Florida International

[Censored by Laurie]

Florida International coach Sergio Rouco may be the most entertaining figure in the Sun Belt. Standing about 5'7", he is not what you think of when you hear the word basketball. His demeanor changes from game to game...ranging from jacket removing, neck-tie loosening, floor stomping rage to talking to the crowd about what to do after the game complete apathy. His relationship with his players is just as unstable...last year losing two starting guards around Christmas.

Projected Starters:

• PG. Michael James 5'9" 160 Sr.
• SG. Kenneth White 6'2" 200 Jr.
• SF. Chris Fuller 6'5" 191 Sr.
• PF. Alex Galindo 6'7" 220 Jr.
• C. Russell Hicks 7'0" 235 Jr.

Frontcourt: Alex Galindo (6'7" 220 Jr.) was a top 50 national recruit out of high school, origanally committing to UTEP, but signing with Kansas in 2004, playing 23 games as a freshman and averaging 4.3 points per contest. In his first season with the Panthers, Galindo lead the team in scoring and rebounding (13.9ppg, 5.9rpg) despite being forced to play frequently out of position at the 4. Galindo also led the team in personal fouls (3.2/game) and fouled out 6 times trying to guard larger and stronger opponents. Galindo was touted as a terrific 3-pt shooter, however he struggled in his first year in Miami, shooting just 35% from the 19'9". FIU's success may hinge on the contribution of some young PFs and Cs, which could free Galindo to play the wing. Russell Hicks (7'0" 235 Jr.) is the only seven footer in the Sun Belt and should slide right into the Panther starting line-up. The Pepperdine transfer made the West Coast Conference all freshman team in 2004-05, and averaged 5.0 points and 1.0 blocks as a sophomore for the Waves. FIU has sorely lacked a post presence during Rouco's tenure, last year starting the departed, perimeter oriented Facundo Georgi (6'8" 230) at the start of last season, before Georgi was knocked out for the season due to injury. Georgi's role fell to two true freshmen, who hope to make larger contributions in the 07-08 campaign. Cedric Essola (6'8" 220), a member of the Cameroon Under-20 team, made nine starts last season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest. Nikola Gacesa (6'9" 230) helps make sure International remain a part of FIU. The Serbian is similar to Georgi in that he prefers to play on the perimeter, but was pressed into a more physical role last season. Gacesa did shoot 45% from 3 last season and will be looking to add to his 4.0 / game scoring average. JUCO transfer Badara N'Diaye (6'11" 230 Jr.) will eat space and minutes at post, and former (current?) walk-ons Marlon Bright (6'5" 225 Jr.) and Brad Larson (6'5" 210 Jr.) provided solid minutes last season in reserve.

Backcourt: In the guard oriented Sun Belt, FIU will be counting on mostly unproven commodities to man their backcourt. 3 of their top for scoring guards are gone. Graduated is Johwen Vilegas (12.9ppg) and Elvis Lora (8.4ppg, 3.1apg) and DeJon Prejan (10.3ppg) left the team around Christmas. Chris Fuller (6'5" 191 Sr.) returns. Fuller led FIU in steals (38) and will be the second leading returning scorer (10.7ppg). Texas A&M transfer Kenneth White (6'2" 200 Jr.), a highly-touted product of Dallas Molina, saw little action in a crowded Aggie backcourt. White is a combo guard who scored in bunches in high school and will be counted on to be a major offensive contributor. Michael James (5'9" 160 Sr.) and Erick Nsangou (5'11" 195 Soph.) shared time at the point last season. James, a product of the storied Oak Hill academy, is a pure point guard who had averaged a solid 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. Nsangou is more of a scorer (5.3ppg, 42% fg) and performed well after being pressed into service following Elvis Lora's departure. The future of the FIU backcourt looks bright with the signings of Tremayne Russell (6'2" 175) and Josou Soto (6'1"165 Soph.). Russell was an all state performer as a senior in Florida in 2005-2006 and prepped last season at the renowned Maine Central Institute. Soto was the 2006 Gatorade Florida player of the year and signed and played with Florida State last season before transferring to FIU in March 2007. Soto saw action in just 13 of the Noles games last season and left the program wanting to find a place he could make a larger contribution. He's being favorably compared to former FIU standout Carlos Arroyo.

