Stories for FIU

• Thomas says he remains focused on FIU
  posted on February 06, 2010 - 01:50:09 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Isiah Thomas says he is "completely focused" on his current job at Florida International and would not reveal Saturday if he had any talks about becoming coach and president of the of the

  
  
  
• Thompson's 19 leads North Texas past FIU 68-66
  posted on February 06, 2010 - 01:55:03 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Tristan Thompson scored 19 points and North Texas defeated Florida International 68-66 on Saturday.

  
  
  
• Louisiana-Lafayette sinks FIU 83-63
  posted on February 04, 2010 - 07:55:03 pm
  
  

  LAFAYETTE, La. -- Tyren Johnson scored 22 points, leading five Louisiana-Lafayette players in double figures in an 83-63 win over Florida International on Thursday night.

  
  
  
• Jarvis' streaking FAU Owls top Thomas, FIU 106-88
  posted on January 30, 2010 - 07:05:10 pm
  
  

  BOCA RATON, Fla.

  
  
  
• Isiah Thomas, Mike Jarvis getting settled in as Sun Belt coaches
  posted on January 30, 2010 - 08:50:02 am
  
  

  BOCA RATON, Fla. -- It's a long way from Madison Square Garden to FAU Arena - and a journey Isiah Thomas and Mike Jarvis had to take.

  
  
  
• Florida International beats Ark.-Little Rock 96-81
  posted on January 23, 2010 - 07:30:07 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Marvin Roberts scored 28 points to lead Florida International to a 96-81 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock on Saturday night.

  
  
  
• Arkansas State beats Florida International 76-61
  posted on January 21, 2010 - 07:25:02 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Brandon Reed scored 25 points to lead Arkansas State past Florida International 76-61 on Thursday night.

  
  
  
• Western Kentucky beats Florida International 81-64
  posted on January 16, 2010 - 07:40:14 pm
  
  

  BOWLING GREEN, Ky.

  
  
  
• Fla. International defeats Middle Tennessee 65-58
  posted on January 14, 2010 - 08:50:02 pm
  
  

  MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Marvin Roberts scored 17 points and Florida International led throughout the second half to defeat Middle Tennessee 65-58 on Thursday night.

  
  
  
• Troy defeats Florida International 84-68
  posted on January 09, 2010 - 07:25:17 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Brandon Hazzard scored 29 points to lead Troy past Florida International 84-68 on Saturday night.

  
  
  
• Florida International beats Louisiana-Monroe 62-56
  posted on January 07, 2010 - 07:10:26 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Marvin Roberts scored 12 points as Florida International defeated Louisiana Monroe 62-56 on Thursday night.

  
  
  
• New Orleans holds off Florida International 68-58
  posted on January 02, 2010 - 03:45:03 pm
  
  

  NEW ORLEANS -- Billy Humphrey scored 29 points, including a 3-pointer that put New Orleans ahead to stay in a 68-58 victory over Florida International on Saturday.

  
  
  
• South Alabama knocks off Fla. International 71-59
  posted on December 31, 2009 - 11:45:03 am
  
  

  MIAMI -- Tim Williams scored 18 points as South Alabama avoided a letdown from an upset win at Florida and defeated Florida International 71-59 on Thursday.

  
  
  
• Sam Houston State rips Florida International 93-63
  posted on December 22, 2009 - 07:25:10 pm
  
  

  HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Gilberto Clavell scored 20 points and Preston Brown added 15 as Sam Houston State defeated Florida International 93-63 on Tuesday night.

  
  
  
• FIU 80, North Texas 70
  posted on December 20, 2009 - 05:00:02 pm
  
  

  DENTON, Texas -- J.C. Otero scored a career-high 18 points and had 12 rebounds as Florida International defeated North Texas 80-70 in overtime Sunday after giving up a 16-point lead.

  
  
  
• Denver defeats Florida International 59-53
  posted on December 17, 2009 - 08:10:02 pm
  
  

  DENVER -- Andrew Hooper scored 13 points and Brian Stafford 11 as the Denver Pioneers beat Florida International 59-53.

  
  
  
• Fla. Gulf Coast defeats Fla. International 81-64
  posted on December 12, 2009 - 07:30:03 pm
  
  

  FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Reed Baker scored a season-high 20 points as Florida Gulf Coast earned its first win with an 81-64 victory over Florida International on Saturday night.

  
  
  
• No. 21 Florida St defeats Fla. International 82-62
  posted on December 06, 2009 - 12:20:02 pm
  
  

  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Deividas Dulkys scored a career-high 19 points and No.

  
  
  
• Morris leads FAU past FIU 28-21
  posted on December 05, 2009 - 08:25:05 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Alfred Morris ran for two touchdowns and caught another score as Florida Atlantic defeated Florida International 28-21 Saturday night.

  
  
  
• FIU-Florida St. Preview
  posted on December 05, 2009 - 06:25:03 pm
  
  
  STATS Writer

  After its second loss in five games, Florida State's return to the national rankings is in danger of ending.

  
  
  
• Florida International downs Florida A&M 61-54
  posted on December 03, 2009 - 09:10:08 pm
  
  

  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Marlon Bright scored 15 points and had 14 rebounds to lead Florida International to a 61-54 win over Florida A&M on Thursday night.

  
  
  
• Bowling Green defeats Florida International 67-62
  posted on November 30, 2009 - 07:10:19 pm
  
  

  BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Dee Brown scored 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting and Bowling Green defeated Florida International 67-62 on Monday night.

  
  
  
• Eastern Kentucky beats Florida International 81-67
  posted on November 28, 2009 - 06:45:03 pm
  
  

  RICHMOND, Ky. -- Pappa Oppong scored 21 points to lead five players in double figures in an 81-67 win over Florida International on Saturday night.

  Justin Stommes scored 15 points, and Josh Taylor and Spencer Perrin each had 14. Dayvon Ellis added 10 points off the bench.

