Johnell Davis, Alijah Martin on why they are returning to FAU after exploring NBA Draft

Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin are returning to Florida Atlantic University knowing nothing is guaranteed.

Echoing what their coach, Dusty May, told The Palm Beach Post after the Owls' run to the Final Four … Last year's success always will be something to remember, something of which to be proud. But it is in the past.

What happened last year cannot be carried over into 2023-24.

"We aren't satisfied with what we did last year," Davis said Thursday. "We have to leave it in the past. Last year is last year. Now it's a new year so we have to prove ourselves this year."

Martin believes that even a Final Four run will not earn FAU the respect it deserves.

"It doesn't matter if we made the Final Four or not," Martin said. "We're not going to be respected just because we're Florida Atlantic. We're not a household name. That's been the mindset since Day 1 … prove yourself. Nothing's really changed."

The two guards announced Wednesday their intent to come back to FAU for the 2023-24 season. They declared for the NBA draft in April but did not hire agents, allowing them to return.

For both, it means returning for a fourth year after a season that ended with a loss to San Diego State on a buzzer-beater in the national semifinal game.

The experience of going through the pre-draft process and hearing honest evaluations from the NBA scouts and officials will be beneficial as they move forward.

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"I feel I've gotten way better going through this draft process and competing with guys on a day-to-day basis," said the 6-foot-2 Martin, who worked out for the Clippers, Boston, Dallas and Chicago.

"I feel like I'm an all-around better player."

Martin was told he needed to work on creating more off the dribble, ball screens and improving his assists-to-turnover ratio. He averaged 13.4 points and 5.3 rebounds for the season. But he had more turnovers (62) than assists (52).

Martin had a game-high 26 points in FAU's 72-71 loss to San Diego State.

The 6-foot-4 Davis led FAU with 13.8 points per game, including 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Owls' second-round win over Fairleigh Dickinson. He was told he needed more consistency on the perimeter and to get his teammates more involved. He averaged 1.6 assists.

"Be patient with the game and let the game come to you," Davis said he was told.

Davis worked out for Indiana, Utah, Boston, Philadelphia, Sacramento and Milwaukee. He said the workouts have given him "more confidence to come back and be a better version of myself from last year."

"I told them to be honest with me and I'll take the feedback and criticism and I'll go back to school and work on my game and the stuff I need to work on," Davis said. "All criticism is good for me, just to learn from it, come back harder and work on the details I need to work on.

Advice they will heed after some deserved rest. Davis is in Indianapolis, "chilling" and "having fun" with his grandmother, Sheila K. Little. Martin is at his family home in Summit, Miss., "just doing everything but playing basketball."

"My people suggested that I take a week off just mentally," he said.

And when they return to FAU, along with every other player from May's nine-man rotation with the exception of Michael Forrest, the program's all-time leading 3-point shooter, the focus will be on 2023-24 …

And not a storybook season that brought FAU the East Regional championship and Final Four appearance in Houston, or the heightened expectation that should have FAU in the preseason top 10.

"We're just not going to pay attention to it," Martin said. "We're still the target and we're still targeting others.

"But we still got something to prove and we're up for the challenge and whatever comes with it."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Johnell Davis, Alijah Martin on why they are returning to FAU