Summary: The talent level in Miami is increasing...and the 2008-2009 potential nucleus of Galindo, Hicks, White, Russell and Soto has to have Panther fans excited. If Rouco can find a way to play Galindo on the wing, he should average 20. If Kenneth White reverts to his Dallas Molina form that made him one of the best guard prospects in Texas, he has the chance to be SBC newcomer of the year. FIU is a team full of if's, more than most, and its questionable if Rouco can convert those ifs into wins. FIU will once again be near the basement of a deep SBC East, but if Rouco can maintain his underclassmen, the Panthers have more competitive days ahead of them.

[untgeorge]

Their coach was born in Cuba, they will have two players from Cameroon, one from Puerto Rico, and one from Serbia. That without knowing where all their new players came from. This year they will even have two players from Florida. They are certainly "international". (same for the women's team, except almost all their international players are from Europe.)

Sergio is the most colorful coach in the league. Temperamental, profane, friendly, quirky, subject to fits of anger..... whatever you can say about his personality is likely true. We met him between games in the conf tournament in Denton, he remembered us when we ran into him in Murfreesboro. After their game in our Pit two seasons ago, he made a point of shaking hands with members of the Pit Crew after the game. Interesting guy who likes people and will talk to anyone at the drop of a hat.

He is interesting, the question is, can he coach. His signature wins came in his first year, when his squad consisted mostly of Donnie Marsh recruits (except for Ivan Almonte and N'gio N'dye - spelling surely incorrect - whom he did recruit) and his teams which we saw in Denton and Murfreesboro were interesting but not very solid fundamentally, even Ivan got more done with his intensity and energy than with his fundamental skills. Maybe that had more to do with the talent level than the coaching, we'll see.

Since I did not see them last season and since few of the players on their team at that time are still with them, I don't have much to add to CBLs interesting, well researched writeup. Sergio is an all-conference personality, but don't look for much else from this team in the coming season.

As an aside, one wonders how FIUs mens team is so successful at recruiting international players. They had many international players long before Sergio came aboard. In the past most of their men's international players have come from the Carribean basin, and some like Carlos Arroyo have been very good. The story on the women's team is more obvious, their top assistant played in the women's leagues in Europe and maintained contacts after her playing career was over.

[Censored by Laurie]

Florida International has tenativly added 2 members to their 2007 recruiting class, and both come from the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference, from which FIU has add many players in recent years, including 07 recruit Badara N'Diaye:

• Nestor Colmenares 6'7" 210 PF Indian Hills CC
• Sadell Ayala 6'3" 205 SG/SF Iowa Western CC

Colmenares is an Ivan Almonte clone, an active, undersized power forward who gets many of his points on offensive putbacks. He averaged 14 points and an ICCAC leading 7 rebounds per contest last season and will have 3 years of eligibility remaining. Ayala is a 2,3 combo who averaged 12 points, 6 boards and 3 assists last season.

The only thing that may hold back the Colmenares signing is FIU's APR...which may cut 2 scholarships from the Panther basketball program. If Colmenares does come to Miami he could be a huge piece for the Panthers next season. His arrival would allow Alex Galindo to slide over to the 3, his natural position. Even if Colmenares' scoring is minimal, Galindo's would increase exponetially by moving to the wing...and would improve FIU's depth with either Chris Fuller or Kenneth White becoming a dangerous 6th man.

[Cooley]

COACH AND PROGRAM

FIU Golden Panthers

Last Season 12-17 (.414)

Conference Record 7-11 (6th)

Starters Lost/Returning 3/2

Coach Sergio Rouco (Nova Southeastern '87)

Record At School 33-54 (3 years)

Career Record 33-54 (3 years)

RPI Last 5 years 272-312-180-277-251

Sergio Rouco knew turning around Florida International's program would be a tall task, but he's optimistic about the possibility of reaching new heights this season. The arrival of 7-0 Pepperdine transfer Russell Hicks and 6-11 Badara Ndiaye, a former junior college player, will give Rouco some length in the paint for a change. Hicks, a junior, averaged 3.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots as a freshman at Pepperdine. He was averaging 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks when he broke his foot 16 games into his sophomore season.

