Florida Atlantic men\u2019s basketball tipped off its 2025 Media Day at the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, where talk of leadership and team chemistry echoed louder than any stat line or pre-season ranking.<\/p>\n
Head Coach John Jakus spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon, along with junior guard Devin Vanterpool<\/a> and freshman guard Josiah Parker<\/a>. With a new team and a new season ahead, Jakus and this team all still have one thing in common: the same drive to win.<\/p>\n The Owls kick off their season with an exhibition game on October 30<\/a> against Florida Tech and are excited to showcase their new talent to students and fans. With some new transfers and first-year players, they are looking forward to seeing how this new team performs together.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all expecting to win, expecting to play hard, and expecting to shock the world,\u201d said Indiana transfer Kanaan Carlyle.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vanterpool is the last player left from the \u201cDusty May era,\u201d and is hoping to step into this season, taking on a leadership role for this team.\u201cThis is my third year being here, so I\u2019ve been through some things, seen some stuff, so I had to step up,\u201d said Vanterpool. \u201c\u200aI feel like this team will take it as far as we\u2019ll take ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Parker, a 2025 McDonald\u2019s All-American nominee and ranked No. 106<\/a> nationally in the Class of 2025 according to 247 Sports, is the younger brother of FAU assistant coach Demond Parker<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aIn areas like this, it\u2019s not really big brother, it\u2019s Coach Demond, so I try my best to separate them,\u201d said Parker. \u201cAt the end of the day, he\u2019s been here all 18 years of my life, and I\u2019m just grateful to be here with him.\u201d<\/p>\n The team finished their season with an overall record of 18-16 (10-8 AC)<\/a> and finished fifth in the American Conference rankings. After being eliminated<\/a> in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) by the Dayton Flyers, the Owls did not let that loss define them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe made the NIT my first year at Baylor, and everybody thought Scott Drew should get fired\u2026 I\u2019m not gonna judge my life based on the pressure of others,\u201d said Jakus.<\/p>\n Last season, seven players entered the transfer portal along with three graduating players, leaving Jakus with five returning players: Vanterpool, Niccolo Moretti<\/a>, Max Langenfeld<\/a>, Liam Dayco-Green<\/a>, and Amar Amkou<\/a>.<\/p>\n What began as a walk-on journey turned into a full-circle moment for Dayco-Green, who earned a full athletic scholarship<\/a> this summer after spending last year on the sidelines as a redshirt freshman.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was so full circle; everything that I\u2019ve put in,\u201d said Dayco-Green. \u201cI would also like to thank all the coaches and everyone else because I wouldn\u2019t be here without them. Just really grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Jakus does not see this setback as the fact that nine players left, but rather that five players stayed: \u201cWe can all call this a weakness, but it\u2019s a weakness that everybody\u2019s going through; you can\u2019t complain about it, you just have to get better at it,\u201d said Jakus.<\/p>\n A mix of transfers and international players accounted for the players lost last season, to name a few: Devin Williams<\/a> from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Isaiah Elohim<\/a> from the University of Southern California (USC), Carlyle<\/a> from the University of Indiana, Maxim Logue<\/a> from Oregon State University, and Belgian native Xander Pintelon<\/a>.<\/p>\n Each brings a different level of experience and background, giving Jakus a diverse roster built on both size and athleticism. \u201cSome of our players are a six or seven-hour flight from Europe, and some are a five or six-hour flight from L.A., but either way, they\u2019ve made Boca a home in the middle,\u201d Jakus said.<\/p>\n Williams, a 6-foot-10 forward and former top-75 recruit, said he was drawn to FAU because of Jakus\u2019s winning background and his leadership. \u201cHe\u2019s been around winning for a long time, and that\u2019s one of the most important things to me,\u201d Williams said. \u201cHe holds everyone to a certain standard and expectation.\u201d<\/p>\n Elohim, who played at powerhouse Sierra Canyon in high school before signing with USC, said the Owls\u2019 program and location felt like the right fit. \u201cI felt like I could get comfortable here and do well here,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve played high-major competition, so I know what winning looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n As the Owls prepare for the season, Jakus believes these additions strengthen FAU\u2019s foundation after last year\u2019s roster rebuild. \u201cThe better, healthier version of Isaiah is what we were looking for \u2013 and he\u2019s been every bit of that,\u201d Jakus said. \u201cTo get a former top-75 guy like Devin who can protect the rim and roll is a really special fit.<\/p>\n After a year of transition and reflection, the Owls are embracing their new identity while maintaining the same hunger that led to national recognition just three seasons ago.<\/p>\n \u201cPressure is a privilege,\u201d Jakus said. \u201cThere\u2019s not going to be any more pressure than what we put on ourselves. We all want the same thing: to make FAU great.\u201d<\/p>\n Angelina Martell is the Sports Editor for the University Press. For more information regarding this and other stories, email her at [email\u00a0protected]<\/a> or DM her on Instagram @angieemartell<\/a>.<\/p>\n