By SAM LANCE
Florida Atlantic reached the Final Four for the first time in program history in 2022-23, and now the Owls will return their two leading scorers that helped them reach championship weekend.
Junior guards Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin officially announced via social media Wednesday that they are returning to FAU — which likely cements the Owls as a preseason top-10 team.
“I can’t wait to suit up with my teammates and our coaches this season,” Martin wrote in his announcement post. “I was eager to see what NBA draft training and workouts felt like. With this knowledge, and after tireless hours training and working out for teams at NBA facilities, I am excited to continue to work on my game at FAU and take it to new levels of production and efficiency on both sides of the court.”
Martin continued:
“I love my coaches, my teammates, and our school. Together, let’s make history again and give NBA personnel no choice but to make Boca Raton a must-visit place to evaluate NBA talent. We have unfinished business. Let’s get to work.”
The decision for the guards comes before tonight’s midnight ET deadline to remain in or withdraw from the 2023 NBA Draft. Draft night will be on June 22.
The tandem of Davis and Martin last season averaged a combined 27.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. On FAU’s run to the Final Four, Davis and Martin led the team in scoring, averaging 15.8 and 17.7 points per game, respectively. FAU lost in the national semi-final game on a buzzer- beater shot by San Diego State’s Lamont Butler.
FAU is making the move to the American Athletic Conference for the 2023-24 season and will have several non-conference games against quality opponents. This will give Davis and Martin the ability to further showcase their skills for scouts for the 2024 NBA Draft.
FAU is set to play in the Field of 68 Tipoff (Liberty and Charleston), the ESPN Orlando Invitational (Penn State, Butler, VCU and Texas A&M) and the All Star Classic (St. Bonaventure).
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