  The Colonels are 5-1 for the first time since the 2006-07 season, the last time they earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

  The Panthers (2-6), led 32-31 at halftime but the Colonels shot 63.6 percent (21-for-33) from the field in the second half to pull away. The Colonels led by as many as 16 points.

  The Colonels fired 28 3-point shots and made 7 of 13 (58.1 percent) in the second half, and 42.9 percent (12-for-28) for the game.

  Marvin Roberts led the Owls with 19 points. Marlon Gary added 13 points, J.C. Otero had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Phil Gary scored 10 points.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• After 7 games, Thomas sees reason for hope at FIU
  posted on November 24, 2009 - 02:20:05 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Isiah Thomas is adjusting to what starting over really means at Florida International.

  For tip-off at FIU's most recent home game, 11 people were in the student section near the Golden Panthers' bench, three of whom forgot to stand until midway through the national anthem. All but four of the 48 courtside premium seats were empty and in the gym's highest section, security guards outnumbered fans 2-0.

  The NBA, this most assuredly is not.

  "For the most part, I'm learning every day," Thomas said.

  Just about everything about Thomas' inaugural season at FIU will be a learning process, right down to the guy in the stands who spent most of Monday night's game against Murray State overexcitedly visiting small pockets of fans, showing them how to properly stomp on the bleachers and taunt opposing foul shooters.

  "I can cheer," he insisted to a university police officer, who couldn't calm the guy down. "I'm teaching people how to cheer."

  Unlike the New York Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden, at least they're screaming for Thomas at FIU instead of at him.

  An 84-71 loss to Murray State dropped FIU to 2-5 on the season, Thomas' first at the school. FIU was the first team in the nation to play seven games this season, which gave the Hall of Fame player plenty of early opportunities to assess where the Golden Panthers are and where they have to go.

  If nothing else, Thomas has found "glimmers of hope," he said.

  "The college kids, they don't have as much talent, you know, as an NBA player has. But they have heart," Thomas said. "I mean, these guys fight. They give you everything that you could possibly want. You root so hard for them because they try so hard. You're living with every mistake that they make and you're just rooting for them because they try so hard."

  It's going to take more than trying hard for FIU to win this season.

  Thomas and his team won't be home again until Dec. 31. An eight-game stretch of road contests awaits, including a game at Florida State on Dec. 6, and the Sun Belt Conference opening swing to Denver and North Texas in the week before Christmas. The Golden Panthers will be the smaller team on the floor in each of those games, and probably not widely picked to win any of them.

  A 2-5 record could be 2-13 quickly, especially since FIU has lost 34 of its last 39 road games.

  "This'll be good for us," Thomas said. "We'll get smacked around out there a little bit, but hopefully we can learn to fight back and scratch out a game or two. But if you learn how to win on the road, come conference play in January, then you can be all right."

  While he's still learning about his team - he laughed when he saw one of the upcoming itineraries included "class time," which is a far cry from what he called "recreation time" during NBA road trips - the Golden Panthers are still learning about their coach, too.

  FIU isn't used to this sort of attention, which started in earnest with the season-opening game at defending national champion North Carolina. And some players, they're not used to having an NBA champion calling their plays, either.

  Frankly, it can be a little intimidating.

  "Some players, they're scared to speak up or whatever," said Stephon Weaver, who scored 23 points in Monday's loss. "I'm not one of them."

  Weaver said he's embraced having Thomas around, picking his brain, listening more than he probably did to any other coach in his life. With a loaded recruiting class set to come in next season, Thomas is vowing that FIU will be much improved a year from now.

  At the same time, he's telling his players that isn't a reason to tank this season, either.

  "We're trying to listen to coach, but we don't want to make him have a hard time," Weaver said. "From the Carolina game, we learned from it. We're just undersized."

  Plus, well, they're not very good, either.

  FIU is making only 38 percent of its shots, not even 24 percent from 3-point range, and is allowing 84 points per game. Its only two wins have come when scoring at least 83 points, and one of those victories was against an NAIA Division II school.

  "There's a certain way that we need to play," Thomas said. "We need to play with energy and effort all the time. We're not an extremely talented team. ... And thus far, that's why we've been kind of scrappy and able to stay in games and make it a little exciting for our fans. We're not doing it because we're overwhelming people with talent right now."

  His silver lining is there, though. There's no "Fire Isiah!" chants at FIU, no whispers of scandal, no free agency debacles haunting him unlike the end of his stint with the Knicks.

  Basketball, he said, feels like a game again.

  "I'm falling in love with the guys. I'm falling in love with the game," Thomas said. "That's a beautiful thing for me because sometimes, the game breaks your heart and I'm lovesick for the game."

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Murray State tops FIU, 84-71
  posted on November 23, 2009 - 06:20:02 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Isacc Miles scored 16 points and Murray State beat FIU 84-71 on Monday night, giving Isiah Thomas his fifth loss in seven games with the Golden Panthers.

  Danero Thomas scored 13 points, while Ivan Aska and B.J. Jenkins each added 12 for Murray State (4-1), the preseason co-favorite in the Ohio Valley. The Racers ended the first half on a 34-10 run.

  Stephon Weaver had 23 points for FIU (2-5), which playing its final home game until Dec. 31. The Golden Panthers start a run of eight straight on the road Saturday at Eastern Kentucky.

  The game capped the Miami regional in the 2K Sports Classic, benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Wells leads James Madison to 81-68 win over FIU
  posted on November 22, 2009 - 05:40:07 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Julius Wells scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead James Madison to an 81-68 win over Florida International on Sunday night.

  Darren White added 20 points and Matt Parker chipped in 13 for James Madison (1-2), which had five players score in double figures.

  Isiah Thomas' squad was looking for its first three-game winning streak since Feb. 9-20, 2008. With the loss, the Golden Panthers dropped to 2-4 in Thomas' first season.

  The Dukes went on a 10-0 run, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Parker late in the first half, to take a 35-30 lead into halftime.

  Wells drilled a trio of 3-pointers to give James Madison a 49-36 lead with 14:32 left in the game to cap a 12-0 run. FIU would get as close as six the rest of the way.

