HOUSTON -- The communication was almost immediate and, given the circumstances, the timing was fitting.

In the moments after Miami defeated Texas in the Elite Eight and secured its first-ever berth to the Final Four, Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga received a text message from Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May, whose Owls already had secured their own Final Four bid.

Those two victories marked a banner weekend for South Florida basketball. The campuses of Miami and FAU are separated by 50 miles, and the significance of the Hurricanes and Owls participating in the Final Four for the first time simultaneously wasn't lost on either coach.