Someone said d*** Vitale had them as a top 10 Mid-Major team. I know Furman plays at Indiana this year. Furman's opening game is Friday night against Campbell at home. We play at Auburn Monday night I believe.

I have no idea how FIU is going to do in basketball, they haven't said a word about them.

 

I do know the FIU arena will be hosting the annual Belen-Columbus game this year. That might be the best game played there all season :plain

Campbell is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

 

And I love how Mr. Viatle's first name didnt make it through the censors.

I have no idea how FIU is going to do in basketball, they haven't said a word about them.

 

I do know the FIU arena will be hosting the annual Belen-Columbus game this year. That might be the best game played there all season :plain

616886[/snapback]

 

FIU was horrible last season but thankfully we got rid of that coach. People are pretty excited about our new coach, he seems to have the team headed in the right direction. The first game is Friday against FAU, we also have UM at home and play @ FSU and @UConn. Here's an article about the team from the Herald:

 

Link

 

FIU MEN'S BASKETBALL

 

New coach Rouco has unique style

 

Sergio Rouco has tried to promote team unity after the Golden Panthers struggled to a 5-22 record last season.

 

BY PETE PELEGRIN

 

ppelegrin@herald.com

 

Forget Hoosiers.

 

While most basketball coaches might have their teams see the inspirational basketball movie to build unity, new Florida International coach Sergio Rouco took the Golden Panthers on a different kind of field trip when camp began.

 

On the day FIU was scheduled to meet for its first practice, Rouco loaded up the team on a bus and said it was going to the Everglades for a two-hour exercise.

 

The players thought he was kidding so they joked as the bus traveled west on US 41 toward Shark Valley. Even when the team arrived at its destination, the Golden Panthers still thought Rouco would turn the bus around.

 

The FIU coach never did, instead instructing his players to complete an eight-mile run and a seven-mile bike ride along side alligators in under two hours.

 

''A lot of the kids needed that motivation,'' Rouco said.

 

At 7 a.m., the team began running along a trail in Shark Valley with some peering eyes at the sides of the trail.

 

COMING TOGETHER

 

''It was kind of scary when you first saw [the gators],'' center Byron Burnett said. 'But once you got into, it was like, `aw, it's OK.' Those exercises were more of a mental test than a physical one. We knew coach's reasons for them. It was to bring us together. We weren't together 100 percent last year.''

 

A fractured Golden Panthers team was 5-22 in 2003, so Rouco knew the attitude had to change to have any chance at success this season.

 

In what became known as ''Winners Week,'' another name for the first week of practice, Rouco continued the unusual bonding tactics.

 

After the run and bike ride, the next day, the players were put through, as Rouco called it a ''little bit of Fear Factor,'' where each player had to dive off a high diving board at a local pool.

 

The next day, the team separated into groups of three and had to push a car half a mile. Rouco culminated the week with what has become a team ritual -- eating breakfast together Friday morning.

 

Of course, none of these odd activities will mean much if FIU cannot improve upon last season, which saw multiple player suspensions, key injuries and selfish play.

 

ADDING A TOUCH

 

This is where Rouco comes in bringing an uptempo, competitive pace to everything.

 

Whether it's competition in the layup line at practice or in the classroom -- Rouco implemented a 3.0 GPA clause on his team -- the first-year coach is determined to alter the team's attitude.

 

''Kids have fun when they can all share the glory and when they all put out the same effort,'' Rouco said. ``I'm ecstatic in the direction that we're going.''

 

Rouco's method has worked before. As an assistant coach at UTEP last season, he was instrumental in turning a 6-23 program in 2002 to a 24-win season and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

 

He inherits an undersized FIU team with just four holdovers from last year.

 

One of the more intriguing new players is power forward Ivan Almonte, who won two national JUCO championships in the past three years under Joe O'Brien at Southeastern CC in Iowa.

 

Burnett will be FIU's other low-post threat. With point guard Alan Guyton lost for the season with an ACL tear, Rouco says the Golden Panthers might at times play with five forwards on the floor.

 

An unconventional style? The Golden Panthers don't mind.

 

''[Rouco] does things that you don't normally do,'' said Almonte, with a wide grin.

Elon I think should be pretty good competition for Furman this year. The same 5 starters are back this year along with a pretty good transfer student and a few freshman. A lot more depth. The starting center, Jackson Atoyebe will be the key this year. He needs to stay out of foul troublePlay NC State tonight in our second game of the season. Beat Fairleigh Dickenson by 15 points last night. Our out of conference schedule isnt anywhere near what it was last year. We still play Wake. We have a home and home with Weber State. That's pretty much it. Last year had Wake, Gtown, Cincy, and another big game I can't remember. Got killed in all those games though.

 

We shall see. Actually looking forward to Basketball season woo woo.

Good luck Furman.

Mousa and Quan are sick. Plain sick. One of these two will win SoCon player of the year, me predicts.