Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, is one of the top NCAA Division II basketball programs not just because of its winning records year after year, but because of the international students who become part of the university’s family, not just for their academics and campus life, but also for their sports.

As of 2025, there are 3,550 students, including undergraduates and graduate students. Students transferring to Lynn University increased by 11% in the 2025-2026 academic year, a figure that plays a crucial role in building winning teams. This year, the international student population increased by 3%, bringing the total to 19% of the student body at Lynn University. Students attending the university are from over 50 countries, up from 46 in 2024, and this number will continue to grow in 2026-2027.

The home of the Fighting Knights has won 27 NCAA National Championships. The men’s basketball program is looking to add to Lynn’s total by capturing their first National Championship this 2025-2026 basketball season. People view winning National Championships as success, and while that is true, it’s also about creating a family and recruiting athletes who will be leaders not just on the field or court, but in the classroom and in the community.

Lynn University’s president, Kevin Ross, and athletic director, Kathy Kroupa, are just a few names to highlight from the university’s athletics department’s success. Kevin Ross became the president of Lynn University in 2006. Throughout his tenure, the athletic department has expanded tremendously, helping develop 19 teams and securing 10 NCAA Division II championships. Kathy Kroupa served as the interim athletic director for seven months before being named the permanent athletic director in December 2023. In Kroupa’s short tenure thus far, according to Lynn University’s website, she has already secured four Sunshine State Championships, an NCAA South Regional Championship in Women’s Golf, Men’s soccer and Volleyball, an NCAA Division II National Championship in the 200 medley relay for Women’s swimming, and NCAA Division II National Championships in Men’s soccer and Volleyball.

Men’s coach Bill Morosco began his career as head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2024. Coach Morosco knew he had big shoes to fill after highly regarded head coach Jeff Price stepped down at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season. Price was head coach of the Fighting Knights in two different stints from 1993 to 1999 and 2013-2024. Coach Price secured 242 wins and led the Fighting Knights to eight postseason appearances and 20 winning seasons. “Coach Price was a legendary coach and kind of really started the program here at Lynn. He gave me my first opportunity, and I was fortunate to be brought into a situation where I could learn right away. I was able to get experience on a Sweet 16 team, which was an incredible experience,” said Lynn University assistant head coach Nick DeAtley.

Coach DeAtley said, “This is my eighth year in the program, and I would not be here in the program if I didn’t love this school, the administration that has supported me, and especially our basketball team.

The big shoes to fill did not seem to faze Coach Morosco, who led his team to a 21-9 overall record in his rookie season. As the 2025 season has kicked off, Coach Morosco is aiming to lead his team to the Sunshine State championship and to the NCAA Division II tournament, where they can earn their first National Championship.

Lynn University is different from most colleges and universities in the country, which is what makes Lynn so appealing to incoming freshmen and transfer students, including assistant head coach Nick DeAtley and international men’s basketball players Fredericks Meinarts and Sveinn Birgisson.

Coach Nick DeAtley said, “It’s a school with almost 20% international students. It’s in South Florida, which is an extremely vibrant area. It’s no surprise that people who want to live in the States want to come here, but also international students. Our school’s culture really embraces the international community. I think our cafeteria is ranked number two in the state of Florida, if not the first. I mean, just the food alone promotes different cultures almost every single month.”

Fredericks Meinarts, a sophomore from Riga, Latvia, brings over NCAA Division I experience after transferring from the University of Buffalo. While at the University of Buffalo, he appeared in 24 games as a freshman, averaging 9.4 minutes per game and scoring a career-high 10 points against Notre Dame. Before playing college basketball, Meinarts played for Rigas Zelli in the Latvian Estonian Basketball League while also representing Latvia at the 2022 under-18 FIBA European Championship, where he averaged 15.4 minutes and 10.6 points per game, and knew that with all of his prior experience, he could help lead Lynn to a championship. “Lynn is an NCAA Division II school, and they’re not only known for the campus, academics, and the area in Boca Raton, but the great coaches they have and the championships they have won, said Meinarts. The recruiting process at Lynn felt different from the start. “Coach Morosco was really great. He was very welcoming, and I felt that connection that I didn’t feel with other coaches while being recruited.”

