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After a heartbreaking loss at the buzzer against San Diego State in the Final Four on Saturday, FAU guard Nick Boyd and his teammates had nothing to hang their heads about.
Despite the loss, the Owls completed one of the most historic and extraordinary runs in recent NCAA tournament memory.
Every basket, rebound and victory became a piece of program history, going from never winning a tournament game to being a possession away from going to the national championship against UConn.
And Boyd, one of the catalysts of his team's run, kept that perspective during the postgame press conference.
"It's a bittersweet moment," Boyd said. "I'm not dwelling on it much. I'm ready to get back to work. I'm happy for our team. I mean, we put FAU on the map. That's most important to me. When I came to this school and I committed here, I said this is what we're going to do. And we took it to a new height. All I can do is smile and be appreciative of the run we went on."
The good news for the Owls is that it doesn't look like a whole lot is gonna change with their team going into next season as they make the move from Conference USA to the AAC, where they'll see a bit higher level of competition.
Aside from senior Michael Forrest, the majority of FAU's biggest contributors—namely Boyd, Johnell Davis, Alijah Martin, Vladislav Goldin and Giancarlo Rosado—are all sophomores or younger.
Another big boost for the program is that coach Dusty May, who had the type of run that usually leads to a shiny, new job, is actually getting a shiny, new, long-term deal to stay in South Florida and continue to lead this new era of Owls basketball.
May led his team to 35 wins, a program record, at one point winning 20 consecutive games en route to a C-USA regular-season and tournament title ahead of their magical run to close out the year.
FAU is certainly on the map, and it may not be going anywhere anytime soon.
The all-Conference USA NIT championship game went in favor of North Texas, as the Mean Green earned a 68-61 win over UAB on Thursday night.
This marks the first postseason basketball title for the North Texas men's program since the 2018 College Basketball Invitational.
Conference USA is having an incredible run of postseason success right now. Charlotte defeated Eastern Kentucky last week in the CBI championship game. Florida Atlantic will play on an even bigger stage when it faces San Diego State in the Final Four at NRG Stadium on Saturday.
Overall, C-USA is 18-2 in postseason play this season, and one of the two losses was a championship game between conference opponents.
Fans and analysts are showing respect to Conference USA for this recent run of success:
Kai Huntsberry and Tylor Perry did most of the heavy lifting for North Texas in Thursday's win. Huntsberry scored 21 points, including 14 in the first half, and did a terrific job as the primary defender on UAB leading scorer Jordan Walker.
Walker, who ranked fifth in the nation with 22.3 points per game, went just 6-of-14 from the field and committed five turnovers.
Perry scored 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting and had five steals. He scored at least 20 points in four of five games in the NIT.
UAB opened the second half on a 22-8 run to take a four-point lead with 10:44 left to play. Huntsberry and Perry scored on consecutive possessions to put North Texas back on top.
Perry's three pointer with 6:22 remaining gave the Mean Green a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
North Texas' 31 wins represent a new program-best—and by a wide margin. The previous record of 25 was set by the 2021-22 team. Head coach Grant McCasland is 56-14 over the past two seasons.
Florida Atlantic's Cinderella run lives on.
The No. 9 Florida Atlantic Owls upset the No. 3 Kansas State Wildcats 79-76 on Saturday night in Elite Eight action to reach the Final Four of the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history.
While Kansas State's Markquis Nowell notched 30 points, three rebounds, 12 assists and five steals, the remainder of the team put together a disappointing performance as the only other player to reach double digits in scoring was Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block.
FAU, meanwhile, was paced by Alijah Martin, who posted 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks, and also saw Johnell Davis (13 points), Vladislav Goldin (14 points) and Bryan Greenlee (16 points) finish with double digits in scoring.
Twitter was stunned by the upset but also noted that the Owls are legit and deserve the same recognition as many of the top men's basketball programs in the country:
Prior to this year's tournament, FAU hadn't reached the NCAA tournament since the 2001-02 season, when they fell in the first round. This is just the team's second-ever appearance in the tournament.