  Phil Gary scored 16 points and Stephon Weaver added 15 to lead FIU.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Florida International defeats NC Central 83-73
  posted on November 20, 2009 - 06:35:12 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Marvin Roberts finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead Florida International to an 83-73 win over North Carolina Central on Friday night.

  Phil Gary added 18 points and six assists for the Golden Panthers (2-3), while Antoine Watson contributed 14 points and six assists.

  FIU used a 6-0 run late in the first half to break a 30-all tie, and went into halftime with a 36-30 lead after a jumper by Gary with 2 seconds remaining.

  In the second half, a jumper by Marlon Bright capped a 10-2 run for the Golden Panthers that put them up 66-54 with 9:06 left in the game.

  The Eagles (1-3) were led by Vincent Davis, who had 23 points and nine rebounds. C.J. Wilkerson added 21 points.

  N.C. Central shot 39.7 percent from the field (25-for-63) and committed 17 team turnovers.

  FIU shot 50 percent in the game (31-for-62).

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• No. 1 Florida showing fledgling FIU respect
  posted on November 20, 2009 - 01:55:08 pm
  
  

  GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida coach Urban Meyer believes Florida International will be in a bowl game in the next two years.

  It might help if the Golden Panthers stopped playing powerhouse programs like Alabama and Florida.

  The top-ranked Gators (10-0) take a break from the rugged Southeastern Conference on Saturday to play fledgling FIU (3-7), a 45-point underdog still looking for a signature win.

  Meyer insists his players won't overlook FIU, even though they have rival Florida State next Saturday and a potential national championship elimination game looming against No. 2 Crimson Tide a week later in the SEC title game.

  "I probably have a little more respect for the Florida athletes and South Florida athletes than (others)," Meyer said. "I think it's going to be a good football game. I think this is going to be a team that's going to be a bowl team in the next couple years.

  "We have great respect for them and we're going to give the very best we can and try to get 11 wins."

  The Golden Panthers joined the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2005, but are winless in 16 games against teams from the Bowl Championship Series conferences. Most of those games haven't even been close, including a 40-14 loss at Alabama to open the season.

  This one could get ugly, too.

  The defending national champions have the nation's longest winning streak at 20 games, rank 14th in scoring offense, eighth in rushing offense, second in total defense and first in scoring defense. The Gators also are playing at The Swamp, where they are 30-2 under Meyer.

  Florida went unbeaten in the SEC regular season for the first time since 1996, clinching it with a 24-14 victory at South Carolina last week.

  "The bottom line is we're 10-0, we've won 20 straight and our guys know that and they feel very honored right now," receivers coach Billy Gonzales said. "They deserve it. They've done a heck of a job. It's a tough deal to go through the SEC conference and win every game. That's tough, and a lot people sometimes take it for granted.

  "We preach to our players every time, 'Don't ever take it for granted. Take every snap and understand how precious it is."'

  The Gators have gotten the message.

  "We're playing FIU, but believe it or not, we've been practicing hard like we practiced for previous games - South Carolina, Georgia," linebacker Ryan Stamper said. "The players are probably like, 'Man, we're still out here practicing hard for FIU?' But that's what it takes for us to come out there and be productive like we have been in the past."

  Stamper and his teammates know what's ahead, and with the finish line and maybe a shot at another national title in sight, they insist there's no chance of a letdown now.

  "We know what's on the line," Stamper said. "We pretty much know what it takes to win and we're going hard."

  FIU hardly looks primed to pull an upset.

  The Golden Panthers are giving up nearly 500 yards and 34 points a game this season. And their best player, receiver/return man T.Y. Hilton, has been slowed by injuries.

  Coach Mario Cristobal even said this week he might consider using two quarterbacks against the Gators, sharing snaps between starter Paul McCall and backup Wayne Younger.

  "Each quarterback does good things," Cristobal said. "We'll see how Florida comes out and plays us, but they're both ready to play and both capable of playing."

  Although the Gators declined to talk about plans for playing backups, there's little doubt they would like to get quarterback Tim Tebow, linebacker Brandon Spikes and other starters out of the game early and turn things over to the backups.

  "Never breathe easy," safety Ahmad Black said. "You never know. Anything can happen."

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Thomas gets first win as FIU beat Florida Memorial
  posted on November 17, 2009 - 07:55:02 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Isiah Thomas earned his first win as a college coach Tuesday when Phil Gary Jr. scored a season-high 27 points to help Florida International beat Florida Memorial 88-82.

  The Golden Panthers improved to 1-3 in Thomas' first season.

  Gary, who transferred from junior college after Thomas was hired, shot 7 for 11 and added 10 free throws in the Panthers' home opener.

  FIU beat the Lions by 26 points last season but struggled to put the game away. Marvin Roberts made a 3-pointer that give the Panthers the lead to stay with 2 1/2 minutes left.

  Roberts wears No. 11, Thomas' old number.

  Giorgio Gramegna had 17 points and 10 rebounds for Florida Memorial (0-2).

  Thomas' tallest starter was 6-foot-5, and his bench isn't deep - he used only seven players until the final minute.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Fla. International-Florida Preview
  posted on November 17, 2009 - 01:15:11 pm
  
  
  STATS Writer

  The victories might not have been as spectacular as last season's national title run, but Florida survived a rugged SEC campaign with a rare perfect record.

  To keep their BCS title hopes alive before a highly anticipated showdown in the conference championship, the top-ranked Gators just need to get past their final two opponents, beginning with Saturday's game against visiting Florida International.

  With last week's 24-14 win at South Carolina, Florida finished unbeaten in the SEC for the fifth time in program history and first time since 1996.

  Once again, the Gators (10-0) had to sweat through another drama-filled game. The Gamecocks closed within 17-14 just before halftime and faced that same deficit as they had the ball at Florida's 22-yard line to start the fourth quarter.

  On the next play, Florida defensive end Justin Trattou intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 53 yards to set up the game's final touchdown, Tim Tebow's 1-yard run.

