Florida International Basketball

Considering the school is 17 miles inland from Miami Beach, Florida International University students are more likely to tangle with an alligator while swimming before they catch a wave on a surf board.

But this hasn’t stopped the university from going ahead with its plan to repaint its basketball court with this tropical beach motif. 

The court is currently being prepared for its re-design, which will cost nearly $50,000 according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Paint will be applied layer-by-layer onto the court, and cabana-style seating will be available behind one of the baskets. 

FIU deserves credit for doing something adventurous with its hardwood. The school has a large student population (boasting 50,000 undergrads and graduate students) but is looking to stir up excitement in its basketball program, which achieved its first winning season in 13 years during the 2012-13 season under now-former head coach Rich Pitino.

Pitino—son of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino—had tweeted this new court design weeks ago as one of several in consideration for FIU’s new court plans. Since his tweet, Pitino has been hired on as the head coach at the University of Minnesota.  

Moving on to the Big Ten is a huge step for a young coach like Pitino, who, at the age of 30, will be the youngest coach in the conference by eight years (Northwestern’s Chris Collins, 38, is the next youngest).

Judging by this new court design, Pitino had big plans for his team at FIU and was looking down any and all avenues in the name of wowing recruits into playing for a lesser-known program. 

Without Pitino, FIU loses their name-brand coach and No. 1 recruiting weapon. Considering the school is located a few miles away from the University of Miami's burgeoning basketball program, they'll take any advantage they can get—even if it's ridiculous, in a Sandals resort-esque type of way.

On Twitter: Dr__Carson

Florida International University is bringing the beach to its home basketball court. 

The Huffington Post reports the final winning bid to adorn the FIU hardwood next season will be this beach setting, because the Miami-area university is near the beach. Get it?

Athletic Director Pete Garcia told HuffPost Thursday that he came up with the idea to attract recruits, provide a homecourt advantage and make money—the school is getting a sponsor to pay for it. FIU is negotiating with a painting contractor now, and Garcia said the job should be completed for less than $1 million.

As noted in the article, Yahoo! Sports had earlier reported that FIU was kicking around various designs that coach Richard Pitino did well to tweet to students and fans. 

First, there was this design, which would be phenomenal only on a beach towel. 

Redoing our court in a few weeks. This idea came across my desk. I am intrigued. Retweet if you like it! twitter.com/CoachPitinoFIU…

— Richard Pitino (@CoachPitinoFIU) March 18, 2013

Then, this similar design inevitably won the hearts and minds of the officials in power. 

Huge fan of this latest court proposal. Retweet if you agree! twitter.com/CoachPitinoFIU…

— Richard Pitino (@CoachPitinoFIU) March 20, 2013

Why stop there? Let's make sure all drinks at the arena have those little umbrellas in them, including beer. And every guy has to wear board shorts to the games, except for that one European exchange student who will of course come in a Speedo and make it awkward for everyone. 

In all seriousness, this is a horrible idea. 

Some of you might look at that court mockup sitting on your computer screen and think: that doesn't look half bad. But while it may look great as a graphic, beach decor never goes over well indoors.

Beach: awesome and truly captivating landscape.

Beach decor: tacky interior design only suited for "beach night" at a local fraternity. 

Some of you with tiki torches in your living rooms might protest, but you're all wrong. 

Lastly, with the beach setting, that menacing panther now looks like some mischievous seductress—not really the look you should go for with a mascot. Why not add a tropical drink in one paw and a bottle of sunscreen in the other? 

Just like the recent explosion of uniform options within college football and basketball, this court-designing trend came from Nike-fueled Oregon. The Ducks redesigned their floor to include the outlines of a dense forest.  

Regardless of how the general public feels about this recent trend, I'm sure FIU fans will love it, and that's really all that matters.

Like guys who wear cabana shirts or jean shorts, you're fighting a losing battle with the fashion police, but at least you have your own style.

Isiah Thomas is one of the best basketball players ever, but his tenures as a coach and GM have been marked by monumental failures and ridiculous situations.

Even after being fired, the man cannot escape controversy.

