Good morning. If you put Florida Atlantic men’s basketball coach Dusty May in a room with famed former Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski, the conversation is certainly going to turn to last year’s historic run in the Final Four.

"Seems like now we can go anywhere in the world, and people recognize FAU, said May during the Basketball and Beyond With Coach K podcast. “So we are very proud to help the larger cause."

Coach K had his own take on it, saying, “It needs another level of maturity because it was all cool, great, exciting, and a little bit unexpected. Now everything is expected."

For the full episode, click here: a subscription to SiriusXM is required to listen to the full interview.

What else can you find mixed into today’s Brew?

⚾️ A look at former Owl Nolan Schanuel’s success playing MLB
👀 A closer look at the PowerOwls Club’s contributions with today’s trivia
🦉 And much, much more

📈 STOCK UP

Stock Up is brought to you by Go Solar Power—receive a complimentary Solar and Tesla Powerwall Savings Plan today. Receive a $2,000 rebate check at installation for being an Owl fan!

🔼 An Angel Gets His Wings. As a 6 ft. 4 220-pound first baseman, Nolan Schanuel stepped onto campus at Florida Atlantic University in the fall of 2020 with ambitious goals.
 
"I wanted to be the best player this program has ever seen, and I wanted to continue my career at the professional level."
 
Coming out of the renowned Park Vista High School's baseball program in Lake Worth, Schanuel had multiple Division I offers, but Florida Atlantic was the one closest to home and the one that provided the best fit.
 
"He mentioned how important family unity was to him," noted FAU head baseball coach John McCormack. "He saw the value in sharing his collegiate experience with his family and allowing them to be part of what was going on in his life. I think he also saw the value of what we, as a staff, were trying to accomplish with him in terms of unlocking his potential."
 
"The coaching staff took me in from day one and told me what I needed to hear as opposed to what I wanted to hear," Schanuel added. "I think that's so important for the player and person that I've developed into three years later."
 
Fast-forward to 2023, and the hometown kid is now one of the most decorated student-athletes in school history. The hype train officially went into motion in January when Schanuel was named Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year and a Preseason All-American by four major college baseball publications.
 
The lofty preseason expectations would have been a burden to some, but not for Schanuel. He sent shockwaves throughout the college baseball landscape in late February when he homered twice in a 6-5 win over No. 22 Miami. One week later, he launched three more home runs on the road at No. 6 Florida, who fell to LSU in a best-of-three in the 2023 College World Series finale.

Read the full article for more on Schanuel’s academic success, becoming the 11th pick in the MLB Draft, and a major league debut that featured him leading off in front of none other than man-of-the-hour Shohei Ohtani.

🤝 HERE TO HELP

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🤔 PARADISE TRIVIA

Paradise Trivia is brought to you by the PowerOwls Club—an exclusive community dedicated to connecting FAU fans and student-athletes. Stay in the know about all they’re doing here.

Lending a Hand. They might not go under the points column, but assists can and do win games.

Think you know the answer? Scroll down to the bottom to find out!

🦉 ONE BIG THING

A Show of Gratitude From Paradise. Florida Atlantic’s Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White weighed in on the retirement of American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco.

📬 FORWARDED BY A FRIEND

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The Week Ahead is brought to you by our friends at Sage Dental, who are creating a modern, family-friendly approach to dentistry with one thing in mind—you. From pediatric dentistry and orthodontics to teeth cleanings and oral surgery, they work to provide you and your family the best dental care all in one place.

📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Monday 12/11

(No Activities Scheduled)

Tuesday 12/12

(No Activities Scheduled)

Wednesday 12/13

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. FIU @ 7pm ET ESPN+ Fox Sports South Florida | Live Audio | Live Stats

Thursday 12/14

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. FIU @ 11am ET ESPN+ | Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets

Friday 12/15

(No Activities Scheduled)

Saturday 12/16

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Howard @ 2pm ET ESPN+ | Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. St. Bonaventure - Basketball Hall of Fame Classic @ 4pm ET ESPNU Fox Sports South Florida | Live Audio | Live Stats

Sunday 12/17

🌊 Swim vs. Open Water National Championship

🦉 Click here to view the entire FAU Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Nick Boyd

Check out these stats from Boyd’s redshirt freshman year: 👀

• Played in 38 of the Owls’ 39 games, with 37 starts at guard

• Averaged 8.9 points per game, good for fourth on the team, as well as 4.3 rebounds per game, also ranking fourth on the team

• Shot 40% from 3-point range to rank second on the team, going 68-170

• Came through in the clutch in the first-round win over Memphis in the NCAA Tournament, scoring a lay-up with two seconds left to put FAU up 66-65 and give the Owls their first NCAA Tournament win ever

• Scored 12 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the Sweet Sixteen win over Tennessee

• Scored 12 points and knocked down 4-of-7 from 3-point range in the Final Four against San Diego State

• Scored a career-high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range in the win over Rice

• Led FAU in assists with 92 on the season

• Recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win over South Alabama on Nov. 30

• The 40% shooting from 3-point range is the seventh highest in a single season in FAU history

• His 68 made 3-pointers were the second-most on the team

• Currently ranks fourth all-time in FAU history in career shooting percentage (40%)

• Heading into the 2023-24 season, he is FAU’s all-time leader in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.23)

🦉 Have a great Monday, y’all