Ndiaye averaged six points and four rebounds as a freshman at Southeastern (Iowa) Community College, but what Rouco really likes is the long-armed junior's shot-blocking skills. "We're ecstatic to have some size," said Rouco, who enters his fourth season in Miami with unprecedented optimism. "The Hicks kid is a proven player. He had a great freshman year at Pepperdine. "I'm going to play them both at the center, but I also plan to play them together some. If you can make people defend the post and have to make tough shots, then you can get a few more wins in the league."

The infusion of size will give Rouco more versatility with 6-6 junior Alex Galindo (13.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg). The Kansas transfer played primarily in the post last season, but made 45 three-pointers, including three game-winners. He was second-team All-Sun Belt. "He'll play some at the three now," Rouco said, "but I'm still going to play him at the four because when he plays the four he creates so many mismatches."

PLAYERS

Texas A&M transfer Kenneth "Red" White may shoulder some of Galindo's scoring load. White, a 6-2 junior shooting guard, scored 10 points against Auburn and nine against Colorado for Billy Gillispie's Aggies in 2005-06. During his junior year of high school in Dallas, White attempted a state-record 411 free throws. "He can really put the ball in the basket man," Rouco said. "I'm going to have to tell him to pass the damn ball. He wants to put it in the basket every single time, which is good, and he can really shoot the three too. "The only guy who can stop him is me. I've got to let him be some. He's what I call 'Billy Gillispie tough.' "

Rouco has returning starters in 5-9 senior point guard Michael James (4.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg) and 6-5 senior swingman Chris Fuller (10.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg). James found a rhythm the final month of his first season out of junior college. He had 16 points and no turnovers in the home finale and a career-high 11 assists against two turnovers in the season finale. Fuller is the Panthers' defensive stopper. He led the team in steals and invariably draws opponents' most polished backcourt threat.

Rouco was also encouraged by the maturation of 6-0 sophomore Erick Nsangou (5.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg) during the final half of the season. Nsangou ended up averaging 18 minutes and making two starts as a freshman.

The Panthers were hit hard by the mid-season defections of Dejon Prejean (10.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and Elvis Lora (8.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg), but no self-pity surfaced. The young Panthers put together a late three-game win streak that included victories against South Alabama, arguably the league's best team, and at Middle Tennessee, which reached the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals two weeks later. "We started playing our best when I got smart enough to start playing Erick on the wing," Rouco said, "and playing he and James together." Rouco returns two sophomores in the frontcourt, 6-9, 235-pound Nikola Gacesa (4.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and 6-8 Cedric Essola (3.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg). Brad Larson (1.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg), a 6-4, 225-pound junior, made one start last season.

Another newcomer is 6-1 freshman point guard Tremayne Russell. He averaged 20 points and five assists and was as a Miami Herald first-team All-Dade County selection as a senior in high school two years ago. Last season he played at Maine Central Institute, where former players such as Sam Cassell and Caron Butler have prepped. The Golden Panthers finished 7-11 in the league and 12-17 overall last season despite the losses of two of their top four scorers 14 games into the season. They beat South Alabama, North Texas and Arkansas State after the roster hits. South Alabama had won 13 straight Sun Belt games, Arkansas State won the West and reached the tournament championship and North Texas went to the NCAA Tournament. "Our kids didn't quit," Rouco said. "I'm telling you, I've got great kids. They're GPA was 3.0."

The 3-2 finish Rouco pulled off with eight eligible players could be a sign of better things to come. The Golden Panthers' gutsy conclusion carried over into the off-season and Rouco routinely has productive off-seasons. But FIU appears capable of winning on more than grit and guile this year. Rouco has his best combination of talent, balance and experience to date.

"Absolutely, this is the most excited I've been since coming here," Rouco said. There are also 17 home games, including visits from George Mason, USF and Miami. An upset or two could go a long way.

If this team starts feeling good about itself early, and Galindo and White mesh, Rouco could have a sturdy dark-horse come tournament time.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B

BENCH/DEPTH: B-

FRONTCOURT: B

INTANGIBLES: B+