  "Every week, someone has to step up. It's usually someone different every week," said Trattou, a junior playing with a torn left biceps.

  After beating their first two nonconference opponents by a combined 109 points, the Gators won their SEC games by an average of 14.4 points, and enter Saturday's game searching for their 21st consecutive victory overall.

  "We did not play perfect. I'm not sure we've played perfect in a while," coach Urban Meyer said.

  Last season the Gators were nearly flawless in their first 11 victories, winning by an average of 38.3 points. After suffering its only loss in 2008 to Mississippi, Florida routed each of its next seven opponents by at least 28 points - three by at least 50.

  But unlike that title-winning season, the Gators are still on track for their second unbeaten season in school history and first since finishing 5-0-1 in 1911.

  Florida still has its rivalry game against Florida State at home in two weeks and likely have to defeat No. 2 Alabama in the SEC championship game on Dec. 5 to defend its BCS championship.

  To earn that coveted perfect record, the Gators' first task is not to slip up against a Golden Panthers' team enduring another difficult season.

  Florida International (3-7) has never finished with a winning record since starting up its program in 2002, but the Golden Panthers have shown signs of improvement with two comeback wins in their past three games.

  FIU rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit last week for a 35-28 win over visiting North Texas.

  Peter Riley started the comeback by returning an interception 26 yards in the third quarter. In a 3:49 span in the final period, T.Y. Hilton caught a 3-yard pass from Paul McCall, and Wayne Younger scored on a 23-yard run.

  "It was a pretty wild football game," FIU coach Mario Cristobal said. "A tale of two halves, for sure."

  The Golden Panthers have been outscored 212-36 in their five games against FBS top 25 opponents, including a 40-14 loss to Alabama on Sept. 12.

  Tebow needs one more touchdown to become the SEC's all-time leader after tying former LSU running back Kevin Faulk with his 53rd in last week's victory.

  This is the first meeting between the schools.

  
  
  
• Starting Five: Isiah Thomas seeks out controversy
  posted on November 16, 2009 - 12:28:51 pm
  
  

  Sporting News' college basketball columnist Mike DeCourcy addresses five topics currently in his sport's headlines.

  1. Is it possible for Isiah Thomas to avoid controversy?

  DeCourcy: Look, the media are not making this stuff up. They are not even goading him into being controversial. Thomas signed up for the job as head coach at Florida International, which isn't like taking over the 2009 Indianapolis Colts, but he can't even get through some inevitable blowout losses with dignity.

  The first sign Thomas was out of his element came when FIU tried to muscle the promoters of the 2K Sports Classic into giving the team a road game at Ohio State rather than North Carolina. The Gazelle Group, which promotes the tournament, had arranged for FIU to get three home games as a result of its participation—but the school threatened to walk away from all that. FIU backed down when Gazelle refused to change the schedule.

  What happened Sunday in FIU's 81-49 loss at Tulsa was equally ridiculous. With 10 minutes remaining and Tulsa well ahead, Thomas glared and shouted at Hurricane coach Doug Wojcik because some of Tulsa's regulars remained in the game, according to Tulsa World.\

  Wojcik told the newspaper he only had eight available scholarship players—and really, why should he have to defend himself? Tulsa's star players, Ben Uzoh (29 minutes) and Jerome Jordan (24), did not play an extraordinary amount.

  Wojcik is one of college basketball's genuinely good men. Now we know for certain: Thomas wouldn't know class if it looked him in the eye.

  

  Devin Ebanks' absence from the Mountaineers has to be a concern for West Virginia.
  2. How many good games can you cram into 24 hours?
  

  DeCourcy: The NCAA Tournament has demonstrated the answer can be as many as 10 or 12, but that's probably not a fair comparison to ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.

  The network had to find teams willing to play at 6 in the morning. The NCAA just has to announce the name of a team and the team will show up to play at 3:52 a.m. in Poughkeepsie, if that's what it takes to play in the tournament.

  ESPN will run games from 12 midnight until 10 p.m. Tuesday without a break. These are the highlights:

  • Marquee appeal only: Kansas vs. Memphis, 10 p.m.
  • Intriguing: Temple vs. Georgetown, 4 p.m.
  • A curiosity, at least: Northeastern vs. Siena, noon.
  • Potentially fascinating: Gonzaga vs. Michigan State, 8 p.m.

  More: TSB's Chris Littmann gives 10 things to watch during the Marathon

  3. Is Northwestern done?
  

  DeCourcy: After months of discussion about whether this would be the Northwestern team to end the program's NCAA Tournament drought, the Wildcats lost star Kevin Coble to a foot injury. He is facing surgery and expected to redshirt. It doesn't help, either, that reserve wing Jeff Ryan is gone for the year with an ACL injury.

  The only good news for the Wildcats is its core players are all underclassmen. This was not like North Carolina's Marcus Ginyard missing his one true chance to be an active part of a championship team. In Coble's absence, Northwestern started only one senior Friday: career backup Jeremy Nash, who responded with 20 points in a 77-55 victory over Northern Illinois.

  Core players Michael Thompson, John Shurna and Luka Mirkovic have eligibility remaining after this season, so the return of Coble and Ryan and the development of freshmen such as guard Drew Crawford could make 2010-11 Northwestern's year.

  The Wildcats have waited 71 years to make it to the NCAA Tournament. What's another 16 months?

  4. Should West Virginia fans be concerned about the absence of sophomore forward Devin Ebanks from Sunday's West Virginia game?
  

  DeCourcy: West Virginia fans still are fuming about the touchdown awarded to Cincinnati's football team via replay reversal Friday. If those fans were looking for good news from their rising basketball program, this was not it.

  Coach Bob Huggins said Ebanks missed Sunday's victory over the Loyola Greyhounds to deal with "personal issues."

  As late as Friday, there was no sign anything was amiss with Ebanks, but he did not appear for the Loyola game, which WVU won without him, 83-60.