While Meinarts is successful playing in the United States, he feels that if he had not played in the FIBA Championships, he likely would not be playing for Lynn University. “That summer with the national team was really good for me because I was being recruited by schools just because of the national team’s performance, which kind of helped me because I wasn’t really too sure if I wanted to come to the US after the national team. The national team really helped me with being recruited by coaches in the US. I’m really happy about the summer I had with the national team. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have that summer. I’d probably be back home playing somewhere in Europe, to be honest.

Sveinn Birgisson, a senior from Reykjavik, Iceland, majoring in investment management, is a forward playing his second season for the Fighting Knights. Prior to Lynn, Birgisson played NCAA Division I basketball for Siena College. Birgisson is coming off a season with the Fighting Knights in which he appeared in 29 games, averaging 7.4 points per game while recording 108 rebounds and leading the team in free-throw shooting, making 31 of 35 attempts. In addition to playing basketball for Sienna and Lynn University, he represented the Iceland National Team at the FIBA 2022 U20, 2019 U18, and 2018 U16 European Championships.

There were other opportunities for Birgisson to play, but Lynn University stood out to him the moment he set foot on campus. “I think the biggest factor in my choosing Lynn was the coaches. Coach Nick and Coach Morosco had me come in for a visit, and I just fell in love with the environment. I fell in love with the area. It’s obviously a beautiful area.”

Leaving home is not always for college students, particularly for international students. A big part of what helps students feel comfortable and get acclimated to the new environment to be successful is the staff, such as the coaches. “I would say a big part of that is coach Marasco. From day one, he treats us like one of his own,” said Birgisson. “From the first practice, we always huddle up, and at the end of practice, we huddle up, and we say family. That’s what we are. We are family.”

“I think when they first get here, it’s understanding that it’s a huge adjustment and being sympathetic to that. I think that’s a huge part. I think it’s more about just embracing them and showing them, you know, what life is like here and all the awesome things they can experience. It’s natural to be homesick. But when you also go to a school that’s 20% international, you’re going to see someone who’s probably in the same situation as you. I think that’s, and, and, and having that connection with other internationals allows you to have a kind of family within, you know, the school environment. The way we run our program and the culture we have within our team are another family,” says Coach DeAtley.

Tall basketball players are typically beneficial to have in the game, and Birgisson and Meinarts fit right into the category. Birgisson stands 6-feet, 7-inches tall, and Meinarnts stands an even 7-feet tall. Meinarts says that he is more than just a player who gets up and grabs the rebound. “I feel comfortable playing outside of the paint. I love finding my open teammates. I love passing and shooting the ball. Those are my main strengths. I feel like offensively and defensively, I’m getting better at blocking shots and contesting shots this season. I’m really trying to focus on getting better, like rebounding and guarding bigger guys in the post. I’d say the best part about me is shooting the ball and finding open teammates. I’ve been getting looks in the post this year more than I did last year.”

Team chemistry creates winning teams, which also requires team bonding activities outside of playing basketball. We also have a team retreat in which we do different activities in which we really learn about each other while we’re in the weight room, but also sitting down in a in a classroom and also having conversations about what our team goals are and what we want to accomplish this year as a staff, as a team and there’s a program that we want to represent,” said Coach DeAtley “We also had the opportunity this year to go to Delray Beach and go to the Pinball museum. They hosted us, and we were able to visit a pinball museum and play some pool and old-school, you know, video games. We were there for a couple of hours just having fun, and that’s important.”

Coach DeAtley, Birgisson, and Meinarts are confident that they have a championship-caliber team this season. “I think our team last year set the foundation, and we’re trying to elevate it and, again, put on a floor project that the area, the school, and our administration are going to be really proud of. We play a really unique brand of basketball and a conceptual style that I think fans are going to really like.”

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