Will Duval | Sports Director
After spending his first three seasons in college with the North Florida Ospreys, junior forward Jonathan Aybar joined the FIU basketball team on April 25, 2023.
Standing at 6-9, 200 pounds, he has gotten off to a statistically career-best start to the season over the team’s first 10 games. Starting in all nine of his appearances, he averages 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
Beyond putting up a career-high in points and assists, Aybar has shot the ball at the most efficient clip of his career. This year, he has shot 60.4% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point distance.
Aybar has emerged as one of the Panthers’ premier offensive options and holds the third highest scoring average on the team. However, his decision to join the team was based on more than just team fit.
Born and raised in Florida, his ties to the team go further than basketball, as he lived in multiple cities throughout the state.
“It’s kind of funny actually. It [the website] says that I’m from Kissimmee but I was born in Miami. I moved out of here and to the Orlando area at about nine or 10. So yeah, I’m a Miami kid, a Florida boy for sure,” said Aybar.
Expanding further upon his decision making process, he added: “staying in the state was definitely an influence. While it didn’t ultimately didn’t decide everything for me, it was something I leaned more towards.”
The decision to stay in the state went further beyond his level of comfortability, as he values being near and being able to spend time with his family.
“I’m very family oriented. My whole family lives in Florida, so anywhere I go, I like having family close. So that kind of did influence my decision.”
His family ties go much deeper than being within the state, as his father Ramon Aybar also played at FIU from 1996-1999.
Through his three-year career with the school, he appeared in 61 games and averaged 3.7 PPG. In his freshman year, he notched a career-high in multiple season statistics, as he contributed 6.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.2 BPG.
When speaking about how his father’s time with the Panthers influenced him, he said: “I don’t like saying he did… he always wanted me to write my story and have my own path. In the back of my mind, it did have a little bit influence.”
“[I felt] it would be a blessing to be able to play at my dad’s alma mater and put on the same jersey as he did. Especially after all the stories he told me about his time here… while it wasn’t the one that decided it for me, I did feel that I wanted to keep that going.”
Carrying on his family name with the program, Aybar hasn’t needed much time to adjust to new teammates and coaches. Through his time at North Florida, he learned many lessons that he has carried into his day-to-day routine.
“My time at North Florida was wonderful. I learned how to create discipline within myself and how to hold myself to a higher standard when things aren’t going my way. Outside of basketball, I learned how to be a college student without losing control.”
“There’s nothing like Miami, so learning how to have self-control and discipline in a city like that, bringing it to Miami, it’s shown me what I’ve learned.”
In terms of basketball, he credits much of his growth to his three-year tenure with the Ospreys.
“They helped me grow my inside game tremendously. From high school to now, it’s completely different. That is carrying over into my season here… I would love to be able to say I always had this in the tank, but I can’t say that.”
Expanding further upon his growth, he said: “I’ve grown and learned a lot through my years of college basketball. I’ve definitely gotten better as the years have gone on.”
Remaining humble yet confident in his abilities, Aybar has already earned the trust of the Panthers’ coaching staff. Through the early season, he has started in all nine games that he has been available for.
Transitioning from one program to another is not an easy process, as different teams have different values.
When asked about the transition, he said: “coming here has been different, but a blessing at the same time, having a coach like coach Ballard that puts so much faith and trust in me.”
“At the same time, he holds me to a higher standard, as an older guy that is more experienced. He has expectations and responsibilities that he expects you to follow.”
Going further into his relationship with head coach Jeremy Ballard, he said: “we have a great relationship. I love that guy, he loves me. We’re able to have conversations about basketball and life. It’s been great to get to know him over these past few months.”
“He also respects me as a player and understands that nobody is perfect. Obviously, you’re going to make your mistakes, but he wants me to play through them. He understands that mistakes are mistakes, you’ve just got to fix them.”
Returning to his hometown after spending three-years in North Florida, Aybar’s choice to join FIU was more than just a basketball decision, but a family one.
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