  This does not happen with star players. When a player is absent, it's usually a sign he is unhappy with his role or playing time. But Ebanks is a star who'd recorded a double-double in an exhibition game a week earlier. He was a preseason first-team All-America selection by Sporting News and is rated as a 2010 lottery pick by DraftExpress.com.

  Ebanks played in every West Virginia game last season, starting all but one. By the end he rarely was coming off the court. Huggins said he was not certain when Ebanks would be back with the Mountaineers, which is not good.

  5. What's the over/under on Arkansas' Rotnei Clarke vs. Louisville?
  

  DeCourcy: The Cardinals aren't exactly Alcorn State, which surrendered 51 points to Clarke on Friday night and played the victim in Ohio State forward Evan Turner's season-opening triple-double.

  It was a relief for Alcorn when Louisiana-Monroe smoked the Braves' D for "only" 82 points.

  Clarke will see plenty of Cards' defenders Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles. Figure on them holding him to about 14 in a comfortable Louisville victory.

  Mike DeCourcy covers college basketball for Sporting News. E-mail him at decourcy@sportingnews.com.

  
  
  
• Thomas, FIU drop 3rd straight, 81-49 at Tulsa
  posted on November 15, 2009 - 02:25:02 pm
  
  

  TULSA, Okla. -- Ben Uzoh scored 20 points and Justin Hurtt added 16 as Tulsa beat Florida International 81-49 on Sunday, dropping Isiah Thomas to 0-3 to start his college coaching career.

  FIU had a miserable shooting performance and during two timeouts midway through the second half, Thomas appeared to be motioning to Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik to ask when he was going to pull his starters with the Golden Hurricane (2-0) up by more than 30 points.

  Wojcik, who was putting Uzoh back into the game with just under 9 minutes to play, looked back at Thomas and shrugged his shoulders.

  Wojcik pulled 7-footer Jerome Jordan shortly thereafter and Uzoh with more than 5 minutes remaining. He had emptied his entire bench with 3 minutes left.

  Marvin Roberts led FIU with 18 points.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Florida International defeats North Texas 35-28
  posted on November 14, 2009 - 08:00:08 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Wayne Younger scored on a 23-yard run with 5:08 left, capping 21 unanswered points by Florida International in a 35-28 win over North Texas on Saturday night.

  The Panthers (3-7, 3-4 Sun Belt Conference) used an interception, a blocked punt and a Mean Green fumble to overcome a 28-14 halftime deficit.

  Florida International's Paul McCall tied the game at 28 on a 3-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton with 8:57 left.

  The Panthers, who finished with just 258 yards of offense, rushed for 173 yards and were led by Kendall Berry with 82 yards on 14 carries.

  The Mean Green (2-8, 2-5) had a chance to at least tie the game on their final drive, but turned the ball over on downs on the Florida International 9-yard line with 1:50 remaining.

  North Texas's Riley Dodge was 28 of 36 for 314 yards, an interception and a touchdown, and also rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Thomas still winless after FIU loses to Monmouth
  posted on November 13, 2009 - 07:05:06 pm
  
  

  WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. -- Isiah Thomas failed for the second straight time to earn his first college coaching win when Florida International was trounced by Monmouth 99-70 Friday night.

  Travis Taylor led the Hawks (1-0) with 18 points. Marvin Roberts led FIU (0-2) with 21.

  Thomas was booed at the school just an hour's drive south of New York, where he was fired after a rocky tenure as Knicks coach and executive.

  The Hawks made nine of their first 11 shots to take a 23-13 lead and went into halftime up 41-33.

  Roberts drove for the first basket of the second half to cut it to six, but Monmouth quickly pushed the advantage back into double figures and to finish the rout.

  Florida International also dropped its opener Monday at defending national champion North Carolina, 88-72.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Isiah Thomas signs 3 recruits to play for FIU
  posted on November 11, 2009 - 07:25:02 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Isiah Thomas' first recruiting class at Florida International already appears to be the best in school history.

  Thomas got three players to sign letters of intent Wednesday, including 6-foot-8 forward Dominique Ferguson - who originally committed to Kentucky and was ranked among the nation's top 50 prospects by multiple recruiting services.

  Thomas called it "a special day."

  DeJuan Wright, a 6-foot-4 guard who will transfer in from Gillette (Wyo.) Junior College, also signed. So did 6-foot-3 guard Richaud Pack of Birmingham, Mich.

  Wright committed to FIU on the day Thomas was hired.

  All three players will be eligible next season for FIU.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• No. 6 North Carolina beats Thomas, FIU 88-72
  posted on November 09, 2009 - 06:10:02 pm
  
  

  CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Deon Thompson scored 20 points to help No. 6 North Carolina spoil Isiah Thomas' college coaching debut and beat Florida International 88-72 on Monday night in the 2K Sports Classic.

  Ed Davis added 13 points for the defending national champion Tar Heels (1-0), who had little trouble in their opener with the undersized Golden Panthers. North Carolina shot 56 percent and led by double digits much of the way.

  Marvin Roberts scored 18 points for FIU (0-1), which hired Thomas in April to take over a program with nine straight losing seasons. The Hall of Fame point guard and former NBA coach was on the sideline despite the fact his 86-year-old mother had open-heart surgery in Chicago earlier Monday.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• With mother ailing, Thomas will coach FIU opener
  posted on November 09, 2009 - 11:40:02 am
  
  

  CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Isiah Thomas will coach FIU in its opener Monday night against No. 6 North Carolina, hours after his 86-year-old mother had open-heart surgery.

  Thomas arrived in Chapel Hill, N.C., early Monday, after spending Sunday in Chicago with his mother, Mary.

  Mary Thomas emerged from the surgery "well," said Hashim Alauddeen, FIU's director of basketball operations. Isiah Thomas didn't immediately return a call to his cell phone Monday.

  He was at shootaround with the Golden Panthers on Monday, then planned to spend the afternoon in his hotel room preparing for the game.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• FIU-North Carolina Preview
  posted on November 08, 2009 - 11:00:02 am
  
  
  STATS Writer

  North Carolina may have to battle its struggling mid-major opponent for attention as the Tar Heels open their season as defending national champions.