Dusty May, who was hired as the program's head coach ahead of the 2018-19 season, has led the Owls on a drastic turnaround since then, leading the team to its first-ever 30-plus win season this year.
The Owls will face either No. 5 San Diego State or No. 6 Creighton in the Final Four on April 1 with a berth in the NCAA championship game on the line.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
The ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic Owls are not ready to let the clock strike midnight on their Cinderella run in the 2023 NCAA men's basketball tournament.
On Thursday, FAU upset the fourth-seeded Tennessee Vols 62-55 to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history.
It was a gritty game that saw the Owls overcome a five-point halftime deficit and outscore the Vols 40-28 in the second half. FAU put the clamps on an offensively challenged Tennessee team, limiting the SEC foe to 33.3 percent from the floor and 26.1 percent (6-of-23) from beyond the arc.
Sophomore guard Johnell Davis scored a game-high 15 points, 13 of which came in the second half, to lead the way for the Owls. Nicholas Boyd added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Michael Forrest chipped in 11 points off the bench.
Fans on Twitter were excited by the Owls' dramatic upset victory on Thursday night:
FAU is one of those teams that entered the tournament peaking at the right time, and it showed against Tennessee. The Owls were not intimidated by the moment, and their magical run will have a good chance at continuing if they maintain that attitude.
Thursday's win sets up an Elite Eight matchup against No. 3 Kansas State this weekend. FAU will surely be ready to seize the opportunity with a Final Four berth on the line.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson's run in the NCAA tournament has come to an end.
The Knights fell to the No. 9 Florida Atlantic Owls 78-70 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA tournament. FDU put up a valiant effort, mounting a second-half comeback after entering halftime down 32-25, but it wasn't enough as the Owls closed it out.
FAU got some clutch play down the stretch from sophomore guard Johnell Davis, who finished with 29 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Sophomore guard Alijah Martin was also solid, notching 14 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.
Meanwhile, FDU was paced by senior guard Demetre Roberts, who finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. Junior forward Sean Moore and junior guard Joe Munden Jr. also combined for 27 points in the loss.
While the Knights came up short, college basketball fans on Twitter applauded the team for its run in the NCAA tournament, which included an upset of No. 1 Purdue in the first round:
FDU has nothing to be ashamed of. Beating a team ranked No. 1 in the nation and then falling in a tightly contested second-round contest should leave the Knights with their heads held high.
FAU, meanwhile, will take on No. 4 Tennessee in the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
North Texas assistant coach Nelson Haggerty died Friday in a single-car crash at the age of 47.
North Texas' athletics website released a statement:
"Our hearts hurt for Nelson's family, our men's basketball family, the UNT community and everyone Nelson positively impacted during his life and career," North Texas athletic director Wren Baker said as part of the school's statement. "Nelson had many special gifts and talents. He was full of positive energy and encouragement, and he will be missed dearly. Please keep the Haggerty family and our UNT basketball family in your thoughts and prayers."
Haggerty was a Baylor alum who played four seasons with the program from 1991-95. The Bears offered their condolences to his family and friends on Twitter:
During his senior season at Baylor, Haggerty led the nation with 10.1 assists per game.
Haggerty just finished his second season as an assistant coach on the Mean Green's staff under head coach Grant McCasland.
Prior to joining North Texas, Haggerty spent 10 seasons at Midwestern State. His final eight years with the program were as head coach. The Texas native went 155-87 and was named Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year twice with the Mustangs.
Haggerty won four Lone Star Conference regular-season titles, two conference tournament titles and made appearances in the NCAA Division II tournament in each of his first five seasons with the Mustangs.
UTEP head basketball coach Rodney Terry was hospitalized Wednesday in Miami after an allergic reaction.
The school announced Terry remains in critical condition, but he is expected to make a full recovery after going into anaphylactic shock on Jan. 1.
"UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry was admitted to a Miami area hospital on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 1 due to anaphylactic shock," per UTEP's statement (h/t Bret Bloomquist of the El Paso Times). "Medical officials say he is in critical but stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. There is no timetable for his return to the UTEP bench."
Terry traveled with the team to Miami for Thursday's game when his allergic reaction occurred. Assistant coach Kenton Paulino took Terry's place on the bench for the Miners in their 69-67 loss to Florida International.
"He really wanted to be here," Paulino said in a post-game radio interview (h/t Bloomquist). "He's doing much, much better. They want to hold him a certain period of time, but he's ready to get back."
UTEP will travel to Boca Raton, Florida, for Saturday's game against Florida Atlantic. The team will return to El Paso after that for three straight home contests against Southern Mississippi (Jan. 9), Louisiana Tech (Jan. 11) and UTSA (Jan. 15).
Terry, 51, is in his second season as head coach at UTEP. The Miners' nine wins in 2019-20 have already surpassed their total from all of last season (8-21).
UTEP men's basketball assistant coach Lamont Smith, who led the University of San Diego's men's hoops program from 2015 to 2018, has resigned from his post after USD said he was the coach implicated in the wide-ranging college admissions bribery scandal.
Alex Nicolas of Talk Town Sports El Paso provided an official statement from UTEP:
Allison Horn of ABC 10 News of San Diego provided more information:
"The initial indictment, released earlier in March, alleged real estate developer Robert Flaxman paid about $100,000 to get his son in the 'side door' with the help of a USD coach. Federal documents claim an FBI witness and Smith worked to accept Flaxman's son, an Industrial Systems Engineer Major, as an athletic recruit, although he did not play basketball."
Per the Associated Press (h/t Washington Post), USD "said it was able to publicly identify Smith on Wednesday only after the U.S. Department of Justice modified a confidentiality order."
According to Rebecca Halleck of the New York Times, "federal authorities charged 50 people on [Tuesday, March 12] with taking part in a nationwide scheme to game the admissions process at highly competitive schools." The list includes actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.
Smith resigned from USD after being arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, assault with force likely to commit great bodily injury and false imprisonment, per Don Norcross and Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Charges were not filed, but Smith stepped down on March 7.
Charles Bassey, a 5-star center from the Aspire Basketball Academy in Louisville, Kentucky, reportedly committed to Western Kentucky on Wednesday, according to Jon Rothstein of FRS Hoopz.
Bassey, who stands 6'10" and weighs 220 pounds, is ranked as the No. 1 player from the state of Kentucky, the No. 2 center and the No. 3 player nationally in the Class of 2019, according to 247Sports. But as Rothstein reported, Bassey will reclassify into the Class of 2018, making him eligible to play this upcoming season.
Jerry Meyer of 247Sports called him "a physically imposing player" who "makes getting a double-double look easy" and is an "explosive athlete with a high-level motor."
He added: "There is nothing cute or sexy about Bassey’s game, so it is unfortunately tempting to take his prodigious production for granted."
And Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote in February:
"Simply put, Bassey does stuff that other guys can’t do with his athleticism and length. There are times when he looks like he’s out of a play, but he will just rise above everyone to grab a rebound and put it back into the net. This allows him to be productive at just about any level he plays. His physical tools will almost certainly carry him to the NBA."
Vecenie noted Bassey still looked raw at the time, and his defense and overall instincts will need to improve. At Western Kentucky, he'll have the opportunity to iron out some of his weaknesses. But his physical profile and overall strengths are so impressive that his shortcomings are unlikely to overshadow his strengths.
And they are areas in which he can grow. He can improve defensively. He can improve the consistency of his jump shot. His feel for the game will continue to mature.
Bassey isn't the most polished prospect, but the fact that he can still dominate despite makes it scary to imagine what he can become if he steadily works on his game.
Certainly, Western Kentucky will be excited to find out next season.