It just makes sense that after he was finally let go from Florida International University, his Golden Panther players have been unable to find a way to transfer away from the program.

According to a report by the Associated Press:

Dominique Ferguson said that his request to be released from his scholarship was denied by Pete Garcia, the school's executive director of sports and entertainment. A subsequent appeal process that Ferguson said included a meeting with university President Mark Rosenberg also did not bring the release he sought.

Several other FIU players are apparently seeking transfers as well now that Richard Pitino has been hired as the head coach in Thomas’ stead.

Ferguson isn’t going to be among them if they are finally approved, as he has hired representation and elected to turn pro.

"After much discussion with my family and support base we have decided to hire an agent and attempt to play professionally in the states or overseas," Ferguson wrote in a news release announcing the decision.

The 6’9”, 210-pound sophomore was able to put up 8.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during his two years in the Miami area.

While it was smart for him—and possibly his cronies on the team—to stick it to the school by declaring professional eligibility, he has to be wary that he may not be selected.

Ferguson isn’t in the Top 60 of most major mock drafts and not exactly what you would consider a hot prospect.

While he should never have returned to FIU, perhaps a lawsuit against the program would have been wiser.

Regardless, Ferguson should be applauded for sticking up for his rights and sticking it to a school that would not listen to him. 

It's no secret that college-aged kids love to express themselves and voice their opinions in different ways over major current events. 

The men's basketball team at Florida International University decided that protesting the end of the year banquet would be the best way to show how they felt about a recent event that happened on campus. 

These players were upset the school fired the head coach, former NBA player and coach Isiah Thomas. 

Freshman guard Tanner Wozniak told Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo! Sports that the idea to protest came from the seniors. 

"We didn't want to disrespect the program at all or anything," Wozniak said by phone. "We just wanted to show our support for Isiah Thomas. He was a great coach, a mentor and a father figure to us. He didn't have a winning record, but you can't build a program in three years." 

Apparently, the administration at FIU felt differently. Thomas was 26-65 during his career as head coach of the Golden Panthers. As his season-by-season record indicates, Thomas never really helped the team grow and get better. 

It was time to move on and start fresh, but the players weren't OK with it. This probably had something to do with the timing of Thomas getting fired. 

One would think after going 8-21, three fewer wins that the season before, the Golden Panthers would have dumped Thomas right away. That didn't happen, but instead the school hung onto Thomas for a month before deciding to part ways. 

It was unexpected, and the players thought protesting the banquet would be a good way to make a statement. It certainly sends a loud message, walking out on the event as the administration speaks highly of their (few) achievements this past year. 

The underclassmen on the team are unsure if they'll stick around, which only hurts the future of the FIU basketball program. The Golden Panthers have to find a new coach fast if they want to keep the players happy. 

Isiah Thomas has completed his first year as the head coach at Florida International.

Last season, the Golden Panthers went 7-25 overall and 4-14 in the Sun Belt Conference and in the past week or two, Thomas was rumored to be interested in also helping out the New York Knicks.

However, it has become clear that FIU is the immediate future for Thomas. His consulting gig with the Knicks is all but dust in the wind now, which in my opinion, is good news for both Thomas and Florida International.

Despite a hardly-successful first season at the collegiate level, Isiah Thomas might just have something in the works if he could ever "fully" commit to FIU.

The Golden Panthers will return each of its top three scorers, including leading scorer, Marvin Roberts, who led the way with just under 16 points per contest.

Alongside Roberts, Antoine Watson, and Phil Gary also return, all three of whom will be entering their senior seasons.

However, Thomas has earned some solid commitments in his first year as head coach. Incoming freshman Dominique Ferguson is the No. 46-ranked prospect in the nation according to rivals.com. Ferguson, who originally committed to Kentucky under former head coach Billy Gillispie, has found a new home with Thomas.

Ferguson, who potentially has the talent to become a star in the Sun Belt immediately, is also joined by three-star point guard Phil Taylor, both of whom should be able to come in and aid the Golden Panthers this season.

Moving onto 2011, Isiah Thomas has once again, earned commitments from recruits who may not have necessarily considered Florida International without Thomas being in charge.

