The Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team is known for the talented batch of guards they have at their disposal. However, the front-court also has a solid case to make with their skillsets, especially Giancarlo Rosado. Rosado has shown plenty of major strides in his development since the program recruited him from Palm Beach Lakes High School in 2020. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game throughout his 39 appearances last season. While his scoring took a dip from 7.2 points the year prior, he wound up becoming more efficient on the court as he achieved career-highs in field-goal percentage (63.5%) and free-throw percentage (72.9%). He also played a key role off the bench during the Owls’ run to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament, putting up 6.8 points on an astounding 79% shooting from the field. His best performance came during the first round duel with fellow AAC opponent Memphis, where he dominated his matchups in the post as he finished with 15 points on 6-6 shooting. Currently ranking fourth all-time in FAU history in shooting percentage with a 54.9% clip heading into the 2023-24 season, Rosado wants to continue being more involved in the offense while having a selfless play-style whenever he has the ball in his hands. “Making sure I’m making my correct reads, taking my time down there when I got a one-on-one; passing it out when I have a trap or a two-on-one. Just always making the right play and utilizing my skillset,” Rosado said. He also has been working on his perimeter shooting throughout the offseason, an area he hasn’t tested in the regular season since the 2021-22 campaign. “Some days I shoot 50%, some days I shoot 100%, some days I shoot 0%. So it’s up and down but definitely been working on it,” Rosado explained. Head coach Dusty May praised Rosado for the jump he has made in his game throughout the offseason. “They’ve improved their bodies and their skill set and just improved their knowledge of the game of basketball. They’re a big reason for our success,” May said regarding the development of both Rosado and guard Nick Boyd. “Giancarlo’s always been such a great passer and he’s scoring better on the block and he’s more explosive.” His performances throughout last season, especially during March Madness, caught the attention of Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo, who Rosado held in high regard as he got to meet the big man when the team practiced at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena during training camp in preparation for the 2023-24 NBA season. “Bam is a very humble guy. Me and him play very similar with our playmaking and our IQ. He is one of the best players in the league, and for him to recognize and talk to me and give me the time of day, it’s great,” Rosado remarked. With a non-conference schedule of 13 games that features intriguing high-profile matchups such as Butler, Illinois, and Arizona among others, Rosado said the team is treating every game equally even with the possible gaps in talent. “Like Coach May says, any big-time game we get, they scheduled it because that’s where this university is at right now. And it’s our responsibility to take the university to another level by winning those games and making sure we have a great non-conference standing,” Rosado stated. Rosado and the Owls will begin their season on November 8th, taking on the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers at Wintrust Arena for the Barstool Invitational. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST (6:00 PM CT).
