Next Sunday, UAB travels to South Florida to meet a dominant FAU team on their home court. As of this writing, the Owls are ranked 24th in the AP Poll and boast impressive wins over Arizona, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, and Liberty. FAU has struggled at times this season – they’ve already dropped two Q4 games and recently lost to a mediocre Charlotte team – but the Owls are a force to be reckoned with when they’re at their best.
My own words can’t do justice a team as multi-faceted and interesting as FAU, so I brought in some expert help. Answering my questions today are Rick Henderson (@Florida_Owl), the principal over at FAU Owl’s Nest, and Richard Pereira (@Rich26Pereira) an Owl’s Nest staff writer.
Be sure to follow them both on Twitter, along with the Owl’s Nest (FAU_Owls_Nest), and visit fauowlsnest.com.
1. Just six years ago the Owls went 10-20 and finished 271st in KenPom. What factor do you think has played the largest role in FAU’s renaissance?
Richard – I believe all the players’ investment into what Dusty May was building when he first started back in 2018 set the foundation for the renaissance to come to fruition. You can have great tactics and game plans, but they won’t work unless all the players buy into it. It was extremely important for May to build a team that was not only talented but also played and fought for one another. As he kept putting the pieces together year-by-year, I was confident that something amazing was on the horizon for him and the program. I just didn’t realize it would end up in a Final Four run until it actually happened.
2. FAU lived out every mid-major’s dream with their Final Four run. Please share your favorite memories, moments, and games from last postseason.
Richard – Where to start?! Nick Boyd’s drive into the paint for the game-winning layup in the first round against Memphis, Johnell Davis’ excellent performance against FDU, Michael Forrest inspiring a run in the second half to help put away Tennessee, and seeing them win the East Region title at Madison Square Garden after taking down Kansas State.
Saving the best for last, going to Houston to watch them live on the biggest stage. That will obviously go down as one of the greatest experiences of my life. Even though it ended in heartbreaking fashion, that game against San Diego State being the first time I’ve seen a game-winning buzzer beater in person, it doesn’t take away from the fact that I created wonderful memories with the friends I made at FAU as a student. If anything, thinking about it makes me want to experience it again, which is why I hope for FAU to make a similar run, maybe this time for the natty.
3. Johnell Davis is somehow having an arguably better season than he did last year. What can you tell us about the superstar guard? How would you describe Davis to a fan that knew nothing about him?
Rick – This might sound outlandish or “cliche” but I have said this for two years and am not going to change my position: Michael Jordan Junior. He’s really got a complete game. Proficient and fearless shooter deep, can post up players even taller than he is, and very capable driver from both sides, although he favors the left which is obviously a plus. Davis can take a game over with ice in his veins or play team ball effortlessly. He lets his play do the talking and commands respect while saying very little.
4. Vladislav Goldin has been the third-most impactful player in the AAC, per KenPom. What can you tell us about the towering center? How would you describe Goldin to a fan that knew nothing about him?
Rick – From a next level perspective he’s still a work in progress, and still has tremendous upside to be developed and tapped – which is exactly why Dusty May recruited him from Texas Tech. I’m sure May told him he was going to build in the interior around him and that is exactly what he has done. Goldin has made significant strides within his offensive game, adding accurate touch and better hand control whereas both were very raw before. He’s also learning when to be physical and when not to to stay out of foul trouble, which is something that plagued him last season.
5. A lot of current stars on this team (Davis, Goldin, Alijah Martin) are longtime Owls who have improved every year they’ve been in Boca Raton. Why do you think May and co. have been so successful in player development?
Richard – I believe it to be a mixture of things such as patience, investment, and lots of in-game coaching. These trio of players are ones that have developed into stars in the eyes of the FAU community, but this wouldn’t have been the case if it wasn’t for May and his coaching staff taking the time to prioritize developing their games since they joined the program in 2020 (with Goldin transferring here a year later).
Davis is an offensive magician who is not afraid to be scrappy on defense, Martin is an athletic highlight reel who can move off the ball very well for easy cuts to the basket, and Goldin has really elevated his play to become more assertive inside the paint on both sides of the ball. That is all thanks to their dedication to getting better at the game they love as well as May and his staff for recognizing that their potential must be maximized.
6. Despite bringing back a nearly identical team, the Owls seem to be far more erratic this year, already dropping multiple Q4 games. Why do you think FAU has struggled against teams like FGCU and Bryant?
Richard – Among the losses, I view the loss to Bryant as the biggest outlier, considering FAU hasn’t shot as bad as they did in that game in a long time. They had the energy and the drive to get back into it and complete the comeback, but their shots just weren’t going to go in that night.
The defeats to FGCU and most recently Charlotte are ones I am more critical of, especially with how slow they were to start in both those contests, being unable to shoot the ball well and move it as crisp as they usually do. When they stray from the things that make them great, especially playing fast and getting out on the transition, they then make winning these types of games harder on themselves. It is very important for them to play with rhythm and not force the issue a lot; in other words, they need to play the way they know works best for them.
7. Piggybacking off that question: what is the biggest difference between last year’s Owl squad and today’s Owls?
Rick – Inconsistency from the three point line immediately comes to mind. There were games where one or possibly two teams had off games last year, but honestly can’t recall any where the entire team has been off. That has now happened three times this season (Bryant, FGCU, Charlotte).
8. In general, what would you say FAU’s biggest strengths are? Biggest weaknesses?
Rick – The mainstay of team play is the Owls’ biggest asset. Players have truly bought into May’s philosophy of sharing the ball and always looking for the best shot to take. That trend will continue given the recent signees that have been added to next year’s roster. They need to stay the course in that regard, and just trust that these unfortunate shooting slumps will work themselves out over time for the immediate future. On the flip side, defensive rebounding has been more of an issue this season. There are more frequent stints where you see the opposition pulls down multiple offensive boards in a row. It’s not helping the cause for FAU by any means.
Thanks to Rick and Richard for taking the time to answer our questions. Again, they write for FAU Owl’s Nest (fauowlsnest.com) who you can follow on Twitter at FAU_Owls_Nest.
You can follow Rick on Twitter at Florida_Owl and Richard at Rich2Pereira.