6-foot-10 center Chris Coleman and 6-foot-9 forward Yvan Ngirabakunzi have both verbally committed to playing for Florida International in 2011. Ngirabakunzi is rated as the No. 38 power forward in the class of 2011 by espn.com, and also considered Miami (FL). Coleman, on the other hand, is the No. 11-rated center in the country and also received interest from Big East powers, Syracuse, Connecticut, and West Virginia.

With all his NBA connections, Thomas can bring in talent, and success could potentially follow for a program that has made only once NCAA Tournament appearance (1995). With Thomas at the helm, FIU has a chance to improve.

The question remains, however, is Isiah Thomas' stint at FIU only a temporary one and is it inevitable he will once again have a job in the NBA?

This article was also featured on Collegiate Hoops.


*Photo: Isiah Thomas *Credit: huffingtonpost.com

As many gush over Kentucky's recruiting class (myself included ), there are some schools that are never mentioned in college basketball circles landing some big fish in this year's recruiting class.

Let's take a quick look at four of the top-100 prospects of 2010 that will instantly be the Big Man on Campus at their respective small schools.

Shavon Coleman, SF - LA Monroe

Rivals' No. 97-ranked player, Coleman is going to the University of Louisiana Monroe.

Why?

Coleman is from Louisiana, so obviously staying close to home was a priority of his. It's just interesting to see that LSU wasn't in on this kid.

The 6'6" small forward will be the best player on the ULM team the first time he steps on the floor.

A 12-19 team (6-12 in a horribly weak Sun Belt conference), Coleman should challenge North Texas in the Sun Belt's West division, possibly leading ULM to an NCAA tournament berth.

Ray McCallum, PG - Detroit

The 6'1" point guard out of Detroit decided he wanted to say home and with his family. Literally.

Not only is he staying in the city he has lived his entire life, Rivals' No. 60 player in the 2010 recruiting class will play for his father, Coach Ray McCallum, Sr.

McCallum played in the McDonald's All-American game last week and showed a flare you like to see out of your floor general as well as some great vision and passing skills. As good as McCallum is and may become, Detroit has no chance of challenging Butler in the Horizon League.

Domonique Ferguson, PF - Florida International

When FIU hired Isiah Thomas, I'm not sure they expected it to pay recruiting dividends this quickly.

Before his senior season even started, the 6'9" Ferguson committed to Isiah and the Golden Panthers.

Some say the kid is rated too high by Rivals.com (No. 40 overall, No. 10 power forward), but his skill set for a player his size can be a factor in the college game.

He's got the handle of a wing player and great athleticism for a power forward. It will be interesting to see how Isiah Thomas develops this kid.

Trey Zeigler, SG - Central Michigan

The No. 26 prospect on Rivals.com, Zeigler follows the same story line as Ray McCallum. Michigan kid, staying close to home, playing at a small school where his father is the coach.

He's been listed at 6'5" and brings great versatility to the game, being able to play all three wing positions. He's a good shooter and can attack the rim aggressively, making him a tough guard for anyone, especially for MAC defenders.

With so many people discussing the one-and-done rule and how it is ruining college basketball, it will be interesting to watch these top-flight talents take their game to schools that are off the basketball radar.

Will they carry their teams to a long-awaited NCAA tournament appearance, or will they pad their stats enough to make the leap to the NBA before they can leave their mark on their respective school of choice?

Isiah Thomas was one of the greatest point guards ever to play the game, but since his retirement, Thomas' legacy has become his epic failures in running teams. But was he an even worse coach than we remember? Is that possible?

Let's take a look at the numbers. As a coach in the NBA, Thomas accumulated a career record of 187-223 and a winning percentage of .456. That's bad. Mike Dunleavy, widely considered the worst coach in the NBA right now, has a percentage of .462.

But what makes it even worse is the dropoff that teams had once Thomas took over. He had a winning record of 131-115 in three seasons with Indiana, but the Pacers won 56 games and went to the NBA Championship game the year before he got there and went to the Eastern Conference Finals the two years previous. Thomas never even got them out of the first round.

