FAU basketball coach Dusty May: 'These guys just took everyone on a heck of a ride' | D'Angelo

HOUSTON — This will sting. No matter how many wins. No matter how many records were set. No matter that the season will forever hold a spot in the Florida Atlantic University history books.

Holding the lead as the buzzer sounds in the national semifinal game, and feeling helpless as Lamont Butler's shot floated toward the basket after he released it with less than a second to play, will take time to process.

But as time goes on, as these players are able to look back with clearer heads and less heartache, one day they will realize what they accomplished.

Realize this was an experience and an achievement that, as coach Dusty May said, "created memories and a legacy for a lifetime," and will have people "talking about them for the next 50 to 100 years."

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Losing 72-71 to San Diego State at NRG Stadium Saturday, a game in which FAU led for the final 26 1/2 minutes until the final shot and by 14 points in the second half, will not diminish what this team accomplished:

A 35-4 record. Conference USA regular season and tournament champions. Four wins in the NCAA Tournament. East Regional champions.

All firsts or bests in a program that wasn't even on college basketball's radar when the season started.

"We put FAU on the map," guard Nick Boyd said. "And we took it to a new height."

Boyd, a redshirt freshman, and sophomore guard Alijah Martin, who led all scorers with 26 points, were as poised on the postgame podium as this team has been throughout this run. Both acknowledged the disappointment of seeing No. 5 seed San Diego State (32-6) grab the defensive rebound with five seconds to play, race the length of the court and manage a pretty clean look for the game winner.

"I was in shock when the buzzer went off," Boyd said.

"To realize something has come to an end, it was devastating," Martin said.

The Owls locker room was quiet. As upbeat as Martin was on the podium, he sat in front of his locker, head down, at one time snapping his arm as if he was re-running a play in his head.

"These guys just took everyone on a heck of a ride," May said. "The hardest part is there's no next."

Owls deserve a parade or a bunch of NIL deals

That ride needs to be celebrated. Whether it's with a parade down Glades Road, keys to the city, or The Boca Raton resort stepping up and giving every member of this team an NIL deal that includes a relaxing weekend at the swanky resort.

What this group accomplished not only will be documented in the school's history books but will part of Final Four lore. The most unlikely Final Four participant never looked over matched at any time during this three-week run. A No. 9 seed never feeling the pressure of being in its sports' brightest spotlight and on the biggest stage and always believing they belonged.

"The wins, the banners, all that stuff, you know, the young guys chase that stuff," May said. "The winning's awesome but these guys, they're going into the real world and be ready to knock it out of the park."

For most in May's nine-man rotation - all but Michael Forrest return - there's a lot of basketball left before entering that real world. When Boyd said walking off the court was "bittersweet," the bitter was the season abruptly ending.

The sweet was knowing nearly every player who shared that disappointment will be running this back again looking to prove 2022-23 was no fluke.

May is absolutely certain this group will not spend the next six months satisfied with playing deeper into the season than programs such as Duke, Kentucky and Kansas.

He is certain that thousands of shots will be launched in the gym that soon will hoist a Final Four banner.

"We're going to get into the foxhole and we're going to work like crazy every single day," May said. "And we're going to enjoy the work.

"The NCAA makes us take a couple of weeks off to regroup and we'll get back to work again."

FAU will look to the future after its greatest season

May made sure this group would be able to look back at what it accomplished with an eye to the future by resisting any offers that came his way from schools that play in arenas with five times more seats than the gym affectionately known as The Burrow.

The coach assured his players weeks ago he would return and made that public during the Final Four. A new long-term contract with a hefty raise is awaiting his signature.

"All I can do is smile and be appreciative of the run we went on and know next year you're going to hear it from FAU again," Boyd said. "You're going to see us in the same position. It's going to be a different outcome, I promise you."

Between May's return and a group of players that became America's underdogs and stunned the basketball world returning, who can doubt Boyd.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FAU determined to run it back after losing to San Diego State in Final Four