Florida Atlantic men’s 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.

Head Coach John Jakus spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon, along with junior guard Devin Vanterpool and freshman guard Josiah Parker. 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.

The Owls kick off their season with an exhibition game on October 30 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.

“We’re all expecting to win, expecting to play hard, and expecting to shock the world,” said Indiana transfer Kanaan Carlyle. 

Vanterpool is the last player left from the “Dusty May era,” and is hoping to step into this season, taking on a leadership role for this team.“This is my third year being here, so I’ve been through some things, seen some stuff, so I had to step up,” said Vanterpool. “ I feel like this team will take it as far as we’ll take ourselves.”

Parker, a 2025 McDonald’s All-American nominee and ranked No. 106 nationally in the Class of 2025 according to 247 Sports, is the younger brother of FAU assistant coach Demond Parker. 

“ In areas like this, it’s not really big brother, it’s Coach Demond, so I try my best to separate them,” said Parker. “At the end of the day, he’s been here all 18 years of my life, and it’s definitely a difference because I’m just grateful to be here with him.”

The team finished their season with an overall record of 18-16 (10-8 AC) and finished fifth in the American Conference rankings. After being eliminated in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) by the Dayton Flyers, the Owls did not let that loss define them.

“We made the NIT my first year at Baylor, and everybody thought Scott Drew should get fired… I’m not gonna judge my life based on the pressure of others,” said Jakus.

Last season, seven players entered the transfer portal along with three graduating players, leaving Jakus with five returning players: Vanterpool, Niccolo Moretti, Max Langenfeld, Liam Dayco-Green, and Amar Amkou.

What began as a walk-on journey turned into a full-circle moment for Dayco-Green, who earned a full athletic scholarship this summer after spending last year on the sidelines as a redshirt freshman.

“It was so full circle; everything that I’ve put in,” said Dayco-Green. “I would also like to thank all the coaches and everyone else because I wouldn’t be here without them. Just really grateful.”

However, Jakus does not see this setback as the fact that nine players left, but rather that five players stayed: “We can all call this a weakness, but it’s a weakness that everybody’s going through; you can’t complain about it, you just have to get better at it,” said Jakus.

A mix of transfers and international players accounted for the players lost last season, to name a few: Devin Williams from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Isaiah Elohim from the University of Southern California (USC), Carlyle from the University of Indiana, Maxim Logue from Oregon State University, and Belgian native Xander Pintelon.

Each brings a different level of experience and background, giving Jakus a diverse roster built on both size and athleticism. “Some 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’ve made Boca a home in the middle,” Jakus said.

Williams, a 6-foot-10 forward and former top-75 recruit, said he was drawn to FAU because of Jakus’s winning background and his leadership. “He’s been around winning for a long time, and that’s one of the most important things to me,” Williams said. “He holds everyone to a certain standard and expectation.”

Elohim, who played at powerhouse Sierra Canyon in high school before signing with USC, said the Owls’ program and location felt like the right fit. “I felt like I could get comfortable here and do well here,” he said. “I’ve played high-major competition, so I know what winning looks like.”

As the Owls prepare for the season, Jakus believes these additions strengthen FAU’s foundation after last year’s roster rebuild. “The better, healthier version of Isaiah is what we were looking for – and he’s been every bit of that,” Jakus said. “To get a former top-75 guy like Devin who can protect the rim and roll is a really special fit.

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.

“Pressure is a privilege,” Jakus said. “There’s not going to be any more pressure than what we put on ourselves. We all want the same thing: to make FAU great.”

Angelina Martell is the Sports Editor for the University Press. For more information regarding this and other stories, email her at amartellmedia@gmail.com or DM her on Instagram @angieemartell.