When Thomas took over the Knicks head coaching job, there wasn't much he could do because the team's President of Basketball Operations had left them with little to no talent. The thing is, Thomas was the President of Basketball Operations.

He leaves a trail of destruction wherever he goes, and that's not even mentioning how he ran the CBA into the ground.

Now that he is the coach of Florida International, you can expect the same, and things are already starting to go south. Set to face North Carolina in the opening round of a tournament, Thomas threw a fit because that's not who they were originally scheduled to play. Not even one game of college coaching under his belt and he is already turning the team into a laughingstock.

FIU looks to be just one more notch on the nightmare that is Isiah Thomas' coaching career.

In between Dolphins draft talk, Heat/Hawks playoff talk, and the Marlins torrid start, Florida International University's hiring of Isiah Thomas as their next basketball coach reached the front of the South Florida sports pages earlier this week.

Most of the commentary about this controversial hiring was doubtful at best.  Many analysts, in Miami and around the country, came right out and criticized the decision as "horrible."

Pete Garcia, FIU's athletic director, was one of the few who praised Thomas and stood by his decision but the initial press conference failed to impress when local reporters threw out tough personal questions and the school's Provost, Ronald Berkman, twice called their new coach "Isiah Thompson." 

Thomas said he was going to donate his first year's $225,000 salary back to the school.  He said, "I did not come here for the money."  Remember, the New York Knicks owe him $10 million and are going to pay it over the next two years, but nice gesture anyway.

Thomas detractors point to his flawed record as a coach and administrator and paint him as a man filled with personal issues, that won't go away.  They also question Thomas' resolve to recruit, something he's never done before.

Others wonder if Thomas would be able to handle life in the Sun Belt Conference—a  world about as far removed from the NBA as Burger King is from a top New York steakhouse.

Thomas' record as an administrator is not impressive.  After three years as part owner of the Toronto Raptors, he was fired as the lead game analyst on "The NBA on NBC" before taking over as the chief executive of the Continental Basketball Association.

While in charge, other CBA execs felt that Thomas ran the league into the ground. After the league folded, he went on to coach the NBA's Indiana Pacers for three years until Larry Bird, in what was his first move as new GM, replaced him with Rick Carlisle. 

Thomas eventually wound up with the Knicks and he made a series of moves that set them back years in their development.

He replaced Larry Brown as coach, created huge salary cap problems, allegedly instigated a brawl with the Denver Nuggets and tied the franchise all-time record of 59 losses. 

Things got worse;  While with the Knicks, he was accused of sexual harassment and Madison Square Garden, his employer, was ordered to pay Browne Sanders $11.6 million.

And the personal problems didn't stop there.  In October of 2008 he was rushed to the hospital for what many called an overdose. Thomas didn't help things when he apparently tried to cover it up and claimed it was his 17-year-old daughter who was the one being treated.

Does this look like the man you want running a college basketball program?  Of course not, but Pete Garcia and Provost Berkman think FIU needs a boost.  They want recognition, and they want it now.

After reviewing Thomas' failures, this hire doesn't seem like the right move but the main reason this decision could backfire on the university is that it breaks one of sport's universal laws - Great players don't make good coaches!

I'll repeat that: Great players don't make good coaches.  This seems to be the rule and there are very few exceptions.

Some say it's because great players—and Thomas was one of greatest ever—do not have the patience for lesser players.  Others claim lesser players became good teachers when they taught themselves technique that didn't come naturally.

The greatest coaches of our time were not standout players.  Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Bill Parcells and Tom Landry in Football.  Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley and Larry Brown in basketball.  Casey Stengel, Earl Weaver, Tommy Lasorda, and Jim Leyland in baseball.  The list goes on and on.

The greatest coaches in college basketball were marginal players at best.  John Wooden, Dean Smith, Bob Knight, John Chaney, Mike Krzyewski, Rick Pitino, Jim Calhoun, Billy Donovan and John Calipari.  If I left your coach out, forgive me.

Thomas signed a five-year contract with FIU but most people  don't envision him being around too long.   It's not that they are "Doubting Thomases"; They doubt Isiah Thomas.