be looking to run, and rightfully so, but this FAU roster brings in a variety of talent, some of which goes under-the-radar. Baba Miller is a versatile big man who will impact the game both from in the paint and on the perimeter and his skill-set is one that the NBA looks for in the new era of big men. He mulled entering the NBA draft, going through the combine this past offseason following a breakout year at FSU, but opted to develop his skills under the staff filled with NBA experience at FAU. John Jakus is aware of the talent he has in Miller, he is the only player currently in the AAC who entered the draft combine and he will be able to impact the game in a variety of ways, bringing a skillset that will help FAU create advantages on the court. Yeah, Baba is my guy, and I think he’s not getting enough recognition, and in some ways that’s happening because he chose us, he’s the only player in our league to go to the combine and come back to college. He’s the only player in the history of FAU to have stepped into an NBA combine. Hes just kind of floating under the radar. And this kid is a joy to coach. I mean, he’s 611, with point guard skills. He can dribble, pass and shoot. His three point shot is taking a leap, but he’s an absolute sweetheart of the kid. And I don’t want to see him miss things because he believed in us and chose us. Does that make sense? And I mean, he had Kentucky, Wake Forest, Kansas State, and he ended up choosing FAU. And man, Are we proud of that, Jakus said. With the influx of talent heading to Boca this offseason, those who remained from the previous regime were tasked with not only improving their game in the offseason, but being a driving force behind the culture John Jakus looked to build upon. Tre Caroll, Devin Vanterpool, Jakel Powell and Jack Johnson all remained at FAU following the coaching change and have played an irreplaceable role off the court in helping this unit gel. The success hasnt just been off the court as all 4 have taken strides in their performance on the court, with Jakus noting Carrolls development in multiple positions on the court and his ability to help this team in multiple ways. Off the court, those 4 have helped bridge any gap that there may have been between unifying this group and that is something that Ken Evans Jr. believes has played a huge role in getting this team ready to compete early on in the season. Yes, they have Jakel, Dev, Tre, Jack, they’ve been showing us what it’s like here at FAU and what is expected, they’ve been to the final four departments so they know what it takes and how everything should look, Evans Jr. said. A big part of what led FAU to be successful after their final 4 run was their aggressiveness in the non-conference schedule last season and even though this is year 1 with a new group Jakus wasnt going to let that affect the way they built their schedule. FAU will take on Quad-1 opponents UCF and Michigan State on the road, while also playing in the Charleston Invitational which could also provide 3 more Q-1 opponents if things work out in the Owls favor. That combined with a competitive AAC slate should provide the Owls a chance at an at-large bid should they win at a level they believe is possible. Although there is a bit of risk in scheduling aggressively, Jakus believes this is the most logical scheduling for FAU and if everything goes as planned it will give them a chance at an at-large bid, something that is necessary in a very competitive AAC landscape where winning the conference is never a guarantee. I think that there’s a few teams in our league that did a really good job of trying to get that at large bid, and I think we were one of them. when youre stuck in our situation, kind of in between, you’ve got to do some things that are unique. Playing a Thanksgiving tournament with four or five high majors in it is pretty normal, but we’re going on the road at UCF in Michigan State, so we can get chances at quad one wins. Now, if you’re really good at math when it comes to getting into the tournament, if you lose, it almost means nothing and if you win, you get this huge bump with quad one with a chance to be an at-large team, Jakus said. So I would say, 10 years ago, you would never play the schedule we’re about to play, because your goal was to get to 20 wins and then do well in your league, and then maybe get in the tournament by different math. So with this math, you need five or six quad one opportunities just to get a chance to be in a large team. So we took swings by doing that. Were going to play five or six for sure, and hopefully we’ll end up on the right side of that bubble. That race to make the tournament is right around the corner and with that will bring the new Owls first experience of basketball in paradise at the Elly, a place that has sold out every matchup over the past 2 seasons. The fan culture has been established at FAU, with the flamingo led student section being one of the most raucous in the AAC and its a major advantage for a team who will have a lot of important conference games in Boca Raton. That fan culture is a major draw for recruits like Ken Evans Jr. who come from a school where the fans weren’t as engaged and basketball in paradise is something Evans is looking forward to as we inch closer to the season. I definitely can’t wait. I haven’t played in the packed out gym with my fans, and years, like high school, so I’m ready for that, Evans Jr said. Both the players and fans are budding with excitement for the approaching season, and this is a team which has unified quickly and one who will look to bring a fun and competitive brand of basketball to Boca Raton very soon.