  That's because the sixth-ranked Heels' opponent, Florida International, will be led by Isiah Thomas in his collegiate coaching debut Monday night in Chapel Hill.

  The last time Thomas was involved in a college basketball game, he also faced Tar Heels, scoring 23 points in the 1981 NCAA championship game to lead Indiana to a 63-50 win. Current North Carolina coach Roy Williams was an assistant with those Heels.

  Thomas followed up that title with a Hall of Fame playing career in the NBA, but he hasn't approached that level of success on the sidelines. After three mediocre seasons as coach of the Indiana Pacers, Thomas was an executive with the Knicks from 2003-08, coaching them for the final two of five straight losing seasons on his watch.

  Controversy also followed Thomas in New York, as he was a defendant in a sexual harassment lawsuit involving a former Knicks employee in 2007. He was also hospitalized for an accidental overdose of sleeping pills a few months after his firing.

  Thomas is determined to improve his coaching legacy at FIU, even donating his first year's salary to the school as he tries to lead the program to its first winning season since 1999-2000.

  "I like taking some from the bottom and building it to the top," Thomas said after his hiring. "There's a lot of risk in that and there is also a lot of reward in that. But that's how I grew up. I want to take FIU to the next level and I know it's going to take a lot of hard work, but I'm willing to pay the price to do that."

  A trip to the Dean Smith Center for the opener of the 2K Sports Classic won't be the easiest way to start, and there was originally some dispute about the matchup as FIU believed it was supposed to face Ohio State.

  Thomas, though, said he thinks his team can compete with anyone even though it returns just one of its top four scorers - forward Nikola Gacesa - after going 7-11 in the Sun Belt Conference.

  The Golden Panthers (13-20) faced two ranked teams last season, losing by 35 at UCLA and 38 at Georgetown.

  "Well, Cinderella doesn't have to come in March. She can come in November," Thomas said.

  "If we can stay within our game, and if we can do the things we want defensively and offensively, I think we'll be able to play with any team in the country this year, not just North Carolina."

  No team could stay with the Tar Heels (34-4) in the NCAA tournament last season, as North Carolina won six straight games by double digits to earn the program's fifth national championship.

  There is plenty of doubt going into this season over who will fill the voids left by departed stars Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington. Senior forward Deon Thompson is the lone returning starter, but North Carolina still garnered a preseason ranking that implies the team could contend for a third straight trip to the Final Four.

  "It's unbelievable to me, it really is," said Williams, whose squad didn't get nearly as much respect after suffering major personnel losses following its 2005 national title. The Tar Heels, unranked in the '06 preseason poll, went 23-8 that season and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

  "I told our kids it's probably because we made everybody look so bad in '06 that they won't get caught that way again," Williams said. "That part is a huge difference. We could beat the drum that, 'We're going to show them.'"

  This season, North Carolina has some veteran help to lead its young talent as it tries to live up to expectations. Along with Thompson, fifth-year senior Marcus Ginyard returns after missing nearly all of last season with a foot injury.

  Sophomore Larry Drew II figures to step in for Lawson at point guard, while sophomore big man Ed Davis will try to fill the shoes of Hansbrough under the basket.

  Davis is part of what could be a deep frontcourt that features a trio of 6-foot-10 freshman, all of them McDonald's All-Americans, in John Henson and twins David and Travis Wear. Tyler Zeller, a 7-foot sophomore, is also primed for improvement after an injury-riddled freshman season.

  Williams said he has "no idea" how to prepare his team for FIU given the coaching change, but Thomas seems ready for what is expected to be a lopsided affair.

  "It'll be a very teachable moment," Thomas said. "So many times in life, you run into that immovable object or you get knocked down. When you get knocked down, you've got to find a way to get back up."

  
  
  
• Middle Tennessee routs Florida International 48-21
  posted on November 07, 2009 - 06:05:03 pm
  
  

  MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Dwight Dasher ran for three touchdowns and passed for two more as Middle Tennessee beat Florida International 48-21 on Saturday.

  Dasher ran for 178 yards and scored on runs of 1, 70 and 68 yards for the Blue Raiders (6-3, 4-1 Sun Belt Conference). He also went 13-for-28 for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted three times.

  Dasher threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Sancho McDonald and a 9-yarder to Patrick Honeycutt.

  The Blue Raiders led 34-0 before the Panthers (2-7, 2-4) scored three straight touchdowns to trim the lead to 34-21. Kendall Berry scored on runs of 2, 5 and 4 yards and ended with 103 yards rushing.

  Panthers quarterback Wayne Younger threw for 178 yards and was intercepted three times.

  The Blue Raiders are bowl eligible and remain one game behind Troy for first place in the conference.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Thomas, FIU starting over together
  posted on November 05, 2009 - 10:10:02 am
  
  

  MIAMI -- FIU hired Isiah Thomas to reinvent its basketball program. In turn, Thomas knows he can likely reinvent himself.

  If ever a team needed revitalizing, it's FIU, with nine straight losing seasons and a record over that span that doesn't even rank among the top 300 Division I programs.

  So here to lead this colossal rebuilding challenge comes a Basketball Hall of Fame player, an icon in the game, whose last stop with the New York Knicks began with spectacular fanfare and ended amid a spectacular flameout.

  It starts Monday at No. 6 North Carolina, and even Thomas isn't shy about saying this could be a lengthy project.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• FIU beats Louisiana-Lafayette 20-17, OT
  posted on October 31, 2009 - 01:40:02 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Dustin Rivest kicked a 24-yard field goal in overtime to lift Florida International to a 20-17 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday.

  The Panthers (2-6, 2-3 Sun Belt Conference) blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt by Louisiana-Lafayette's Tourek Williams in overtime to beat the Ragin' Cajuns (4-4, 2-2) for the first time in six games.

  Paul McCall threw for 250 yards and an interception for FIU, but he helped send the game into overtime with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Greg Ellingson with 10 seconds left in the game.

