FAU basketball coach Dusty May looking to carry momentum of Final Four run into offseason

BOCA RATON — The seat has lost most of its padding and the bike has a few battle scars. But all-in-all, the Felt bicycle Florida Atlantic basketball coach Dusty May bought from a doctor in Ruston, La., more than 10 years ago — when he was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech — remains a worthy mode of transportation.

Still, May is ready to trade in the trusty two-wheeler that has accompanied his journey the last decade from anonymous assistant to rising star.

"I'm in the market for a new one," he said after making the 1.5 mile trek from his home to his office one day last week, a regular routine during the offseason.

Of course, not much is "routine" for Dusty May and the FAU basketball program nowadays. Not after becoming sweethearts of March Madness with one of the most improbable runs to the Final Four in tournament history.

That road to the Final Four was smooth compared to May's last month with all the demands on his time since returning from Houston having lost in the national semifinal on a buzzer beater.

From throwing out the first pitch at a Marlins game to being celebrated in West Palm Beach and Tallahassee to having received the key to the city of Boca Raton, May now is hearing a lot more horns honking and his name shouted during his bike rides. And none of it having to do with road rage.

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"It's been overwhelming because it's all come at once," May said. "But … you begin to complain that you don't want to do this or don't want to do that, and then you think a year or two years ago, you'd be begging for these opportunities.

"You can't forget where you were because of where you are right now. We're very grateful for so many people giving us an opportunity to spread the gospel."

Trying to generate buzz

For FAU's basketball program, this is the time to spread the word, shout from the mountaintop (or at least from the top of FAU Stadium) that there is an opportunity here to jump on the May Train.

After all, this athletic department never has had this kind of momentum and opportunity, in any sport, to reel in supporters.

May and Athletic Director Brian White recently spoke in front of a couple hundred people at The Boca Raton, many with "almost zero" connection to FAU. The event was hosted by the Paradise Collective.

"Our goal collectively is to make sure we're maximizing our momentum and our community outreach," White said. "There's just so much positivity around the men's basketball program but also the athletic department and the university. We've had so many more people come out that maybe haven't been historical FAU fans but are community people that have great means to help and support the university that are now really jumping on board."

May described it as "trying to generate buzz." He said now is the time to get out in the community, while the memory of FAU's run remains fresh.

"Right now we have to capitalize on our momentum."

Not only to keep the talent flowing from high schools, junior colleges and the transfer portal, but to take advantage of FAU's affluent surroundings and make sure some of that money makes it to the athletic department's coffers.

Part of that plan is to require a donation for every season ticket for the 2023-24 season, a common practice in college sports. The donations will vary from $250 for reserved arena seating to $2,000 for floor seats. Season tickets go on sale this week. And upgrades are under way at Baldwin Arena, an $11 million-plus project that will continue to evolve as money flows FAU's way.

Hometown heroes

Last month, the team gathered for a dinner at Matteo's in Boca Raton. As they walked by the outdoor patio, diners stood up and clapped. And that was not the first standing ovation they've heard this year.

"It was just really cool to see our guys recognized in that setting," May said.

As it is for May, when he cuts through his neighborhood, rides along a short stretch of Glades Road and enters campus hearing, "Hey, coach," or "Hey, Dusty."

"I don't think that ever happened before," May said before thinking. "No … I know it didn't."

Just like May never had thrown out a first pitch in a MLB park, something he practiced for with his wife, Anna Nonte-May, and son, Eli, to make sure he would not do what he did when he delivered that pitch before the Marlins hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 16.

"Didn't throw a very good ball," he said. "But luckily I had a good catcher. He picked up the one hop."

The scuffed ball now sits in May's home.

Nor had the program been honored by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners with a proclamation that declared "FAU Men's Basketball Week." Or welcomed on the Senate Floor in Tallahassee for a resolution recognizing and celebrating its accomplishments. Or toasted in front of hundreds of people at Mizner Park.

And May has never seen such a demand on his services, one which ended with the coach keeping his word to his team and negotiating a 10-year deal with a total base salary of more than $1.57 million per year.

Maybe it is time to upgrade that Felt.

"I told them all along ... it's gonna be very, very hard for me to leave this place. You never say never because people change but we are 100% committed here all along," May said. "We talked about it during the regular season and decided let's wait until after the season and then we'll iron out the details."

Disappointing ending, exciting future

FAU led for the final 26 1/2 minutes of the semifinal game against San Diego State at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Owls even led as the buzzer sounded. But then Lamont Butler's shot fell through the net. Final score: San Diego State 72, FAU 71.

On to 2023-24.

I asked May if he has nightmares about the shot. He said it's not the shot he thinks about, but the uncharacteristic mistakes his team made during the game.

"There're some mistakes we made in the game that we hadn't made since November," he said. "We had a couple bad bounces, made a couple of mistakes I wish we could have back."

Things like missed block outs and others that "this team didn't do very often."

Now comes the hard part. What's the saying: It's tougher to stay on top than it is getting there?

FAU has to deal with expectations, being circled on most opponents' schedules and an upgrade in competition, leaving Conference USA for the American Athletic Conference.

If Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis come back — both have declared for the NBA draft but reserve the right to return to FAU — May will welcome back eight of his top nine rotational players from a 35-4 team. With Devin Vanterpool, a 6-foot-3 guard from Christ The King in New York, having signed, the Owls have one available scholarship.

May is reaching out to peers and friends about making sure next year's team does not enter the season satisfied and still basking in last year's success.

He talked to members of former Florida coach Billy Donovan's staff who were part of the Gators' back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007, including Matt McCall, a former FAU assistant and Chattanooga and UMass head coach who lives in Jupiter.

And Brad Stevens, the Celtics president and former coach who took Butler to the Final Four in 2010 and 2011. Stevens and May are Indiana natives who have known each other since playing travel ball together.

The message was the same: Don't talk about the Final Four run.

"We're not chasing the Final Four, we're chasing 2023-24 to be the absolute best team we can be," May said. "And if we're thinking about the Final Four, and what we did last year, that's just going to be a distraction.

"It will be different because this will be the first time we've been picked even higher than fifth in our league. Preseason rankings, all that stuff. But as our guys showed last year, that stuff really didn't affect their day-to-day activities. They had the same work ethic, they had the same focus and determination."

A team that had never cracked the Top 25 until last season, will be a trendy pick next season. The Owls are ranked No. 5 in ESPN's way-too-early Top 25.

"We want that attention to go all offseason," May said. "Anything we can do to put FAU in front of recruiting, coaches, fans."

But No. 5?

"We'd like to be No. 1," he said.

Now that would be seizing the moment.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dusty May, FAU Owls basketball keeping momentum going after Final Four run