Martin Becomes First Alum Drafted in the NBA; Two Others Sign

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Three Florida Atlantic men's basketball alumni have joined the NBA. On Thursday evening, Alijah Martin was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, becoming the first alum to be drafted in program history. Following the conclusion of the draft, center Vladislav Goldin agreed to a two-way contract with the Miami HEAT, while guard Johnell Davis signed to play for the Orlando Magic's summer league team.

Entering a program that previously did not have an NCAA Tournament win in its history, Martin, Goldin, and Davis were integral star players in FAU's legendary 2023 Final Four run and its ensuing 2024 tournament appearance, a stretch that saw the team win the fourth most games in the nation.

Alijah Martin Drafted

Martin (2020-24) finished his run with Florida Atlantic as the sixth highest scorer in program history with 1,476 points. In 124 career games, he made 86 starts and earned spots on an All-Conference team in his last three seasons. Martin was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 2023 CUSA Championship after a 30-point, 11 rebound performance to give the Owls their first tournament title and bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2002. He later led Florida Atlantic in its first Final Four appearance with 26 points and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. Martin remained an all-conference player in the following season and won the MVP in the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational.

After graduating from Florida Atlantic in the spring of 2024, Martin was a starting guard for the national champion Florida Gators and averaged 14.4 points per game. He converted the game-winning free throws in the final minute of the championship to secure the title.

Goldin (2021-24) started 106 games in three seasons with the Owls and scored 1,162 career points. He is FAU's all-time leader in field goal percentage (.621) and is second in rebounds (665). He was a key a piece in Florida Atlantic's Elite Eight victory over Kansas State to send the Owls to their first Final Four, recording a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds. After earning All-Conference Third Team honors in 2023, Goldin was All-Conference Second Team in his first season in the American Athletic Conference, averaging 15.7 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game with eight double-doubles while leading the AAC in field goal percentage (.673).

Following his spring 2024 graduation from FAU, Goldin followed his former Owls Head Coach Dusty May to Michigan. Goldin led the Wolverines in scoring (16.6 ppg) on the way to the Big Ten title, where he was named tournament MVP. He was a top five finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the nation's top center. With Goldin's leadership, Michigan made a run to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.

Davis (2020-24) was the Owls' top scorer in both 2022-23 and '23-'24, the latter campaign saw him named as the Co-AAC Player of the Year. The Gary, Indiana native was an All-Conference First Team member in both seasons. In his breakout year in 2023, in which he won Sixth Man of the Year, Davis scored a career high 36 points on UAB on January 5. He later made history in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, becoming the first player to score 25+ points and record 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ steals in a tournament game. In the following season, Davis' game reached new heights, averaging a career high 18.2 points per game. He was named to the top 10 of the Jerry West Award which is awarded to the nation's best shooting guard as well as the midseason top 20 for the Wooden Award for the top player in Division I.

After his four seasons with the Owls and his summer 2024 graduation from FAU, Davis joined Arkansas and averaged 20.3 points per game in three games during the NCAA Tournament, including 30 points in the Sweet Sixteen versus Texas Tech.

FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things FAU men's basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.

Calendar

Upcoming Events