  Chris Masson had 254 yards passing, one touchdown and an interception for Louisiana-Lafayette. Louis Lee caught three passes for 62 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown pass from Masson to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 14-7 lead with 1:07 before halftime.

  Yobes Walker rushed for 40 yards on 18 carries for the Ragin' Cajuns.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Arkansas State tops Florida International 27-10
  posted on October 24, 2009 - 07:35:05 pm
  
  

  JONESBORO, Ark. -- Corey Leonard and Reggie Arnold each rushed for more than 100 yards to lead Arkansas State to a 27-10 win over Florida International on Saturday.

  Arnold, who rushed 104 yards for Arkansas State (2-4, 1-2 Sun Belt), scored on a 14-yard run with 6:08 left. His TD was set up when teammate M.D. Jennings recovered a Florida International (1-6, 1-3) fumble on the previous play.

  Leonard rushed for a career-high 120 yards and tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Blake. The Red Wolves also scored on a 5-yard run by Derek Lawson. Josh Arauco added field goals of 26 and 32 yards.

  FIU scored on a 36-yard field goal by Dustin Rivest and a 2-yard run by Darriet Perry.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Thomas says he's 'hurt' over Magic's book comments
  posted on October 22, 2009 - 11:40:02 am
  
  

  MIAMI -- Isiah Thomas has told SI.com that he is "really hurt" over criticisms levied by Magic Johnson in a new book chronicling the careers of Johnson and Larry Bird.

  According to the SI.com report, Johnson said Thomas questioned his sexuality after the Los Angeles Lakers star retired in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV. Johnson also tells the Web site that he helped play a role in keeping Thomas off the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.

  Thomas, now coaching at FIU in Miami, said he declined a chance to be interviewed for the book. He appears on at least 26 pages of the book, which Johnson and Bird wrote with author Jackie MacMullan.

  Neither FIU nor a Thomas representative had any immediate comment Thursday.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Thomas has 1st practice with FIU
  posted on October 17, 2009 - 03:40:06 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Isiah Thomas was finally back on the court Saturday.

  Holding his first official practice as Florida International's coach, the Hall of Fame player ran up and down with his new team, yelling out pointers on how to defend off the dribble. Far from his past coaching home with the New York Knicks, Thomas said his focus is on rebuilding the Golden Panthers, who finished 13-20 last season.

  He led stretching drills and cheers, looking agile and carefree in his new gym.

  "Today is here, I'm prepared for it and I'm ready for it," Thomas said. "I'm very excited."

  So are players and fans.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Troy beats Florida International 42-33
  posted on October 17, 2009 - 08:20:07 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Levi Brown threw three touchdown passes and Troy defeated Florida International 42-33 on Saturday night.

  The Trojans, who won their fourth straight, had 563 yards of offense, including 391 by Brown.

  Brown was 28-for-37 and threw consecutive touchdown passes in a 21-point second quarter for Troy (4-2, 3-0 Sun Belt Conference).

  Brown connected with Jerrel Jernigan for 40 yards and the first of three-straight TDs for the Trojans in the third quarter.

  Jernigan finished with 97 yards on five catches.

  DuJuan Harris had 86 yards on 18 carries for Troy, who trailed 10-7 before the 21-point outburst.

  Florida International (1-5, 1-2) was led by Paul McCall with 257 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 27-of-48 passing.

  McCall threw a 2-yard TD pass to Jason Frierson as time expired to cut Troy's lead to nine.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Fla. International beats Western Kentucky 37-20
  posted on October 10, 2009 - 08:10:03 pm
  
  

  BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Paul McCall threw two touchdown passes and Florida International scored 20 unanswered second-half points to beat Western Kentucky 37-20 Saturday night and win its first game of the season.

  Quarterback Paul McCall was 6-for-6 for 121 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter for the Golden Panthers (1-4, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) and finished 14-for-22 for 280 yards.

  FIU led 17-7 at halftime, then the Hilltoppers (0-5, 0-1) scored a touchdown on quarterback Kawaun Jakes' 8-yard run to begin the third quarter.

  McCall hit Jason Frierson for a 40-yard touchdown on FIU's ensuing drive.

  Greg Ellingson added five catches for 132 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Panthers.

  Jakes went 16-for-26 with an interception and two rushing touchdowns for Western Kentucky. Bobby Rainey's 103 yards rushing was the Hilltoppers' first 100-yard performance since Nov. 1, 2008.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Louisiana-Monroe beats Florida International 48-35
  posted on October 03, 2009 - 05:30:05 pm
  
  

  MONROE, La. -- Frank Goodin and Trey Revell each scored three touchdowns to lead Louisiana-Monroe to a 48-35 win over Florida International on Saturday.

  Goodin, who finished with 163 yards rushing on 19 carries, scored on runs of 9, 35 and 23 yards for the Warhawks (3-2, 2-0 Sun Belt Conference). Goodin's first score in the second quarter put Louisiana-Monroe ahead 14-7 and the Warhawks never trailed again.

  Revell was 19-for-35 with 273 yards, threw two touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 59 yards on 18 carries, including a 9-yard run in the second quarter.

  Both of Revell's touchdown throws went to Darrell McNeal, who had six catches for 108 yards.

  Paul McCall completed 28-of-46 passes for 314 yards, threw three touchdowns but had two interceptions. T.Y. Hilton had 11 catches for 117 yards and a score.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Toledo beats Florida International 41-31
  posted on September 26, 2009 - 08:35:07 pm
  
  

  MIAMI -- Aaron Opelt threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another as Toledo defeated Florida International 41-31 on Saturday night.

  FIU defeated the Rockets 35-16 on the road last year. But this time around, the visiting Rockets' 566 yards of total offense in the game - 223 of those rushing - led to five Toledo touchdowns.

  Opelt, who was 18-for-32 with one interception, had a part in three of those.

  The quarterback helped the Rockets (2-2) take a 7-0 lead on the opening drive when he scored on a 2-yard run with 11:05 left in the first quarter. He threw a 37-yard touchdown to Eric Page to put the Rockets ahead 38-17 with 8:50 left in the game.

