Since their arrival in Boca Raton, Florida, in late March, Florida Atlantic’s new coaching staff, led by John Jakus, has been trying to rebuild the men’s basketball roster following the departure of former head coach Dusty May to Michigan. Jakus and his staff have built the team from the ground up, using a combination of high school recruits, international players and transfers.
Jakus, who some describe as a cross between Baylor coach Scott Drew and Gonzaga coach Mark Few, has signed eleven new players, leaving only four from last season’s 25-win squad.
Two notable newcomers are Baba Miller, a transfer from Florida State, who started 32 of 33 games last season, and transfer redshirt senior Ken Evans Jr., who averaged 18.8 points per game at Jackson State and won SWAC Player of the Year.
The entire coaching staff is relatively new, with six of the eight coaches entering their first season with the Owls.
Two of the newcomer coaches that stand out are Isaiah Austin and Aditya Malhotra, both coming from being player development coaches in the NBA. Jakus and Malhotra’s coaching connection dates to when they were both assistant coaches at Baylor University in 2017. Austin, a former professional basketball player, played two seasons while Jakus was a graduate assistant at Baylor.
An exciting new era at FAU begins thanks to the combination of fresh faces on the roster and veteran coaches on the sidelines. Jakus, who is well-known for emphasizing player development and analytics, is committed to creating a culture of growth and accountability.
“We have to establish some standards and those standards come from habits and those habits allow us to hold these guys accountable,” Jakus recently told FAU Owl’s Nest.
As FAU enters this new chapter, the question remains, how well will Jakus be able to use his coaching style to shape this revamped squad into a cohesive and formidable group that can return to the NCAA Tournament?