  Opelt and Page also hooked up in the third quarter on a 41-yard passing score.

  Paul McCall was 19-for-42 with 224 yards and a score for FIU (0-3).

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Rutgers beats Florida International 23-15
  posted on September 19, 2009 - 06:00:04 pm
  
  

  PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Ryan D'Imperio scored on a 38-yard interception return in the fourth quarter to cap a magnificent effort by Rutgers' defense and the Scarlet Knights defeated Florida International 23-15 on Saturday.

  Rutgers (2-1) limited Florida International (0-2) to 99 yards in the first three quarters, forced three turnovers and sacked quarterback Paul McCall five times before giving up a two meaningless touchdowns in the final 6:51.

  San San Te kicked field goals of 39, 29 and 27 yards, Joe Martinek ran for 121 yards and backup quarterback Dom Natale capped a 94-yard drive with a 2-yard run as the Scarlet Knights posted their second straight win with freshman Tom Savage at quarterback.

  Savage struggled against an aggressive Golden Panthers' defense and spent the final 12 minutes on the bench after being dinged when he was sacked for the fourth time. He was 11 of 28 for 185 yards and no interceptions.

  Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  
  
  
• Starting Five: Pitino has another PR nightmare
  posted on September 03, 2009 - 11:16:23 am
  
  

  Sporting News college basketball columnist Mike DeCourcy addresses five topics currently in his sport's headlines.

  1. You're predicting big things for West Virginia this season. But how much do the Mountaineers need suspended sophomore Truck Bryant back on the court to accomplish those things?
  

  DeCourcy: Bryant certainly will make the Mountaineers better because he can play both backcourt positions, is strong and quick and has spent a year in the program. So he knows precisely what to expect in his second year under Bob Huggins.

  Notice I didn't say Bryant "would" make them better.

  He'll be out there.

  Why would anyone think differently?

  We can all joke and point to the history of Huggins players who've encountered summer issues and returned to play the next season. But where's the long list of players from any Division I program who missed the entire next season after off-court incidents?

  2. Rick Pitino hires a coach from the high school of one of the top junior prospects, Marquis Teague, a player Louisville is trying to land. Considering Pitino's past few weeks of a PR nightmare, is this a curious move?

  

  Rick Pitino has created one PR nightmare after another this offseason
  
  

  DeCourcy: The timing is horrendous, but lately it seems Pitino has made horrendous public relations part of his everyday routine. Imagine that as the title for his next business book: Do Whatever The Heck You Want: Going Through Life And Work With Utter Disregard For How Things Look.

  His self-declared news conference last week was a disaster, universally acknowledged (except for Pitino himself, maybe) to be damaging to his image.

  There was no urgency to him hiring Shabaka Lands to work at Louisville. It's not like the Cardinals are understaffed. There are assistants to assistants' assistants. And any college decision Teague makes will not lead to matriculation until autumn 2011.

  This could have waited. It should have waited.

  3. Should North Carolina embarrass Isiah Thomas and Florida International now that they finally agreed to go through with that game?
  

  DeCourcy: It seems FIU embarrassed itself plenty. Its initial protests against playing North Carolina were as dumb as pumpkin pie given the exposure the program would receive playing the reigning NCAA champions on ESPNU.

  FIU had a contract explicitly declaring it would be matched against Ohio State or North Carolina, so there was no reason to feign shock and outrage.

  Best of all, competing in the 2K Sports Classic guaranteed three home games for the Panthers. And they threatened to walk away from those because of fear of facing the Tar Heels? Then again, Isiah signed Jerome James for $30 million and traded for Stephon Marbury, so this fiasco would have a tough time cracking the top three on his career list of dumb basketball decisions.

  Once FIU backed down from these threats, though, the embarrassment reached depths none of us could have imagined.

  "We felt that after everything that has been said and done over the last eight or nine days that the biggest benefit and the biggest winners in our decision to play in this tournament is going to be the American Cancer Society,'' FIU athletic director Pete Garcia said at a news conference.

  They must be getting their PR advice from Pitino.

  4. College football kicked off Thursday with two good games: Boise State-Oregon and N.C. State-South Carolina. Can you rank those four schools in terms of most likely to make noise next March in hoops?
  

  DeCourcy: When you say "make noise," you're not talking about coaching changes, are you?

  South Carolina is an easy No. 1, moving forward in its second year under coach Darrin Horn. They lack the frontcourt size to be a major player, but they could make the NCAAs and spring a first-round upset.

  No. 2 is Oregon. The Ducks are loaded with veterans—from an eight-win team. The Pac-10 will be down, which helps. And adding former Arizona assistant Mike Dunlap to the staff could be significant. Dunlap has one of the best basketball minds. Ernie Kent has been one of those "hot seat" guys for most of the past decade, but this is his most important year in that regard.

  Related Links

  • Cards hire assistant with ties to recruit
  • FIU will play UNC as scheduled
  • DeCourcy: Summer suggestions
  • TSB: N.C. State scraps awful unis

  Boise State collapsed late last season to finish 19-13. But the Broncos played in the CBI. That's something. Most of those guys return.

  The last of the group, N.C. State, gets a complete makeover. Coach Sidney Lowe attracted a promising freshman class, but his teams still have not played in the NCAA Tournament. Remember when State fans routinely vilified Herb Sendek? Now, they call that period "the good old days."

  5. Who is one coach the average fan does not know right now but will know well within six months?
  

  DeCourcy: Shaka Smart was hired by VCU to replace Anthony Grant and walked into a team featuring Larry Sanders, a potentially dominant center, and young talent at nearly every other spot. Smart recruited well as an assistant at Akron, Clemson and Florida and demonstrated intelligence and zeal throughout his climb.

  In the summer of 2006, at the last Nike All-American Camp, I decided to do a little piece about the first guy to show up and sign the board acknowledging which college coaches visited. The first name on the list that day: Shaka Smart. I didn't know him then but do now.

  Mike DeCourcy is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at decourcy@sportingnews.com.